INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF SOME FACTORS ON THE FAILURE LOAD OF CORNER JOINTS REINFORCED WITH GLASS-FIBER FABRIC IN CASE- TYPE FURNITURE

In this study the effects of material type, test method, joint type, and reinforcement on the failure load of L-type corner joints, which are reinforced with glass-fiber fabric in case-type furniture have been analyzed experimentally and statistically in laminated medium-density fiberboard (LMDF) and laminated particleboard (LPB) material. The failure loads of corner joints have been analyzed experimentally under compression and tension loads. Dowels (D), dowel + glass fiber composite layer from the outside (DCO), dowel + glass fiber composite layer from the inside (DCI), dowel + glass fiber composite layer from the outside and inside (DCOI) and dowel + glass fiber composite layer from the edge (DCE) are used as joint methods. Tests were carried out according to ASTM Standards. The test results were analyzed statistically by variance analysis. The results show that the failure load takes its highest value for DCOI joints in both tension and compression and lowest value for D joints in tension and for D and DCI joints in compression. The LMDF corner joints were stronger than the LPB corner joints. The tension failure load values were greater than the compression failure load of L-type reinforced corner joints except for DCO joints. The reinforced corner joints were considerably greater than the unreinforced joints.