conservatively than members. Connections account for more than half the cost of structural steelwork and so their design and detailing are of primary importance for the economy of the structure. The type of connection designed has an influence on member design and so must be decided even prior to the design of the structural system and design of members. The connections provided in steel structures can be classified as 1) Riveted 2) Bolted 3) Welded connections. Riveted connections were once very popular and are still used in some cases but are gradually replaced by bolted connections. This is due to the low strength of rivets, higher installation costs and the inherent inefficiency of the connection. Welded connections have the advantage that no holes need to be drilled in the member and consequently have higher efficiencies. A special type of bolted connection using High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) bolts has been found to perform better under such conditions than the conventional black bolts used to resist predominantly static loading. Bolted connections are also easy to inspect and replace. The choice of using a particular type of connection is entirely that of the designer and he should take his decision based on a good understanding of the connection behaviour, economy and speed of construction. Ease of fabrication and erection should be considered in the design of connections. Attention should be paid to clearances necessary for field erection, tolerances, tightening of fasteners, welding procedures, subsequent inspection, surface treatment and maintenance. Method of joining together pieces of metal by inserting ductile metal pins called rivets. These rivets are pinned into holes of pieces to be connected and forming a head at the end of the rivet to prevent each metal piece from coming out. Rivet holes are made in the structural members that are to be connected by drilling. Size of the rivet hole is kept slightly more(1.5- 2mm) than the size of rivet. A red hot rivet is inserted which has a shop made head on one side and the length is slightly more than the thickness of the members to be connected. Holding the red hot rivet at shop head end, hammering is done. It helps the rivet to completely fill up the rivet hole. This may be done at workshops or at fields. Disadvantages Associated with high noise pollution Needs heating the rivet to red hot Inspection of connection is a skilled work Removing is costly Labor cost is high Bolt is a metal pin with a head formed at one end and shank threaded at the other in order to receive a nut. i)Unfinished (black) bolts ii) finished (Turned) bolts iii) high strength friction grip(HSFG) bolt Welding consists of joining two pieces of metal by establishing a metallurgical bond between them. The elements to be connected are brought closer and the metal is melted by means of electric arc or oxyacetylene flame along with weld rod which adds metal to joint. Welded structures are lighter Welding process is quicker 100% efficiency in the joint where as in bolted connection a maximum of 70-80% Noise produced is comparatively less Good aesthetic appearance Welded connection is airtight and watertight. Joints are rigid No problem in mismatching of holes Alterations can be easily made Due to uneven heating and cooling, members are likely to distort Inspection of welded joints is difficult and expensive. It needs non-destructive testing. Highly skilled persons are required Proper welding in field conditions is difficult Welded joints are over rigid. Types of welded joints Butt weld : Also known as groove weld Fillet weld: Weld of approximately triangular cross-section joining two surfaces approx. at right angles to each other in lap joint, tee joint, corner joint. Slot weld and Plug weld