In the present research, an investigation of the mechanical behaviour of plywood sandwich panels, consisting of plywood surfaces and corrugated plywood core, has been performed using finite element analysis in ANSYS code. For evaluation purposes, results from finite element simulations were verified with experimental strain and deflection measurements performed using actual sandwich panels in 4-point bending test set-up. A good correlation between numerical and experimental results has been achieved. Using validated finite element model of sandwich panel an optimization procedure has been developed to identify the best combinations for cross section parameters leading to optimal weight/ stiffness designs. A number of design guidelines have been drawn to establish the optimal panel configurations for given span length and corresponding load carrying abilities