Mortise-and-tenon joints have been common for centuries.
Limited information is available on moment capacity performance comparisons among traditional adhesive-based joints such as mortise-and-tenon joints and dowel joints, and alternative non-adhesive-based joint types such as minifix plus dowel joints and screw joints.
Mortise-and-tenon joints failed with modes of glueline fracture, wood shear, and split mortises.
Traditional glued mortise-and-tenon joints showed the highest bending moment capacity among the four types of joints tested within each wood species.
Tests have shown (Hill and Eckelman 1973) a positive linear relationship exists between the bending moment capacity of mortise-and-tenon joints and the shear strength parallel to the grain of the wood in which the mortise is cut.
All of the rails and stretchers were attached to the posts or frames with round mortise-and-tenon joints. This construction provides a simple yet durable means of connecting members and side frames together.
In form and function, these joints are equivalent to corresponding mortise-and-tenon or multiple mortise-and-tenon joints.
The high strength of the frames results both from the favorable distribution of internal resisting forces among the stretchers and rails and also from the strength of the round mortise-and-tenon joints and the cross-lap joints.
