*2.1. Materials*

In the studies, Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R (Cemex, Chełm, Poland), hydrated lime deeply separated (Alpol, ZSChiM "PIOTROWICE II", Sitkówka, Poland), two fractions of quartz sand 0.1–0.5 mm and 0.2–0.8 mm (Grudze ´n Las, Grudze ´n Las, Poland), and polymer admixture in the form of HEMC (WALOCEL, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, USA) were used. Cellulose ether used in tests is a hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose with viscosity of 25,000 mPa·s and 45,000 mPa·s (for measurements using a Brookfield rheometer at 20 ◦C) with low chemical modification. This admixture has the form of white powder with a grain size below 0.063 mm. The pH of its 1% solution in water (at 20 ◦C) is 7.0. The characteristics of cement and hydrated lime are given in Table 1 and in Table 2, respectively.


**Table 1.** Chemical composition and physical properties of cement.

**Table 2.** Chemical composition of hydrated lime.

