Investigating the Stress Carrying Capacity of Corner Joints In The Furniture Frame Fabricated With Dowel

The goal of this study was to determine stress carrying capacity of doweled corner joints in framed furniture structures. Joint members were out of European silver Fir (Abies alba) and dowels were made from Beech and Hornbeam woods as variables in this study. Diameter of dowel had three levels in size، namely 6، 8 and 10 mm. Mitered and Butted experimental joints were tested under diagonal tension and compression loads. Results have shown that stress carrying capacity of tested joints under compressive load is more than that of tension one. Also، stress carrying capacity of mitered joints، under both loading type، was more than that of butted joints. Maximum stress capacity under tension load was observed in mitered joints with dowels of hornbeam which were 8 mm in diameter. Under compressive loads، maximum stress capacity was determined in mitered joints fabricated with dowels out of beech which were 8 mm in diameter. With tension loading، changing diameter of dowels from 6 to 8 mm، stress capacity of joint did increase drastically but from 8 to 10 mm، had no significant effects on joints’ capacity. Under compressive load، changing diameter of dowels from 6 to 10 mm had significant effect on capacity of joints. Species of dowel’s wood was not effective in tension، but in compression dowels of beech wood had pronounced improvement on joints’ capacity.