Wooden-dowelled cross-laminated timber (WDCLT) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional glued cross-laminated timber (CLT), offering a more sustainable approach to timber constructions. Unlike, glued systems, WDCLT relies on mechanical interlock through wooden dowels, eliminating the need for adhesives. However, the structural performance of WDCLT, particularly under varying moisture content (MC), remains insufficiently explored. This thesis addresses the gap by investigating how moisture variations and dowel configurations affect the bending stiffness (EI) and overall mechanical behaviour of WDCLT panels. A finite element model was developed in Abaqus to simulate structural response of two WDCLT panel types, BIO15 and BIO21, differing in thickness and layer configuration. The model was created to replicate the bending stiffness (EI) observed in the physical experiments conducted by Aloisio et al. The model incorporates moisture-induced prestress as a numerical parameter to represent the internal forces occurring due to swelling and shrinkage of the wooden dowels. A plane stress formulation with orthotropic material properties was used. The results demonstrated a clear relationship between MC, prestress, and panel stiffness. Higher MC led to increased swelling of the dowels and contact pressure, enhancing the structural interlock and further increasing EI. Axial stress distributions confirmed that prestress interacts with imposed bending, with the greatest stress gradient occurring near mid-span. A comparison with glued CLT panels showed that while WDCLT generally shows lower stiffness, it performs best at higher moisture levels. However, the benefits of higher MC are limited by the risk of mould growth. A parametric study further revealed that increasing the number of dowels improves stiffness, offering a viable alternative then raising the moisture content. A configuration with 13 dowels was found to provide an effective balance between structural performance and practicality. The numerical approach successfully captured the moisture-dependent behaviour of WDCLT, supporting its potential as a more sustainable alternative to glued CLT. Keywords: Wooden-dowelled cross-laminated timber; Moisture content; Stress; Bending stiffness (EI); Numerical modelling; Sustainability.