How to remove revits 1

[bicolexpress]

Hi everybody!

I need help/suggestions on the fastest way to remove rivets from an old/aged railroad bridges without damaging connecting members. We have to do this in more than 50 bridges so we have to do this in the fastest way.

Thanks in advance....

 

[ctmtwilliams]

Use a cutting torch and cut the heads off flush with the connecting member and then push it out. If you preheat the revit head slightly first, and the welder is careful to cut parallel to the connecting member with a clean cutting tip, no damage is incurred to the connecting member. I used to be a welder and did this type of cutting all the time.

 

[bicolexpress]

That is what we are doing at present and we don't have problem with the cutting. We just have difficulty in hammering the remaining rivet's part since it already
somewhat fused to the parent metal maybe due to the span of
time that the members were joined together. Does any other
process out there applicable for this purpose?

Thanks for the suggestion(s)...

 

[Rjeffery]

Center punch the rivet's head. use a mag base drill press. use a drill bit that is .02" smaller than the rivet's shank diameter.