Is Construction and Building Materials a Good Journal? Fit Verdict
Construction and Building Materials fit verdict: IF 8.0, Elsevier. Here is when it fits and when Cement and Concrete Research or Building and Environment is smarter.
Research Scientist, Neuroscience & Cell Biology
Author context
Works across neuroscience and cell biology, with direct expertise in preparing manuscripts for PNAS, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, eLife, and Nature Communications.
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Construction and Building Materials.
Run the Free Readiness Scan with Construction and Building Materials as your target journal and see whether this paper looks like a realistic submission.
Construction and Building Materials at a glance
Key metrics to place the journal before deciding whether it fits your manuscript and career goals.
What makes this journal worth targeting
- IF 8.0 puts Construction and Building Materials in a visible tier — citations from papers here carry real weight.
- Scope specificity matters more than impact factor for most manuscript decisions.
- Acceptance rate of ~~30-35% means fit determines most outcomes.
When to look elsewhere
- When your paper sits at the edge of the journal's stated scope — borderline fit rarely improves after submission.
- If timeline matters: Construction and Building Materials takes ~~100-150 days median. A faster-turnaround journal may suit a grant or job deadline better.
- If open access is required by your funder, verify the journal's OA agreements before submitting.
How to read Construction and Building Materials as a target
This page should help you decide whether Construction and Building Materials belongs on the shortlist, not just whether it sounds impressive.
Question | Quick read |
|---|---|
Best for | Construction and Building Materials is the premier journal for research on materials used in construction. |
Editors prioritize | Construction relevance and durability performance |
Think twice if | Proposing new material without construction application context |
Typical article types | Research Article, Review, Short Communication |
Construction and Building Materials is the broadest and most widely published Elsevier journal in its category, covering everything from concrete and asphalt to composites and sustainable building materials. With a 2024 impact factor of 8.0 and Q1 ranking in Construction and Building Technology, it is a strong applied-research venue. The practical question is whether your paper is about construction materials or about materials that happen to be mentioned alongside construction.
Key metrics
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Impact Factor (2024) | 8.0 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Acceptance rate | ~20-25% |
Open access | Hybrid (subscription with OA option) |
Category ranking | Q1, Construction and Building Technology; Q1, Materials Science |
Typical content | Concrete, steel, composites, sustainable materials, durability, structural performance |
What makes Construction and Building Materials distinctive
This journal sits at the intersection of materials science and civil engineering, with an emphasis on the "construction" side. That means the editorial bar is not just material novelty, it is practical construction relevance. A paper about a new geopolymer binder needs to address workability, curing, durability, or structural performance in a construction context, not just report compressive strength at 28 days.
The scope is genuinely broad: concrete technology, asphalt and pavement materials, timber engineering, fiber-reinforced composites, recycled and waste-derived materials, 3D-printed construction, and building energy materials all fit. But breadth of scope does not mean looseness of standards. The common failure mode is a materials-science paper that uses construction keywords without engaging construction constraints like service life, exposure conditions, or scalability.
How Construction and Building Materials compares
Journal | IF (2024) | Publisher | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Cement and Concrete Research | 13.1 | Elsevier | Fundamental cement and concrete science |
J. Cleaner Production | 9.7 | Elsevier | Sustainability across industries including construction |
Construction and Building Materials | 8.0 | Elsevier | Applied construction materials research (broad) |
Building and Environment | 8.0 | Elsevier | Indoor environment, building physics, energy performance |
Materials and Structures | 3.9 | RILEM/Springer | Structural materials testing and characterization |
Cement and Concrete Research is the more prestigious and more fundamental journal for cement and concrete science specifically. If your paper is about cement hydration, microstructure, or fundamental concrete durability mechanisms, that journal carries more weight in the field. Construction and Building Materials is the better home when the scope is broader than concrete alone or when the emphasis is applied performance rather than fundamental mechanism.
Building and Environment covers a different slice: indoor air quality, thermal comfort, building energy, and building physics. There is overlap on building envelope materials, but if the paper is really about the material rather than the building performance, Construction and Building Materials is the more natural fit.
Submit if
- The paper addresses a recognizable construction problem, durability, structural performance, workability, sustainability
- You benchmark against real construction materials or standard specifications, not just laboratory controls
- Evidence includes long-term or exposure-condition testing, not only short-term mechanical properties
- The practical construction consequence is obvious from the abstract, not buried in the conclusion
- The work covers materials beyond the scope of a narrower specialist journal (e.g., not purely cement science)
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Construction and Building Materials.
Run the scan with Construction and Building Materials as the target. Get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
Think twice if
- The paper is really materials science with construction keywords added for journal targeting
- Only 28-day compressive strength data supports the headline claim
- The manuscript does not engage real construction constraints (curing conditions, manufacturability, exposure, cost)
- A more focused journal like Cement and Concrete Research or Composites Part B would reach the right specialist audience faster
- The novelty is incremental on a well-studied system without new practical insight
Frequently asked questions
How long does review take at Construction and Building Materials?
Typically 6-12 weeks for first decision. The journal handles high volume, so turnaround can vary. Desk rejection decisions usually come within 1-2 weeks.
Is Construction and Building Materials good for sustainability-focused papers?
Yes, if the sustainability angle is grounded in construction materials science. Papers about recycled aggregates, waste-derived binders, low-carbon concrete, or circular construction materials fit well. Papers that are primarily life-cycle assessment without materials characterization may be better suited to Journal of Cleaner Production.
Does the journal accept computational-only studies?
Finite element modeling and computational studies are published, but they are stronger when validated against experimental data. A purely theoretical model without any experimental anchor is a harder sell.
What is the APC for open access?
The OA option is approximately $3,600. Most papers are published under the traditional subscription model.
Bottom line
Construction and Building Materials is a solid Q1 journal for applied construction materials research with real breadth. The fit test is whether your paper solves a construction problem or just characterizes a material. If the answer is construction-first with materials depth, this is a natural target. If the work is really fundamental materials science, a specialist journal will give it more credibility and reach the right readers.
Want to check if your paper's construction framing is strong enough? A CBM scope and readiness check can help you assess fit before you submit.
Before you submit
A CBM submission readiness check identifies the specific framing and scope issues that trigger desk rejection before you submit.
What Construction and Building Materials evaluates
Construction and Building Materials (Elsevier, IF ~6) publishes research on all construction materials including concrete, asphalt, steel, timber, polymers, and composites. The scope covers material properties, structural performance, durability, and sustainability.
The journal does not accept pure materials science without construction relevance. A paper about a new polymer composition belongs at Polymer or Composites Part B. A paper about using that polymer as a construction material with performance testing under real-world conditions belongs at CBM.
CBM sits between Cement and Concrete Research (IF ~11, narrower cement focus) and Journal of Building Engineering (IF ~6, broader building systems). Choose based on whether the material or the building application is the primary contribution.
A CBM desk-rejection risk check scores fit against the journal's editorial bar.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Construction and Building Materials is a leading Elsevier journal with a 2024 impact factor of 8.0 and Q1 ranking in Construction and Building Technology. It publishes applied research on construction materials including concrete, steel, composites, and sustainable building materials.
Construction and Building Materials has an acceptance rate of approximately 20-25%. The journal requires manuscripts to demonstrate practical relevance to construction performance, durability, or application, not just laboratory materials characterization.
Yes. The journal uses single-blind peer review through Elsevier's editorial system. Papers are evaluated by reviewers with expertise in civil engineering, materials science, and construction technology.
The journal covers concrete, asphalt, timber, steel, composites, geopolymers, recycled materials, and sustainable building materials. The common thread is that the research must address a real construction problem (durability, performance, workability, sustainability) not just characterize a material in isolation.
Sources
- 1. Construction and Building Materials journal homepage, Elsevier.
- 2. Construction and Building Materials guide for authors, Elsevier.
- 3. Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (released June 2025).
Final step
See whether this paper fits Construction and Building Materials.
Run the Free Readiness Scan with Construction and Building Materials as your target journal and get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
Anthropic Privacy Partner. Zero-retention manuscript processing.
Where to go next
Same journal, next question
- Construction and Building Materials Submission Guide: Requirements, Formatting and What Editors Want
- How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Construction and Building Materials
- Construction and Building Materials Review Time: What to Expect
- Construction and Building Materials Acceptance Rate 2026: What the Numbers Mean
- Construction and Building Materials Impact Factor 2026: 6.2, Q1
- Is Your Paper Ready for Construction and Building Materials? The Practical Testing Standard
Supporting reads
Conversion step
See whether this paper fits Construction and Building Materials.
Anthropic Privacy Partner. Zero-retention manuscript processing.