Separate the strength of timber scarf joints to three elements of (1) frictional resistance between contact surface, (2) keys or hooked shapes and (3) steel bolts, the author experimentally investigated the characteristics of their independent actions and the relations between these elements. The conclusions are;
(1) the actions of bolts and keys or hooked shapes are fundamentally similar ones and are compressions between timbers and those elements.
(2) the strength of joints connected by more than two bolts or keys are not proportional to the number of elements.
(3) the resistances of keys and hooked shapes are proportional to their sizes.
(4) the frictional resistances should not be taken into joint strength.
(5) the joint efficiencies are decreased as the deformation advances.