This study concerns the failure of dowel-type joints in glued laminated timber under static loading. Failure of joints with a single bolt or dowel due to cracking parallel to the grain direction is considered. Presented results concern only the first mode of cracking i.e. splitting under tension perpendicular to grain. Fracture is analyzed by use of linear elastic fracture mechanics concepts (LEFM), the crack propagation condition is assumed to be based upon the critical energy release rate GIc. A simplified average stress criterion allows the prediction of the splitting onset. An experimental program was carried out on joints for different structural parameters and bolt diameters. The experimental stable crack growth allowed to obtain the load-crack length curves. An other experimental program was carried out in order to compare the fracture energy of a few CIB-type specimens with the critical energy release rate GIc used in the crack propagation simulation. The comparison between experimental and numerical results for the simulation of fracture in joints shows that LEFM provides a good approximation of load-bearing capacity of bolted joints and may help improve design codes.