Experimental assessment of a full-scale lap scarf timber joint accompanied by a finite element analysis and digital image correlation

• Behavior of moment carrying joints with oblique faces and a single dowel.
• Digital image correlation used for research of mechanical loading of timber joints.
• Combination and evaluation of experimental and numerical methods.
• Real scale experiments of traditional carpentry joints with dimensions of 6 × 0.24 × 0.24 m.

This paper presents exploratory research on behavior of a lap scarf timber joint used in restoration of historical constructions in the Czech Republic. The joint with oblique faces and a dowel was tested in full-scale and was subjected to both three- and four-point bending where standard, optical and numerical techniques (FEA) were employed. The joint keeps 70–92% and 55–57% of the corresponding solid beam MOE and bearing capacity respectively. The FE analysis revealed the angle of the joint has the highest impact on its MOE. Paper demonstrates the advantages of coupling of full-field measurement technique and FEA in analysis of a timber joint, especially for model verification based on measured displacement of the structure.