Rivets: 150 years old and key components in our structures
Do you know what the Gare de Lyon, our 7,000 bridges and the Eiffel Tower have in common? A piece of metal, invented 150 years ago, which forms a key part of the structure of many of our railway bridges and stations: the rivet.
What is a rivet?
The rivet is a small component with the shape of a cylindrical rod and a convex side. It is used to join two metal elements. However, its manufacture calls for a specific technique, called hot riveting. In a portable oven positioned near the site, the rivet is heated to 1,100 degrees. Next, the rod is positioned in a hole between the two plates that we want to join together. And there, a worker strikes the rivet with a special hammer to deform it.
4
people are needed to make a rivet
678 768
rivets on the Gabarit viaduct
2.5
million rivets on the Eiffel Tower
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