Withdrawal force capacity of T-type furniture joints constructed from various heat-treated wood species

Abstract

The withdrawal force capacities were compared for T-type furniture joints made from heat-treated Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), iroko (Chlorophora excelsa), and common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), which are commonly used in the construction of outdoor furniture. A total of 120 specimens that consisted of 3 wood species, 2 treatment processes (untreated and heat-treated), 2 adhesive types (polyurethane and polyvinyl acetate), and 2 joinery techniques (mortise and tenon, and dowel) were tested, with 5 replications for each condition. Half of the specimens were constructed from heat-treated wood materials, while the remaining half were prepared from untreated wood materials (control specimens). The joints constructed from common ash and iroko exhibited the highest withdrawal force capacity values. Overall, heat treatment reduced the withdrawal force capacity of joints by 25% compared with the joints constructed of control specimens. Mortise and tenon joints yielded 4 times higher performance than dowel joints. The polyurethane adhesive gave better results than the polyvinyl acetate adhesive. The best withdrawal force capacity values of heat-treated wood materials were obtained from the Iroko-polyurethane-mortise and tenon joint combination.