Bending moment capacity of mortise and loose-tenon joints

This study was performed to determine the effects of bottom shoulder width (18.5, 15, 10, 5, and 1.5 mm), tenon depth of embedment (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 mm), tenon width (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 mm), and tenon wood species on the bending moment capacities of T-shaped mortise and loose-tenon furniture joints constructed with polyvinyl acetate adhesive. Results indicated that bending moment capacity was directly related to depth of embedment of the tenons and strongly related to shoulder width, whereas tenon width had a lesser effect. Bending moment capacities of joints with beech tenons were higher than those of joints with tenons of other wood species. Nonlinear regression analyses were used to develop a predictive expression to estimate the bending moment capacity of the joints. © 2014 by the Society of Wood Science and Technology.