Journal profile · Engineering, Civil
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
ISSN 0886-7798 · eISSN 1878-4364 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 8.67; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,820; review about 149 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy (Elsevier website: 53%); 962 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology is published by Elsevier Ltd 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 Geotechnical Engineering and Analysis, Geotechnical Engineering and Underground Structures and Tunneling and Rock Mechanics, together about 42.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Civil and Structural Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology incorporating Trenchless Technology Research is an international journal which publishes authoritative articles encompassing original research and case studies on the development of tunnelling technology, the use of underground space, underground construction, and trenchless technology.The journal is committed to publishing papers on the interdisciplinary aspects of planning, creating, and regulating underground space, and covers a wide scope including:• Geo-investigation, geomechanics analysis, design and modelling, construction and monitoring, and maintenance and rehabilitation of tunnels and large underground and earth-sheltered structures.• Planning, development, and operation of underground space and underground space environment such as architecture, safety and comfort, and human-space interaction.• Installation and rehabilitation of underground pipelines, ducts, and cables using pipe jacking, microtunnelling, and other forms of trenchless technologies.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Civil
Editor-in-chief Wout BroerePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 25 in mainland China (about 24%); most named Mainland China 25, United States 14, Italy 9, United Kingdom 8, Australia 7 (106 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Geotechnical Engineering and AnalysisEngineering16.4%
- Geotechnical Engineering and Underground StructuresEngineering16%
- Tunneling and Rock MechanicsEngineering10.5%
- Rock Mechanics and ModelingEngineering10.4%
- Grouting, Rheology, and Soil MechanicsEngineering5.7%
- Underground infrastructure and sustainabilityEngineering4.9%
- Fire dynamics and safety researchEngineering3.8%
- Drilling and Well EngineeringEngineering3.8%
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 | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview 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 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
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
- 8.67LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 8.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.04LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.49LetPub ·
- h-index
- 77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 176OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,178OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 19.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.04%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 923LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,123 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 682 | 174 | 693 |
| 2025 | 962 | 126 | 6,844 |
| 2024 | 672 | 150 | 11,166 |
| 2023 | 552 | 85 | 14,180 |
| 2022 | 502 | 67 | 16,579 |
| 2021 | 457 | 45 | 17,285 |
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
149 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6 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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 53%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 70 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 149 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 3,820 / EUR 3,570 / GBP 3,060 / JPY 473,790 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,220 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers6, by deadline
- Construction Technology in Tunnelling and Underground (CTTU) 2026Deadline
- Smart Monitoring and Preventive Maintenance of Underground InfrastructuresDeadline
- TUST 40th Anniversary CelebrationDeadline
- Tunnel Boring Machines in Difficult Grounds (TBM DiGs) in 2026Deadline
- Tunnel Failures and Losses: Mechanisms, Risks, and Lessons for Modern Underground ConstructionDeadline
- Planning and Design for Urban Underground Spaces and Their Impact on Human BehaviourDeadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted11
- book reviewOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations), reviews, short communications (no …Length not stated
- book reviewsbook reviewsLength not stated
- calendar insertscalendar insertsLength not stated
- letters to the editorOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations), reviews, short communications (no …Length not stated
- news itemsnews itemsLength not stated
- original research paperOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations), reviews, short communications (no …Length not stated
- original research papersOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations)Length not stated
- reviewOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations), reviews, short communications (no …Length not stated
- reviewsreviewsLength not stated
- short communicationOriginal research papers (preferably no more than 20 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and illustrations), reviews, short communications (no …Length not stated
- short communicationsshort communications (no more than 10 double line spaced manuscript pages including tables and figures)Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, 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
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 ·- Data availability
Data statement required at submission; statement appears with published article on ScienceDirect. Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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; if suitable, sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the accept/reject 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 per Elsevier policy; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered; posting does not affect editorial process or publication outcome. 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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 Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 0886-7798
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-4364
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
What CAS zone is Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Construction & Building Technology / Engineering, Civil; 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 Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 8.67; CiteScore 13.4, h-index 176.
How long does peer review take at Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology?
The publisher reports about 149 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy (Elsevier website: 53%)”. 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 Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology based?
Of the 106 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 25 (about 24%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (25), United States (14) and Italy (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology open access, and what is the APC?
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,820.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .