Abstract: This paper presents a comparative experimental study on the influences of red clay and cement content on concrete performance, comparing three series and fifteen sets of different mix proportion, focusing on the behaviors of plastic concrete in compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, bending strength, elastic modulus, and permeability coefficient, and considering the soil areas in Yunnan. The cement content of the three series was 120, 150 and 180 kg/m3; the red clay content of five sets for each series 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg/m3. Test results showed that for the plastic concrete of the three series with a certain fixed cement content, as its red clay content was increased from 0 to 200 kg/m3, its elastic modulus was decreased by 45.3, 23.0 and 14.6% for respectively, and its coefficient of permeability decreased by 57.8, 56.6 and 78.1% respectively, showing a steep dropping trend. And its corresponding compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and bending strength at 28 d age, all showed dropping trends but at different rates. For the plastic concrete of different series with a certain fixed red clay content, as its cement content was increased from 120 to 180 kg/m3, its elastic modulus was increased by 107.6, 116.7, 149.2, 184.8 and 224.5% respectively and a significant increase of more than 30% observed in these three strength parameters. In particular, when its cement content exceeded 150 kg/m3, all its strength parameters took a larger increasing rate, its elastic modulus decreased much slower, and its permeability coefficient grew at a considerably greater rate. Furthermore, the plastic concrete achieved an optimal performance in the condition of cement content of 150 ~ 180 kg/m3 and red clay content of 150 ~ 200 kg/m3. This study would provide an important technical support to the application of plastic concrete to water conservancy projects in the Yunnan red clay areas.