Which type of load is responsible for the most rivet failures?

The type of load that is responsible for the most rivet failures is shear. Rivets are designed to resist shearing forces, which act parallel to the surface of the material. When rivets are subjected to shear loads, they experience stress that can lead to failure if the shear force exceeds the material's strength. Shear loads are particularly critical in aviation applications where dynamic forces and vibrations can amplify the stresses on structural connections.

In contrast to shear, tensile loads pull materials apart and compressive loads push materials together, each posing different failure mechanisms. Bending can induce both tensile and compressive stresses in rivets and surrounding structures, but it does not directly lead to the same type of failure as shearing. This distinction is crucial for understanding structural integrity and for designing connections that can withstand the varying types of loads that aircraft structures encounter during operation.