Standard Test Method for Shear Testing of Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Rivets and Cold-Heading Wire and Rods - PDF

ASTM B565 Shear Fixture – Universal Grip Data Sheet (PDF)

 

ASTM B565 is the standard test method for double shear testing of aluminum and aluminum-alloy rivets with round, solid shanks, and of aluminum cold-heading wire and rod. It gives the shear strength that rivet and fastener-wire specifications (such as ASTM B316 for rivet and cold-heading wire and rod) call for, and is widely used in aerospace and transportation quality control.

How the Double Shear Test Works

The wire or rivet shank passes through close-fitting holes in three hardened steel shear plates: two outer plates held by one side of the fixture and a center blade pulled by the other. As the testing machine pulls the fixture apart, the specimen is cut on two planes at once, one on each side of the center blade. Testing in double shear keeps the load centered and avoids the bending that a single shear test introduces.

• Interchangeable shear plates are drilled to match each wire or rivet diameter, with a close clearance so the specimen is cut cleanly rather than bent.

• The plates must stay hard and sharp: worn or rounded hole edges raise the measured load.

• The fixture mounts in a universal testing machine and is loaded in tension, so the same frame used for tensile tests can run B565.

Specimens

• Rivets: round, solid-shank rivets with a shank length of at least twice the shank diameter (2d), tested as received or after the driving heat treatment the specification calls for.

• Cold-heading wire and rod: straight lengths cut long enough to pass fully through all three plates.

• Measure the diameter at the shear planes before testing; small errors in d change the area by the square.

• Results depend on the length of material sheared out, so use the plate thickness the standard specifies for the diameter being tested and report it.

Test Procedure

1. Select the shear plates that match the specimen diameter and check the hole edges for wear.

2. Insert the specimen through the outer plates and center blade so both shear planes are in solid wire or shank.

3. Mount the fixture in the universal testing machine and apply force at a uniform rate within the loading-rate limit of the standard.

4. Record the maximum force when the specimen shears through on both planes.

5. Inspect the pieces: a valid test shears cleanly on both planes with little bending.

Calculating Shear Strength

Because the specimen is cut on two planes, the force is divided by twice the cross-sectional area:

Shear strength = P ÷ (2A), with A = πd² ÷ 4

Example: a 4.0 mm (0.157 in) rivet wire fails at 5,000 N. A = π × 4.0² ÷ 4 = 12.57 mm². Shear strength = 5,000 ÷ (2 × 12.57) = 199 MPa (about 28.9 ksi).

Reporting

• Alloy, temper and product form (rivet or wire/rod) and the nominal and measured diameter

• Shear plate thickness and hole size used

• Maximum force and calculated shear strength for each specimen, with the average

• Any specimen that bent or sheared on only one plane

ASTM B565 Shear Fixtures

Universal Grip supplies ASTM B565 double shear fixtures with interchangeable hardened shear plates for common rivet and wire diameters. They fit standard universal testing machine clevises and can be supplied with plates drilled to your sizes. See all of our shear testing fixtures, or the ASTM B769 page for shear testing of aluminum sheet, plate and extrusions.

ASTM B565 FAQ

What does ASTM B565 test?

The double shear strength of aluminum and aluminum-alloy rivets with round, solid shanks, and of aluminum cold-heading wire and rod. It is not a test for brazed, bonded or lap joints.

How is shear strength calculated in ASTM B565?

The specimen is cut on two planes at once, so shear strength = P ÷ (2A), where P is the maximum force and A = πd²/4 is the cross-sectional area of the wire or rivet shank.

What rivets can be tested to ASTM B565?

Rivets with round, solid shanks whose shank length is at least twice the shank diameter (2d). Shorter rivets cannot span both shear planes of the tool.

What is the difference between ASTM B565 and ASTM B769?

B565 is for rivets and cold-heading wire and rod. B769 covers shear testing of other aluminum alloy products such as sheet, plate, bar and extrusions.