Wood-fibre network materials, such as paper and paperboard, play important roles in many technical systems. The mechanisms that control deformation and damage originate from the structure at the microscale, but are also affected by mesoscale effects such as through thickness and in-plane gradients. Failure is often initiated at the scale of a few fibres, whereas quality parameters are defined in a continuum mechanics setting.

The objective of this colloquium is to discuss recent advances in experimental characterisation and modelling of the deformation and damage mechanisms of wood-fibre network materials and structures in manufacturing, converting and end-use at all relevant length scales. In particular, paper-moisture interaction during converting and end-use, paper-fluid interaction during papermaking and printing, and the multiscale and stochastic nature of paper damage, will be addressed.