Wood structures commonly use nails as the primary type of mechanical fastener. In the design of these structures, the lateral load resistance of nails is of primary concern in providing strength and rigidity. The lateral resistance of a joint depends upon the kind of nail and the kind of materials being fastened. Due to the many possible combinations of nail and material, considerable experimental evaluation is necessary to establish design loads based on test data. In these studies, the elastic bearing constant was determined for dry wood (about 12 pct moisture content). In many uses, the wood will not be this dry or it will be subjected to changes in moisture content. This study was initiated to determine the effects of these conditions upon the elastic bearing constant.