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Abstract: This paper presents an experimental and analytical study into the strengthening and toughening of sandwich composite joints by z-pinning. Cleats connecting the vertical stiffener and horizontal base panel to T-shaped sandwich joints were reinforced in the through-thickness direction with pins. Tensile (stiffener pull-off) tests revealed that pinning increased the ultimate fracture load and fracture energy by resisting crack growth along the cleat–skin and skin–core interfaces, which were the weakest points in the unpinned joint. The peak fracture load and fracture energy increased with the volume content of z-pins. The strengthening and toughening effect of the pins was analysed using multiple pin pull-out tests performed on the sandwich composite material. It is shown that elastic deformation, debonding and pull-out of the pins from the face skins to the sandwich composite is the primary toughening mechanism of the pinned T-joints. The pin pull-out process, which is the cause for the high strengthening and toughening of the T-joints, is analysed using bridging traction modelling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]