Journal profile · Materials Science, Composites
Composite Structures
ISSN 0263-8223 · eISSN 1879-1085 · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1983
Composite Structures: CAS Zone 2 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 7.66; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,660; review about 129 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 48%); 987 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Composite Structures is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 2 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Mechanical Behavior of Composites, Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization and Structural Analysis and Optimization, together about 38.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Mechanics of Materials and Civil and Structural Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The past few decades have seen outstanding advances in the use of composite materials in structural applications. There can be little doubt that, within engineering circles, composites have revolutionised traditional design concepts and made possible an unparalleled range of new and exciting possibilities as viable materials for construction. Composite Structures, an International Journal, disseminates knowledge between users, manufacturers, designers and researchers involved in structures or structural components manufactured using composite materials.The journal publishes papers which contribute to knowledge in the use of composite materials in engineering structures. Papers deal with design, research and development studies, experimental investigations, theoretical analysis and fabrication techniques relevant to the application of composites in load-bearing components for assemblies, ranging from individual components such as plates and shells to complete composite structures.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Composites
Editor-in-chief Nicholas FantuzziPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 31 in mainland China (about 34%); most named Mainland China 31, Italy 8, Australia 6, United States 5, United Kingdom 5 (92 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Mechanical Behavior of CompositesEngineering16.1%
- Composite Structure Analysis and OptimizationEngineering15.6%
- Structural Analysis and OptimizationEngineering7.2%
- Structural Load-Bearing AnalysisEngineering6.5%
- Structural Behavior of Reinforced ConcreteEngineering6.4%
- Cellular and Composite StructuresEngineering4.9%
- Numerical methods in engineeringEngineering3.4%
- Composite Material MechanicsEngineering3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Composites | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Composites | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Composites | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 7.66LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 14.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 14.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.66LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.03LetPub ·
- h-index
- 130LetPub ·
- h-index
- 236OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 15,426OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.64OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.56%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 922LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 20,164 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 800 | 201 | 730 |
| 2025 | 987 | 261 | 6,662 |
| 2024 | 805 | 260 | 12,414 |
| 2023 | 1,045 | 268 | 23,842 |
| 2022 | 1,227 | 275 | 35,407 |
| 2021 | 1,406 | 325 | 49,622 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
129 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 3 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 48%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 129 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher 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 4,660 / EUR 4,360 / GBP 3,730 / JPY 577,980 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,440 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted7
- book reviewsBook reviewsLength not stated
- case studiesCase studiesLength not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the Editor.Length not stated
- reports of conferences and meetingsReports of conferences and meetingsLength not stated
- research papersResearch papersLength not stated
- review articlesReview articlesLength not stated
- technical notesTechnical notesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords required, in English, avoid multi-word keywords, avoid abbreviations unless established. Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process; submissions initially assessed by editors; suitable submissions sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the decision. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy; does not count as prior publication. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1983
- ISSN
- 0263-8223
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-1085
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Composite Structures
What CAS zone is Composite Structures in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Composite Structures is in Zone 2 of Materials Science, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Mechanics / Materials Science, Composites. 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 Composite Structures?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.66; CiteScore 14.6, h-index 236.
How long does peer review take at Composite Structures?
The publisher reports about 129 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 48%)”. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Composite Structures?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Highlights: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Composite Structures based?
Of the 92 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 31 (about 34%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (31), Italy (8) and Australia (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Composite Structures?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Composite Structures is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Composite Structures open access, and what is the APC?
Composite Structures is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,660.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .