Construction and Building Materials Submission Guide: Requirements, Formatting and What Editors Want

Step 1: Prepare your manuscript

Word count requirements

Main text: 7,000-10,000 words

This includes:

• Introduction: 1,000-1,500 words (construction relevance, literature context, gap your work fills)
• Materials and Methods: 1,500-2,000 words (detailed testing procedures, standards used, material sourcing)
• Results: 2,000-2,500 words (data presentation, durability curves, comparison with baseline)
• Discussion: 1,500-2,000 words (interpretation, construction implications, limitations, future work)
• Conclusions: 400-600 words (practical impact summary)

NOT included in word count: References, figure captions, supporting information, author declarations.

Figures and tables

Target: 6-8 figures, 2-4 tables

Figures should clearly communicate construction relevance:

• Durability curves with error bars showing long-term performance
• Comparative graphs (your material vs. conventional baseline)
• Microstructure images with scale bars and explanation
• Cost-benefit graphs or material property tradeoff charts
• Construction scale diagrams or application schematics

Figure quality: High resolution (300-600 dpi), clear legends, axis labels with units, data sources cited.

Supporting information

Prepare optional supplementary files (not required but strongly recommended):

• Extended durability data: Full testing curves, raw data, statistical analysis
• Material characterization: XRD patterns, SEM images, mechanical property details
• Testing procedures: Detailed ASTM/EN standard references, custom test method justifications
• Cost breakdown: Material sourcing costs, manufacturing scale-up analysis, cost projections
• Environmental impact: Life-cycle assessment data, carbon footprint calculations

Supporting information is excellent for durability curves (20-30 pages of durability data shows completion), material characterization, and cost modeling.

Step 2: Format your manuscript

Text formatting

• Font: Times New Roman, 12pt
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including references and figure captions)
• Margins: 1 inch all sides
• Line numbers: Number all lines (helps reviewers cite specific text)
• Page numbers: Bottom right of each page

Headings and organization

• Level 1 (H1): Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments, References
• Level 2 (H2): Major subsections (e.g., "2.1 Material Sourcing", "2.2 Durability Testing Procedures")
• Level 3 (H3): Minor subsections where needed for clarity

References

Style: Numbered citation system (Vancouver style): [1], [2], etc.

Format: Author(s). Title of article. Journal Name year; volume:pages.

Example: Smith JA, Johnson BC, Williams D. Durability of recycled concrete aggregates in freeze-thaw cycles. Construction and Building Materials 2023; 408:137234.

Completeness: Include all references cited in text, DOIs where available.

Step 3: Submit via Elsevier Editorial Manager

Access the submission portal

Submit at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/CONBUILDMAT/

Register or log in with ORCID or institutional credentials.

Create submission account (first-time users)

• Full names of all authors
• Email address (corresponding author)
• Institutional affiliations
• Research area keywords

Upload files

Required files:

• Manuscript: .docx or .pdf (single file with title page, abstract, text, figures, captions, references)
• Figures: High-resolution individual figure files (.tif, .png, .jpg; 300-600 dpi)
• Supplementary information: Optional .pdf files with additional data

Title page should include:

• Full manuscript title
• All author names, institutions, email addresses
• Corresponding author designation
• Abbreviated running title (40 characters max)
• 5-8 keywords

Step 4: Write your cover letter

Length: 1-2 pages, single-spaced

Content to include:

Paragraph 1—Hook: State the construction problem your research addresses.

Example: "Concrete durability in marine environments remains the leading cause of structural maintenance costs in coastal construction. Our work addresses this challenge by developing..."

Paragraph 2—Why this journal: Explain why Construction and Building Materials is the right venue.

Example: "Construction and Building Materials is the ideal venue because your journal prioritizes construction-scale durability testing and cost-benefit analysis—both central to our work."

Paragraph 3—Novelty and impact: Highlight what makes this work novel and why it matters.

Example: "Unlike previous approaches that focus on short-term strength, we demonstrate long-term durability under freeze-thaw cycling (100+ cycles) and show 35% cost reduction compared with conventional reinforcement."

Paragraph 4—Duplication statement: Declare that the work is original and not under review elsewhere.

Example: "This manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere. All authors have approved the final manuscript."

Closing: Thank the editor and provide corresponding author contact information.

Step 5: Declarations and ethical compliance

Required declarations:

• Conflict of Interest: Disclose any financial or personal relationships with publishers, competing companies, or funding sources that might bias your work
• Data Availability: State whether data will be made publicly available (recommended: yes)
• Funding: List funding sources and grant numbers
• Author Contributions: Briefly describe each author's role

Critical requirements for acceptance

The editor will check for:

1. Construction relevance: Does this material solve a real construction problem?
2. Durability data: Is long-term performance demonstrated experimentally?
3. Comparison with baseline: How does it perform vs. conventional materials?
4. Cost-benefit analysis: Is economic feasibility addressed?
5. Scalability: Can this work be implemented at construction scale?

Missing any of these increases desk rejection risk significantly.

Common submission mistakes to avoid

• Submitting without durability testing: Desk rejection nearly guaranteed. Durability testing is non-negotiable.
• Vague construction application: "Novel material with improved properties" is insufficient. State specifically what construction problem this solves.
• Incomplete cost analysis: Failing to compare costs with conventional alternatives. Include material costs, manufacturing, and implementation costs.
• Poor figure quality: Low-resolution figures, missing error bars, unclear legends slow down review.
• Too much methodology, not enough results: The journal wants results and construction implications, not endless methods description.
• Missing references to recent literature: Show you understand the current state of the field.

Final check before submission: Ensure your manuscript clearly demonstrates what construction problem you solve, that durability is experimentally proven, cost is analyzed, and scalability is addressed. If you can't answer these four questions clearly, revise before submitting.