A solid mechanics model is developed to predict the static stress-strain behavior of randomly formed wood-strand mats during pressing. The procedure includes a Monte Carlo simulation for reconstructing the mat structure. During the early stages of mat displacement, the model computes the cumulative stress development from strand bending. As consolidation continues, the overlapping strands form solid columns. Hooke's Law, modified by a nonlinear strain function, governs the stress development in a finite number of these imaginary columns comprising the mat. Experimental results showed good agreement with the predicted stress response
