Construction and Building Materials Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

CBM follows the standard Elsevier abstract format with a few field-specific expectations.

• Word limit: 150 to 200 words for research articles
• Structure: Unstructured (single paragraph) by default, though structured abstracts are accepted
• Citations: Not allowed
• Abbreviations: Avoid unless universally recognized in the field
• Keywords: 4 to 6 keywords required, listed after the abstract

The abstract should concisely state the research objective, the materials and methods used, the principal findings (with specific numbers), and the practical implications for construction practice. CBM editors look for concrete, quantitative outcomes. "Compressive strength increased by 23% at 28 days with 15% fly ash replacement" is the level of specificity expected.

Keywords should be specific to your topic. Avoid generic terms like "construction" or "building materials." Instead, use specific terms: "fiber-reinforced concrete," "alkali-activated slag," "thermal conductivity." Keywords drive discoverability on ScienceDirect, so choose terms researchers would actually search for.

Highlights are mandatory for all submissions to CBM. This is a key Elsevier feature that many authors from other publishers aren't accustomed to.

Requirements:

• 3 to 5 bullet points
• Each bullet point maximum 85 characters including spaces
• No abbreviations, no citations, no references to figures
• Must summarize the main findings, not the methods

Each highlight should convey a single, self-contained finding. Think of them as the takeaways a reader would remember after reading your paper.

Good example: "15% silica fume replacement increased 28-day strength by 31%"

Bad example: "The results of compressive strength testing are presented and discussed"

Highlights appear prominently on the article page in ScienceDirect and are used in email alerts, social media posts, and recommendation algorithms. Writing strong highlights directly affects how many people see and read your paper.

The 85-character limit is strictly enforced. The submission system will reject highlights that exceed this count. Count characters carefully, including spaces.

CBM publishes online and in print, which affects figure requirements.

Figure specifications:

Table formatting: Elsevier standard table format. Three horizontal rules only (top, below header, bottom). No vertical rules. Table captions go above the table. Tables should be editable text, not images. Large tables should be placed in supplementary material.

Color figures: Color is free in the online version on ScienceDirect. However, if you want color in the print edition, there's an additional charge per figure (typically around $300 USD per color figure for subscription articles). To avoid this cost, design your figures to work in grayscale for print while using color for the online version. Alternatively, open access articles don't incur print color charges.

A field-specific detail: CBM papers frequently include microscopy images (SEM, XRD patterns, optical microscopy). For SEM images, always include a scale bar and the magnification in the figure caption. For XRD patterns, label the peaks with Miller indices or phase identifications directly on the figure. Reviewers in this field expect this level of detail.

Graphical abstract: Optional but recommended. If you include one, it should be a single image (no multi-panel compositions) sized at minimum 531 pixels high and 1328 pixels wide. Use minimal text. The graphical abstract appears as a thumbnail on ScienceDirect and should be understandable at reduced size.

CBM uses the standard Elsevier numbered reference style.

In-text citations: Numbers in square brackets, assigned in order of first appearance. For example: "Fly ash has been extensively studied as a cement replacement [1,2]. Recent work [3] focused on its effect at high temperatures." Multiple sequential references can be combined: [1-3].

Reference list format:

[1] A.B. Author, C.D. Author, E.F. Author, Title of the article, Journal Name Volume (Year) Pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Key formatting details:

• Author names: Initials first, then last name (e.g., "A.B. Smith").
• Use commas between authors and "and" before the last author in some Elsevier styles, though CBM typically uses commas throughout.
• Journal titles are abbreviated following ISO 4 (e.g., "Constr. Build. Mater." for the journal itself).
• Volume number is in bold.
• DOIs are strongly encouraged for all references that have them.
• For books: include publisher name, city, and year.
• For conference papers: include conference name, location, and year.
• For standards (ISO, ASTM, BS): include the standard number, title, and year.

Standards citations are common in CBM papers and have a specific format:

[15] ASTM C150/C150M-22, Standard Specification for Portland Cement, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2022.

There is no formal cap on references. Research articles typically cite 30 to 60 sources. Review papers often exceed 100. The key is that every reference must be directly relevant. Reviewers in this field are experienced and will flag padding.

CBM supports supplementary material published alongside the article on ScienceDirect.

Supported types:

• Additional figures and tables
• Extended datasets (Excel, CSV)
• Detailed experimental procedures
• Video files (experimental demonstrations, time-lapse)
• Raw test data

Supplementary items are cited in the main text as "Fig. S1," "Table S1," etc. Each item needs a descriptive caption.

A practical consideration for CBM: experimental data in this field can be voluminous (hundreds of test specimens, time-series data, mix design variations). Consider organizing supplementary data in well-structured Excel files with clear sheet names and column headers rather than embedding everything in supplementary tables.

Video supplements are useful for CBM papers that involve dynamic processes (failure modes, crack propagation, fire testing). MP4 format is preferred, and videos should include time stamps and scale references.

The submission system (Editorial Manager) limits individual file uploads to about 50 MB. For larger datasets, deposit in a repository like Mendeley Data (Elsevier's own repository) or Zenodo, and cite the DOI in the paper.

Data availability statement: Required. Must appear in the manuscript and specify how readers can access the underlying data. Options include supplementary material, public repositories, or "available upon request."

These are the details that experienced CBM authors know but newcomers miss:

Highlights character counting. The 85-character limit is per bullet point, not per word. Count spaces, punctuation, and special characters. The submission system enforces this exactly.

CRediT author statement. CBM requires a CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) author statement listing each author's contributions. This is submitted as a separate item in the submission system, not embedded in the manuscript. Use the standardized CRediT categories (Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, etc.).

Declaration of competing interest. Mandatory. Must be a separate section in the manuscript stating either the specific conflicts or "The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper." This is the exact required wording for Elsevier journals.

Funding acknowledgment. Must be listed in a separate "Funding" section, not embedded in the Acknowledgments. Include grant numbers and the full name of the funding body. Elsevier's system links this information to funder registries.

Units and standards. CBM expects SI units throughout. When referencing testing standards, cite them formally in the reference list (ASTM, BS, EN, ISO). Don't just mention "according to ASTM C39" without a full citation.

Nomenclature and abbreviations. If your paper uses more than 10 abbreviations, include a Nomenclature section after the abstract. This is common in CBM papers dealing with concrete mix designs, where abbreviations like OPC, GGBS, FA, SF, w/c, and SCM appear frequently.

Cover letter. While not a formatting requirement per se, CBM editors expect a cover letter that explains the novelty and practical relevance of the work. Papers in this field should clearly state what construction problem is being addressed and why the findings matter for practice.

Ethical statements. Even though CBM research rarely involves human subjects, the journal requires a statement about ethical approval if applicable and a data availability statement for all submissions.

1. Highlights character limit. Authors routinely submit highlights that exceed 85 characters. Count every character, including spaces.

1. Standard citations in the reference list. Testing standards (ASTM, ISO, BS) must appear in the numbered reference list, not just mentioned in passing in the text.

1. CRediT statement as a separate upload. Don't embed it in the manuscript body. Upload it as a separate item in Editorial Manager.

1. Declaration of competing interest with exact wording. Elsevier wants the specific phrase, not a paraphrase.

1. Graphical abstract dimensions. If you include one, it must meet the minimum 531 x 1328 pixel requirement. Undersized images will be rejected by the system.