In rivets, grip is defined as which of the following?

• A. The diameter of the rivet shank.
• B. The total thickness of the material that the finished rivet joins.
• C. The length of the rivet.
• D. The material strength of the rivet.

Answer: (B)

Grip is the total thickness of the material that the finished rivet joins. This measurement defines how thick the stack of parts is that the rivet must clamp, so you choose a rivet length that will extend through that stack and still have enough shank to form the proper head and upset the tail during installation. If the grip is misjudged, the joint may either not clamp tightly or the rivet won’t set correctly.

This concept is distinct from the rivet’s shank diameter, which relates to strength and fit, or from the overall rivet length, which includes portions beyond the clamped stack. It’s also not about the material’s strength, which affects load carrying, not the grip thickness.