Strength and Stiffness Analyses of Standard and Double Mortise and Tenon Joints

This paper investigated the effect of the tenon length on the strength and stiffness of the standard mortise and tenon joints, as well of the double mortise and tenon joints, that were bonded by poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and polyurethane (PU) glues. The strength was analyzed by measuring applied load and by calculating ultimate bending moment and bending moment at the proportional limit. Stiffness was evaluated by measuring displacement and by calculating the ratio of applied force and displacement along the force line. The results were compared with the data obtained by the simplified static expressions and numerical calculation of the orthotropic linear-elastic model. The results indicated that increasing tenon length increased the maximal moment and proportional moment of the both investigated joints types. The analytically calculated moments were increased more than the experimental values for both joint types, and they had generally lower values than the proportional moments for the standard tenon joints, as opposed to the double tenon joints. The Von Mises stress distribution showed characteristic zones of the maximum and increased stress values. These likewise were monitored in analytical calculations. The procedures could be successfully used to achieve approximate data of properties of loaded joints.