A study on the compressive strength properties of traditional Korean joints

To obtain the basic data for the mechanical properties of Joomeokjang and Nabijang joints, which are most widely used in Hanok, a comparative analysis for the compression test was carried out. The compressive strengths of the Nabijang and Joomeokjang joints were 55% and 47%, respectively, compared to that of the non-jointed control specimen. An F-test and a t-test were carried out to understand the significant differences between the compressive performances of the Nabijang and Joomeokjang joints. There was no statistical significance between the distributions of both groups. Although the compressive strength of the Nabijang joint was higher than that of the Joomeokjang joint, the Nabijang joint showed a splitting failure, a complete scattering around the wedge of the joint. Splitting was also the main failure type for the Joomeokjang joint and the crushing failure was mixed. It was understood that joints should be processed or constructed with the acknowledgment that longitudinal splitting in the vicinity of the mortise is the main failure place for both traditional joints. As manual work is still prevalent over automation in traditional Korean construction, the standardization through a precise machining process and the mechanization of the construction technique is urgently required.