Why submarine weld quality matters more than a fixed strength percentage

How much stronger is a welded submarine pressure hull than a riveted one?

There is no fixed percentage: good welding removes many rivet stress points, but the advantage depends entirely on joint quality and inspection.

The panel refuses to give a universal percentage because weld quality determines the result. Riveted construction creates many penetrations and local stress-concentration points across the pressure hull. A sound weld spreads the load across a continuous joint and is inherently stronger, but a defective weld can become one major failure point. Submarine construction therefore invests heavily in welder qualification, inspection, and automated processes. Manufacturing quality is part of crush-depth performance rather than a separate production concern.