Abstract The paper describes a study carried out to examine the performance of concrete produced using combinations of Portland cement (PC) and limestone (LS), covering compositions for Port- land limestone cement (PLC) conforming to BS EN 197-1: 2000, and up to 45% LS. In particular, key engineering (mechanical) and durability properties of concrete were studied. The results indicate only minor differences in performance between PC and 15% PLC concretes of the same cement content and water/cement (w/c) ratio (cement = Portland cement + addition). How- ever, there was an adverse effect with increasing LS content beyond 15% of the cement content for many properties. It is shown that for 35 N/mm 2 cube strength concrete the adjustment to w/c ratio to match the compressive strength of PC concrete was in the region of 0.08 for each 10% LS added (water curing at 20°C) above this level. Studies of permeation and concrete durability performance, including, initial surface absorption, carbonation resistance, chloride diffusion, freeze/thaw scaling and abrasion resistance, indicate that in general the test concretes followed single relationships with strength for most properties. Consideration is gi- ven to the practical implications of the main out- comes of the study. Re ´ sume ´ L’article de´crit une e´tude ayant pour objet d’examiner les performances du be´ton produit a ` l’aide de combinaisons de ciment Portland (PC) et de calcaire (LS), recouvrant des compositions allant jusqu’a ` 45% de LS, et au-dela `, pour le ciment de calcaire de Portland (PLC), conforme´ment a ` la norme EN DE BS 197-1 : 2000. On a e´tudie´ en par- ticulier les proprie´te´s cle´s me´caniques et de durabilite´ du be´ton. Les re´sultats indiquent seulement des diffe´rences mineures entre les be´tons a ` base de PC et 15 % de PLC pour un contenu de ciment et un rapport eau/ciment identiques. Cependant, on a observe´ un effet de´favorable avec l’accroissement du contenu de LS au dela ` de ce niveau pour beaucoup de proprie ´te ´s. Un graphique illustrant la composition du me´lange indique que l’ajustement du contenu de LS au rapport eau/ciment, ne ´cessaire pour correspondre a ` la re´sis- tance a ` la compression du be´ton de PC, impliquait des re´ductions de ce rapport eau/ciment d’entre 0,04 et 0,08 pour chaque tranche de 10% de LS ajoute´. Les e´tudes des performances de durabilite´ du be´ton, y compris l’absorption de surface initiale, la gaze´ifica- tion, la diffusion de chlorure, la re ´sistance au gel-de´- gel et l’e´caillement, indiquent que sur une base de re´sistance e´gale, les performances e´taient similaires R. K. Dhir (&) Æ M. J. McCarthy Æ A. Chaipanich Concrete Technology Unit, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN Scotland, UK e-mail: r.k.dhir@dundee.ac.uk M. C. Limbachiya Kingston University, KT1 1LQ Surrey, UK Materials and Structures (2007) 40:459–473 DOI 10.1617/s11527-006-9143-7 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Evaluation of Portland limestone cements for use in concrete construction R. K. Dhir Æ M. C. Limbachiya Æ M. J. McCarthy Æ A. Chaipanich Received: 29 April 2005 / Accepted: 5 December 2005 / Published online: 25 January 2007 Ó RILEM 2007