Optimization in Structural Design of Corrugated Board: Existing Techniques, Current Gaps, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Corrugated board, traditionally used in packaging, is increasingly explored as a structural material for lightweight engineering applications, including furniture, panels, and temporary building components. This transition requires moving beyond empirical design rules toward performance-driven and optimization-based methodologies. This paper presents a critical review of optimization techniques applied to the structural design of corrugated board, with emphasis on the mechanical and numerical foundations required for physically reliable optimization. The reviewed studies were selected from major scientific databases using keywords related to corrugated board, structural optimization, finite element modeling, homogenization, surrogate modeling, machine learning, hygro-mechanical behavior, failure mechanisms, and experimental validation. Unlike earlier reviews focused mainly on industrial optimization practices and algorithms, this review highlights model fidelity, validation hierarchy, moisture sensitivity, local failure, interface damage, and the maturity of data-driven workflows. Analytical models, finite element approaches, homogenization frameworks, reduced-order models, and surrogate-assisted strategies are discussed in terms of their applicability to iterative optimization. Key design variables, including flute geometry, layer configuration, material anisotropy, and environmental conditions, are related to stiffness, strength, stability, ECT, BCT, and material efficiency. The main gaps include limited validation, simplified moisture-dependent and failure descriptions, weak interface-damage modeling, and the early development of digital-twin concepts for corrugated board design.