100 year old rivets
100 year old rivets
(OP)
I'm trying to estimate cost of some repairs on a 100 yr old steel bridge and need to remove a couple of hundred rivets ( 3/4 inch size and very corroded) but we must reuse the holes for galvanised bolts. The old rivets can be removed by drilling them out, or by carefull use of a blow torch, or possibly by grinding off the head and punching etc etc. This job has a very tight time schedule due to road closures etc so Please has anyone any comments that might help us start with the best method?
Fortunately this is not heavy structural work but just some "service boxes" affixed to underside of a high level bridge which passes over a main road.
Thanks in advance Corrosionman
Fortunately this is not heavy structural work but just some "service boxes" affixed to underside of a high level bridge which passes over a main road.
Thanks in advance Corrosionman





RE: 100 year old rivets
We had no problems, and we had to remove quite a few!
It was fast, painless and very effective, although incredibly noisy.
As I type I have one old rivet on my office I kept as a memento.
The other methods you descrive sound effective but slower.
RE: 100 year old rivets
CM
RE: 100 year old rivets
Our biggest problem was to avoid the workers removing too many bolts at the same time. We had a limit about how many rivets could be removed at a time. Obviously the more you remove, the weaker the connection/composite member becomes.
RE: 100 year old rivets
Once in a while you might have to burn the head off. If so, make sure they use a wide tip on the torch. I worked for an old time who used to say "I don't trust iron workers with torches."
RE: 100 year old rivets
Rivet pieces flying away were not a problem for me, noise was! And obviously you always have to remember that 100 year old rivets have 100 year old paint, that is, lead paint, but that is another issue altogether.
RE: 100 year old rivets
TRo speed the producion you may also use hydraulic shears.
I will highly disadvice use of torches, as all old bridges were painted with the red lead as primer, and the fumes during torching could be a major safety issue.
RE: 100 year old rivets
Corrosionman
RE: 100 year old rivets
RE: 100 year old rivets