Effects of w/c ratio on Portland limestone cement concrete

Hitherto, limestone has been recognised as a suitable substitute for cement replacement. The present study was an experimental investigation of the properties of Portland limestone cement and the effects of water-to-cement (w/c) ratio on performance of concretes containing it. The Portland limestone cement concrete specimens (containing 14% limestone) with w/c ratio of 0·35, 0·45 and 0·55 were experimentally compared to ordinary Portland cement concrete specimens. The results demonstrated that w/c ratio has a prominent effect on the performance of Portland limestone cement concretes, with higher w/c resulting in weaker performance. Therefore Portland limestone cement containing 14% limestone can be considered as a low-cost, effective and available supplementary cementing material.