I finally toured the old power plant in Gary, Indiana last week and everyone seems to think the original riveted seams are just for show.

Jamie Knight · 2026-04-01T14:40:05.540152+00:00

I measured the plate thickness on a 1928 boiler and the riveting is still holding better than some modern welds I've seen fail after a decade, so why is the default always to cut it all out?

jenny_jackson5mo ago

How thick were those plates you measured?

8

brookes375mo ago

Measured them at just over an inch thick. That old steel is no joke. The thing is, calling it "just for show" misses the point. Those rivets let the plates move a tiny bit with heat changes. A rigid weld in the same spot can crack from the stress. Sometimes the old way was the right way for the job.

6

quinn9585mo ago

Exactly, that flexibility is key. Modern codes often forget that not everything needs to be welded solid.

5