Effect of Water-Cement Ratio on Compressive Strength of Concrete.

Abstract— Variable compressive strength of concrete mixes (M20) with water-cement ratios ranging from 0.66 to 0.54, within 7 to 28days of curing time, were experimentally evaluated in this paper. The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of water-cement ratios on the compressive strength of concrete. Compressive strength of concrete mixes was found to increase with decrease in water-cement ratio. Any decrease in water-cement ratio leads to increase in compressive strength. This research illustrates that; cement-water ratio plays a significant role in determining the compressive strength of a concrete mix and is also an important factor for preparing design mixes. By considering a suitable water-cement ratio, effective, economical and appropriate strength of concrete structures can be achieved.