Reports

Our newest report published in February 2004 is entitled "Capacity of Pegged Mortise and Tenon Joinery" by Joseph F. Miller and Richard J. Schmidt of the University of Wyoming. The research was sponsored by the University of Wyoming, the Timber Frame Business Council, and the Timber Framers Guild.

Abstract

Traditional timber frames use hardwood pegs to secure mortise and tenon connections, resulting in shear loading of the peg. Despite the historical usage of such connections, no applicable building codes or guidelines are available for engineers and designers to follow. The object of this research is to quantify the shear capacity of wooden pegs in amortise and tenon joint by both physical testing of full-scale specimens as well as modeling their macroscopic behavior by the finite element method. By testing various species of wood used in both the frame members as well as the pegs, a correlation between shear strength and the specific gravity of the framematerials is developed. This correlation is then used to develop a design method for mortise and tenon joints.