An international journal dedicated to the investigation and innovative use of materials in construction and repair



The entire submission and review process for Construction and Building Materials is handled electronically, which shortens publication times. To submit papers see below under 'Submission of Papers' and follow the prompt for online submission.

Overview

Manuscript Preparation:
Structure
Text Layout
Corresponding Author
Abstract
Keywords
Units
References
Illustrations
Colour Costs and Queries
Free Online Colour
Tables

Other:
Notification
Copyright
PDF Proofs
Author Benefits
Online Paper Tracking
Enquiries
Useful Links

Overview:
Submission of papers:

The entire submission and review process for Construction and Building Materials is handled electronically, which shortens publication times. All papers should be submitted electronically through http://ees.elsevier.com/conbuildmat

Prior to submitting your paper, please follow the instructions given below. Please note that you must have an e-mail address to use the online submission system.

Authors submit their article online by simply registering, logging-in, and submitting. Editors will then invite potential reviewers by e-mail.

Detailed instructions on the use of the online submission system are available at http://ees.elsevier.com/conbuildmat Please read the 'Hints' for information on how to register, and review the 'Tutorial for Authors' for a run-through of the submission process. If you need any further help, please do not hesitate to contact our Author Support Department: authorsupport@elsevier.ie

The system will convert your manuscript to a PDF for the review process. Elsevier can accept text files in most standard word-processing formats but Microsoft Word is preferred. Alternatively, they can be in either LaTex or PostScript. Graphics should be high-resolution and the preferred formats are either TIFF or JPEG. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork please refer to the following website: http://elsevier.com/artworkinstructions

Please follow the instructions below for guidance on the style of the journal. Most formatting codes are removed or replaced when your article is prepared for publication so there is no need for you to use excessive layout styling. Please do not use options such as automatic word breaking, justified layout, double columns or automatic paragraph numbering (especially for numbered references). Do use bold face, italic, subscripts, superscripts, etc., as appropriate. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, please use only one grid for each separate table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is being used, use tabs to align columns instead of spaces.

All submissions must be accompanied by a statement regarding the originality of the research in the 'Enter Comments' field. It is also recommended that you provide a brief statement regarding the significance and impact of the submitted work. Please note that when your manuscript is received at Elsevier it is considered to be in its final form. Therefore you need to check your manuscript carefully before you submit it online.

Construction and Building Materials is an international journal that publishes peer-reviewed original research reports, review papers, as well as communications and discussions in the broadly defined field of construction and building materials and their application in new works and repair practice. For a full description of the scope see the journal's home page. Papers should be directed to those aspects of the science of materials defined in the statement of the journal's scope.

Acceptance of a manuscript for publication in the journal carries with it an understanding that the author, when requested, will fulfil an obligation to contribute their expertise to the review of others' manuscripts. Authors who are unwilling to assist with the review of a colleague's paper may in extreme cases find that their manuscripts are no longer welcomed for publication in Construction and Building Materials.

Submission language: English (click on http://dictionary.oed.com/entrance.dtl to link to the Oxford English Dictionary). Manuscripts must be written in good English. Poorly written papers will be automatically returned for rewriting before review. Communications are accepted in English only.

Language Polishing: Authors who require information about language editing and copyediting services pre- and post-submission please visit http://www.elsevier.com/locate/languagepolishing or contact authorsupport@elsevier.com for more information. Please note Elsevier neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any products, goods or services offered by outside vendors through our services or in any advertising. For more information please refer to our Terms and Conditions http://www.elsevier.com/termsandconditions

Types of contributions: Original high-quality research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages, including tables and illustrations); Short Communications, for rapid publication (no more that 10 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and figures); review articles; book reviews, conference reports; forthcoming events.

Original material: Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher.

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Manuscript Preparation:

Structure:
Follow this order when typing manuscripts: Title, Authors, Affiliations, Abstract, Keywords, Main text, Acknowledgments, Appendix, References, Vitae, Figure Captions and then Tables. Do not import figures into the text - see Illustrations. Collate acknowledgments in a separate section at the end of the article and do not include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise.
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Text Layout:
Use double spacing and wide (3 cm) margins. (Avoid full justification, i.e., do not use a constant right-hand margin.) Ensure that each new paragraph is clearly indicated. Present tables and figure legends on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. If possible, consult a recent issue of the journal to become familiar with layout and conventions. Number all pages consecutively, use 12 or 10 pt font size and standard fonts.
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Corresponding author:
Clearly indicate who is responsible for correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, including post-publication. Ensure that telephone and fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address. Full postal addresses must be given for all co-authors. Please consult a recent journal paper for style if possible.
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Abstract:
A self-contained abstract (approximately 100 words) outlining in a single paragraph the aims, scope and conclusions of the paper must be supplied.
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Keywords:
Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of ten keywords (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible.
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Units:
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other quantities are mentioned, give their equivalent in SI.
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References:
All publications cited in the text should be presented in a list of references following the text of the manuscript.
[1] Thomas K. Masonry walls. Rain penetration, dampness and remedial measures. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, 1996. p. 144-159.
[2] Mukhopadhyaya P, Swamy RN, Lynsdale CJ. Influence of aggressive exposure conditions on the behaviour of adhesive bonded concrete- GFRP joints. Constr Build Mater 1998;12(8):427-446.
[3] Swamy RN, Mukhopadhyaya P. Role and effectiveness of non-metallic plates in strengthening and upgrading concrete structures. In: Taerwe L, editor. Non-metallic (FRP) reinforcement for concrete structures. London: E and FN Spon, 1995. p. 473-482.
[4] Green MF, Soudki KA. FRP strengthened concrete structures in cold regions. In: Meier U, Betti R, editors. Proceedings of International Conference on Recent Advances in Bridge Engineering - Advanced Rehabilitation. Switzerland: W-EMPA Dudendorf, 1997. p. 219-226.
[5] A. Rajasekar, Semantics for logic programs, Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, 1989.
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Colour Costs and Queries:
For colour illustrations, a colour printing fee is charged to the author per colour page. Further information concerning colour illustrations and costs is available from Author Support at authorsupport@elsevier.ie, and at http://elsevier.com/artworkinstructions.
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FREE ONLINE COLOUR
If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour and black/white figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in colour on the web (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version.
Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise by converting colour figures to 'grey scale' (for the black/white printed version of e-colour) please submit in addition usable black and white versions of all the colour illustrations. Also make sure that in your captions and text you do not refer to colour, as the images will be black and white in print, and references to colour will not make any sense to the reader of the print journal.
' Usable' means the formats comply with our instructions. See the information about Illustrations at http://elsevier.com/artworkinstructions. For colour illustrations in the print journal see Colour Costs above.
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Tables:
Tables should be numbered consecutively and given suitable captions and each table should begin on a new page. No vertical rules should be used. Tables should not duplicate results presented elsewhere in the manuscript (for example, in graphs). Footnotes to tables should be typed below the table and should be referred to by superscript lowercase letters.
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Notification:

The editor will notify authors of the outcome of the peer-review process through e-mail. The publisher will send a notification of receipt for accepted papers as they enter production.
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Copyright:

All authors must sign the Transfer of Copyright agreement before the article can be published. This transfer agreement enables Elsevier to protect the copyrighted material for the authors, but does not relinquish the authors' proprietary rights. The copyright transfer covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, photographic reproductions, microfilm or any other reproductions of similar nature and translations. Authors are responsible for obtaining from the copyright holder permission to reproduce any figures for which copyright exists.
For more information please go to our copyright page http://elsevier.com/copyright.
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PDF Proofs:

One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author, to be checked for typesetting/editing. The corrections should be returned within 48 hours. No changes in, or additions to, the accepted (and subsequently edited) manuscript will be allowed at this stage. Proofreading is solely the author's responsibility. Any queries should be answered in full. Please correct factual errors only, or errors introduced by typesetting.
For more information on proofreading please go to our proofreading page www.elsevier.com/locate/guidepublication. Please note that once your paper has been proofed we publish the identical paper online as in print.
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Author Benefits:

No page charges: Publication in this journal is free of charge.

Free online offprints: The corresponding author will be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail. The PDF file is a watermarked version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions of use.

Author discount: Contributors to Elsevier journals are entitled to a 30% discount on all Elsevier books except Major Reference Works. See http://www.elsevier.com/homepage/booksbutler for more information.

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Online Paper Tracking:

Authors can track the status of their accepted paper online at http://elsevier.com/trackarticle using the reference supplied by the Publisher.

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Author enquiries:

All author enquiries should be made to: authorsupport@elsevier.ie

Useful links: •" A submissions checklist can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/guidepublication •" Register for free to receive email updates from the article tracking service at http://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle•" If you are interested in submitting a book in this area go to http://www.elsevier.com/bookauthors