Experimental performance of mortice and tenon connections in green oak

The most common connection in historic green oak framing vernacular architecture is the all-timber pegged mortice and tenon joint. This paper outlines a series of tests completed to investigate the pull-out, bending and shear behaviour of the mortice and tenon joint. Initially strength and stiffness characteristics of different peg types subject to pull-out (joint tension) loading and the effect of fit tolerance on pull-out performance of mortice and tenon joints are reported. Thereafter joint moment resistance and shear capacity tests are reported and links between the pull-out performance and rotational stiffness discussed. Finally, a series of braced subframe tests are reported, to which upper-bound plasticity theory is successfully applied to predict collapse load.