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The European rules of timber structural design do not include distinct rules on carpentry joints. As a contribution towards filling this gap, this study into the existing knowledge of the most commonly used carpentry joint, the single-step joint, is performed. The design rules of three European countries and the latest developments on the topic are discussed. This study shows that the knowledge of expected stress distributions as a consequence of the geometric shape is important to achieve the intended reliability level for joints. The investigation indicates that further research on the combination of shear and compression forces is necessary to improve and include in the design rules in Eurocode 5. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]