The journal Materiales de Construcción is inseparable from the researchers at what was initially the Cement Institute and later the Technical Institute of Construction and Cement and all those working out of today’s Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science (IETcc-CSIC). For that reason, this special memorial issue of the journal’s 70th anniversary has been designed around IETcc researchers and their significant contributions to the field of building materials. It attests to the excellence practised by the IETcc’s present researchers.
The journal’s origin can be attributed to an initiative of chemist Mr. Pablo García de Paredes who, as Dr José Calleja recalled in his endearing paper published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary, headed the Cement Institute’s Bibliographic Information Department. It all began with the data sheets he drew up on papers dealing with cement published by foreign journals, for at the time (forties) scientific literature from outside Spain was very hard to come by. In the interim, IETcc researchers have consistently published their research findings in the journal.
Materiales de Construcción was first published under the title Últimos Avances en Materiales de Construcción by the Technical Institutes of Construction and Cement, result of the 1949 merger between the Cement and the Technical Institutute for Construction and Building and admitted that same year to the National Research Council’s Juan de la Cierva Trust for Technical Research. Although the first issue is practically impossible to date, for the earliest few bore no such information, it was most likely around 1949. As the first on record, 1951 has been officially defined as the inaugural year. The journal changed names on two occasions, in 1957 (issue No. 80) to Materiales de Construcción. Últimos Avances and in 1974 (issue No. 153) to today’s Materiales de Construcción.
Over the last 70 (and perhaps a few more) years, the journal migrated from a mimeograph with a tiny print run to a professionally printed publication (first issued by the Eduardo Torroja Institute and later by the National Research Council, CSIC); from articles in Spanish only to a bilingual (Spanish/English) version and today’s monolingual (English only) format; and from publication as hard copy only to hard copy + online and now as an open access journal. It has undergone many other changes, from reviewing papers published in foreign journals on construction and its materials (such as written by García de Paredes) to carrying original scientific papers authored by IETcc researchers as well as all Spanish and many foreign universities, to earning its position today as one of the world’s foremost scientific journals on building materials. It is with great pride I feel I can say that Materiales de Construcción is a distinctive reference in its field, nationally and internationally.
It owes that status to a substantial collective effort over the last 70 years. Acknowledgement must go first to the earliest researchers but also to many others in addition to Mr. Pablo García de Paredes. I have had the good fortune to know and work with some of them, such as Dr. José Calleja, Dr. Demetrio Gaspar and former editors-in-chief Drs Francisco Soria and Tomás Vázquez, who was particularly dear to me. I cannot fail to mention others who have played significant roles in the journal over the years, such as my dear Maruchi, Ramón Irigoyen, Pimpina, Jorge, Amparo, Eduardo, Raúl, Rosa Roda and especially my friends Teresa Solesio and Mar Alonso, secretaries of the editorial board while I served as editor-in-chief. Merit must of course also go to the journal’s successive editorial and advisory boards and to IETcc´s directors and CSIC´Editorial Directors and management throughout.
Although I have said this time and again, I never tire of repeating it whenever given the chance: my 23 years as the journal’s editor-in-chief entailed a great deal of work but no less satisfaction. We witnessed its rise in scientific database rankings and in its impact factor in WoS, SCOPUS, SCImago and others, as well as its ever higher repute in national and international academic circles. The challenge was daunting at times, but generously rewarded.
Today I am the journal’s honorary Editor-in-Chief, a position I cherish and for which I am most grateful to those responsible for the nomination and the award.
As co-editor of this special issue, I should stress that the high quality of its 10 scientific papers on ongoing or recent projects conducted by IETcc researchers mirrors the scientific and technological excellence and innovation characterising today’s IETcc. Be it said that with this issue Materiales de Construccion reiterates its close rapport with and commitment to IETcc researchers.