Failure modes in halved and tabled tenoned timber scarf joint by tension test

•Halved and tabled tenoned timber scarf joint was analysed to find the failure modes.•42 specimens with different joint geometries were subjected to tensile stresses.•Three different failure modes were observed: compression, shear, and crack initiation.•Load that caused crack initiation was obtained for all values of the width and height.•The influence of the length of the overlapping surface was also analysed. The structural behaviour of halved and tabled tenoned scarf joint subjected to tensile stresses was experimentally analysed to find the different failure modes. A total of 42 specimens of Scots pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.) were made. Specimens were divided into 8 groups corresponding to different joint geometries. Three different failure modes were observed: compression parallel to the grain in the notch area, shear parallel to the grain in the heel surface, and by cracking starting in the reduced cross-section. The load that caused crack initiation was obtained, and the influence of the length of the overlapping surface was analysed.