Journal profile · THERMODYNAMICS-CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Building Simulation
ISSN 1996-3599 · eISSN 1996-8744 · Tsinghua University Press · PEOPLES R CHINA · 12 issues per year · Founded 2008
Building Simulation: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.96; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,090; median 86 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 155 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Building Simulation is published by Tsinghua University Press and is in Zone 1 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Building Energy and Comfort Optimization, Wind and Air Flow Studies and Urban Heat Island Mitigation, together about 54.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Building Simulation publishes original, high quality, peer-reviewed research papers and review articles dealing with modeling and simulation of buildings including their systems. The goal is to promote the field of building science and technology to such a level that modeling will eventually be used in every aspect of building construction as a routine instead of an exception. Of particular interest are papers that reflect recent developments and applications of modeling tools and their impact on advances of building science and technology. The scope below will develop as the field of building simulation evolves. Authors are encouraged to contribute papers from different angles of interest, making Building Simulation a dynamic channel and valuable resource for new scientific findings and engineering applications. Building Thermal, Lighting, and Acoustics Modeling: building physics; building acoustics; daylighting and lighting; innovative high-performance building materials; climate change. Building Systems and Components: intelligent building operation; energy storage and utilization; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); solar energy utilization in buildings; building integrated renewable energy. Indoor/Outdoor Airflow and Air Quality: CFD and airflow; indoor environmental quality (IEQ); microclimate; healthy buildings. Architecture and Human Behavior: human behavior and comfort; zero energy buildings (ZEB); simulation at urban/district scale; demand flexibility and resilience. Advances in Modeling and Simulation Tools: big data and machine learning; validation, calibration and uncertainty; new software development; innovative simulation application; buildings-to-grid integration simulation and controls. All these topics may be addressed from urban scale to microscopic scale, and for different phases during the building life cycle; from schematic design, to detailed design to construction, commissioning, operation, control and maintenance of new and existing building.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): THERMODYNAMICS-CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Da YanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 36 in mainland China (about 34%); most named Mainland China 36, United States 19, Hong Kong, China 12, United Kingdom 9, Italy 6 (107 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Building Energy and Comfort OptimizationEngineering28.3%
- Wind and Air Flow StudiesEnvironmental Science16.3%
- Urban Heat Island MitigationEnvironmental Science10.2%
- Infection Control and VentilationMedicine6.8%
- Smart Grid Energy ManagementEngineering3.2%
- Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics ResearchEngineering2.5%
- Noise Effects and ManagementHealth Professions2.4%
- Fire dynamics and safety researchEngineering2.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Thermodynamics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Thermodynamics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Thermodynamics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.96LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 11.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.36LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.58LetPub ·
- h-index
- 22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 73OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,011OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.22OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 15.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.3%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 149LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 222,200Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,567 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 118 | 19 | 61 |
| 2025 | 155 | 26 | 1,092 |
| 2024 | 124 | 26 | 1,714 |
| 2023 | 128 | 42 | 2,390 |
| 2022 | 92 | 34 | 2,464 |
| 2021 | 128 | 33 | 3,591 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
86 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 68 days – 108 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 58 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 148 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (312 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,090 / EUR 3,090 / GBP 2,690 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Building Simulation, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Tsinghua University Press
- Country or region
- PEOPLES R CHINA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- 12 issues per year
- Founded
- 2008
- ISSN
- 1996-3599
- Electronic ISSN
- 1996-8744
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 19, Issue 6 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Building Simulation
What CAS zone is Building Simulation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Building Simulation is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Construction & Building Technology / Thermodynamics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Building Simulation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.96; CiteScore 11.6, h-index 73.
How long does peer review take at Building Simulation?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 86 days (interquartile range 68–108 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Building Simulation based?
Of the 107 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 36 (about 34%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (36), United States (19) and Hong Kong, China (12). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Building Simulation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Building Simulation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Building Simulation open access, and what is the APC?
Building Simulation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .