Civil Engineering - GATE Exam Questions MCQs Part 6

1. A prestressed concrete rectangular beam of size 300 mm x 900 mm is prestressed with an initial prestressing force of 700 kN at an eccentricity of 350 mm at midspan. Stress at top of the beam due to prestress alone, in N/mm2 is

A.
46 (tension)

B.
2.59 (compression)

C.
zero

D.
8.64 (compression)

 Answer Option A

2. In the plate bearing test, if the load applied is in the form of an inflated type of wheel, then this mechanism corresponds to :

A.
rigid plate

B.
flexible plate

C.
semi-rigid plate

D.
semi-elastic plate

 Answer Option C

3. Water table drops by 3 m in an irrigable land of 50 hectare. If porosity and specific retention are 0.30 and 0.10 respectively, the change in storage in hectare-meter is :

A.
15

B.
30

C.
45

D.
60

 Answer Option B

4. Horizontal stiffness coefficient, K11 of bar ab is given by :

A.
A E/l 2

B.
A E/2 1

C.
A E/l

D.
2 A E/l

 Answer Option A

5. The downstream end of a long prismatic channel of mild slope, ends in a pool created by a dam. The resulting non-uniform water surface profile can be described as one of the following :

A.
M3 profile ending in a hydraulic jump

B.
M1 profile that lies above normal depth line

C.
M2 profile that lies between critical and normal depth lines

D.
M3 profile that lies between critical and normal depth lines

 Answer Option D

6. The function of ballast in railaway tracks is to

A. facilitate drainage

B. serve as an elastic support for the track structure

C. provide the necessary resilience against the dynamic effect of the loads

D. all the above

 Answer Option D

7. A soil formation through which only seepage is possible, being partly permeable and capable of giving insignificant yield, is classified as

A. Aquifer

B. Aquitard

C. Aquifuge

D. Aquiclude

 Answer Option B

8. The return period for the annual maximum flood of a given magnitude is 8 years. The probability that this flood magnitude will be exceeded once during the next 5 years is

A. 0.625

B. 0.966

C. 0.487

D. 0.529

 Answer Option C

9. A foundation is considered as shallow if its depth is :

A. less than 1 metre

B. greater than its width

C. equal to or less than its width

D. greater than 1 metre

 Answer Option C

10. The type of surveying in which the curvature of the earth is taken into account is called

A. Geodetic surveying

B. Plane surveying

C. Preliminary surveying

D. Topographical surveying

 Answer Option A

11. The stress-strain diagram for two materials A and B is shown below. The following statements are made based on this diagram : Mateiral A is more brittle than material B.The ultimate strength of material B is more than that of A. With reference to the above statements, which of the following applies ?

A. Both the statements are false.

B. Both the statements are true.

C. I is true but II is false.

D. I is false but II is true.

 Answer Option D

12. Base course is used in rigid pavements for

A. prevention of subgrade settlement

B. prevention of slab cracking

C. prevention of pumping

D. prevention of thermal expansion

 Answer Option C

13. A reinforced concrete structure has to be constructed along a sea coast. The minimum grade of concrete to be used as per IS : 456-2000

A. M 15

B. M 20

C. M 25

D. M 30

 Answer Option D

14. The relationship between the length (l) and radius (r) of an ideal transition curve is given by

A. l ∝ r

B. l ∝ r2

C. l ∝ 1/r

D. l ∝ 1/r2

 Answer Option C

15. The width of expansion joint gap is 2.5 cm in a cement concrete pavement. The spacing between expansion joints for a maximum rise in temperature of 25°C is, (assuming coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete as 10 x 10-6 per degree C),

A. 5 m

B. 50 m

C. 100 m

D. 25 M

 Answer Option A

16. Coulomb's theory of earth pressure is based on :

A. the theory of elasticity

B. the theory of plasticity

C. empirical rules

D. wedge theory

 Answer Option D

17. For a fixed beam with span L, having plastic moment capacity of Mp, the ultimate central concentrated load will be

A. 4 Mp/L

B. Mp/8L

C. 6 Mp/L

D. 8 Mp/L

 Answer Option D

18. The group index of a soil subgrade is 7. The subgrade soil is rated as

A. poor

B. very poor

C. good

D. fair

 Answer Option A

19. Pipingin soil occurs when

A. the soil is highly porous

B. sudden change in permeability occurs

C. effective pressure becomes zero

D. the soil is highly stratified

 Answer Option C

20. In which one of the following arrangements would the vertical force on the cylinder due to water be the maximum ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option B

21. The span (s) to be loaded uniformly for maximum positive (upward) reaction at support P, as shown in the figure below, is (are)

A. PQ only

B. PQ and QR

C. QR and RS

D. PQ and RS

 Answer Option D

22. Mechanical stabilization requires :

A. mixing of two or more types of natural soils

B. addition of chemicals to soils

C. addition of lime to soils

D. addition of cementing material to soils

 Answer Option A

23. The disinfection efficiency of chlorine in water treatment

A. is not dependent on pH value.

B. is increased by increased pH values.

C. remains constant at all pH values.

D. is reduced by increased pH value.

 Answer Option D

24. Chlorine is some times used in sewage treatment

A. to avoid flocculation

B. to increase biological activity of bacteria

C. to avoid bulking of activated sludge

D. to help in grease separation

 Answer Option C

25. The deflection of a cantilever beam at free end b applied with a moment M at the same point is :

A. M l2/EI

B. M l2/2 EI

C. M l2/3 EI

D. M l2/4 EI

 Answer Option B

26. A saturated clay stratum draining both at the top and bottom undergoes 50 percent consolidation in 16 years under an applied load. If an additional drainage layer were present at the middle of the clay stratum, 50 percent consolidation would occur in

A. 2 years

B. 4 years

C. 8 years

D. 16 years

 Answer Option B

27. Water flows at a rate of 10 m3/s in a rectangular channel 3 m wide. The critical depth of flow is

A. 1.13 m

B. 2 m

C. 1.45 m

D. 1.04 m

 Answer Option D

28. Coagulation-flocculation with alum is performed :

A. immediately before chlorination

B. immediately after chlorination

C. after rapid sand filtration

D. before rapid sand filtration

 Answer Option D

29. Blue baby disease (methaemoglobinemia) in children is caused by the presence of excess

A. Chorides

B. Nitrates

C. Fluoride

D. Lead

 Answer Option B

30. Breakpoint chlorination of water involves addition of chlorine in an amount sufficient to:

A. react with any ammonia and readily oxidisable organic matter

B. kill Giardia cysts

C. react with inorganic matter

D. reduce bacterial growth in filters

 Answer Option A

31. A borrow pit soil has a dry density of 17 kN/m3. How many cubic meters of this soil will be required to construct an embankment of 100 m3 volume with a dry density of 16 kN/m3.

A. 94 m3

B. 106 m3

C. 100 m3

D. 90 m3

 Answer Option A

32. The ultimate bearing capacity of a soil is 300 kN/m2. The depth of foundation is 1 m and unit weight of soil is 20 kN/m3. Choosing a factor of safety of 2.5, the net safe bearing cacpacity is

A. 100 kN/m2

B. 112 kN/m2

C. 800 kN/m2

D. 100.5 kN/m2

 Answer Option D

33. One of the following statements is true with regards to bodies that float or are submerged in liquids :

A. For a body wholly submerged in a liquid the stability is ensured if the centre of buoyancy is below the centre of gravity of the body

B. For a body floating in a liquid the stability is ensured if the centre of buoyancy is below the centre of gravity of the body

C. For a body floating in a liquid the stability is ensured if the centre of buoyancy and the centre of gravity, regardless of the relative positions of the centre of buoyancy and gravity

D. For a body floating in a liquid the stability is ensured if the centre of buoyancy is below the centre of gravity and the metacentre is above both the centres of gravity and buoyancy.

 Answer Option D

34. Transition curves are provided on the approach to horizontal curves in order to :

A. increase jerk to allowable levels

B. minimize the length of the horizontal curve

C. simplify the laying-out and construction of the horizontal curve

D. reduce jerk to allowable levels

 Answer Option D

35. The flow of water (mass density = 1000 kg/m3 and kinematic viscosity = 10-6 m2/s) in a commercial pipe, having equivalent roughness ks as 0.12 mm, yields an average shear stress at the pipe boundary = 600 N/m2. The value of ks/δ' (δ' being the thickness of laminar sub-layer) for this pipe is

A. 0.25

B. 0.50

C. 6.0

D. 8.0

 Answer Option D

36. The unconfined compressive strength of a 'stiff clay' falls in the range

A. less than 50 kN/m2

B. 50 to 100 kN/m2

C. 100 to 200 kN/m2

D. above 200 kN/m2

 Answer Option A

37. What is the equivalent single wheel load of a dual wheel assembly carrying 20, 440 N each for pavement thickness of 20 cm ? Centre to centre spacing of tyres is 27 cm and the distance between the walls of tyres is 11 cm

A. 27, 600 N

B. 32, 300 N

C. 40, 880 N

D. 30, 190 N

 Answer Option D

38. A person standing on the bank of a canal drops a stone on the water surface. He notices that the disturbance on the water surface in not travelling upstream. This is because the flow in the canal is

A. sub-critical

B. super-critical

C. steady

D. uniform

 Answer Option B

39. A circular sewer 2 m diameter has to carry a discharge of 2 m3/s when flowing nearly full. What is the minmum required slope to initiate the flow ? (Assume Manning's n = 0.015)

A. 0.00023

B. 0.000036

C. 0.000091

D. 0.000014

 Answer Option C

40. The material that exhibits the same elastic properties in all the directions at a point, is said to be

A. homogeneous

B. orthotropic

C. visco-elastic

D. isotropic

 Answer Option D

41. If the porosity of a soil sample is 20%, the void ratio is

A. 0.20

B. 0.80

C. 1.00

D. 0.25

 Answer Option D

42. The magnitude of the bending moment at the fixed support of the beam is equal to :

A. P.a

B.

C. P.b

D. P.(a + b)

 Answer Option B

43. A soil sample has a void ratio of 0.5 and its porosity will be close to

A. 50%

B. 66%

C. 100%

D. 33%

 Answer Option D

44. Which one of the following statements is true with regard to the flexibility method of analysis?

A. The method is used to analyse determinate structures

B. The method is used only for manual analysis of indeterminate structures

C. The method is used for analysis of flexible structures

D. The method is used for analysis of indeterminate structures with lesser degree of static indeterminacy.

 Answer Option D

45. An isolated T beam is used as a walkway. The beam is simply supported with an effective span of 6 m. The effective width of flange, for the cross-section shown in the below figure is

A. 900 mm

B. 1000 mm

C. 1259 mm

D. 2200 mm

 Answer Option A

46. For a highway with design speed of 100 kmph, the safe overtaking sight distance is (assume accelerations as 0.53 m/sec2)

A. 300 m

B. 750 m

C. 320 m

D. 470 m

 Answer Option B

47. For a flow of 5.7 MLD (million litres per day) and a detention time of 2 hours, the surface area of a rectangular sedimentation tank to remove all particles having settling velocity of 0.33 mm/s is

A. 20 m2

B. 100 m2

C. 200 m2

D. 400 m2

 Answer Option C

48. If the deformations of the truss-members are as shown in parentheses, the rotation of the member bd is :

A. 0.5 x 10-2 radian

B. 1.0 x 10-2 radian

C. 1.5 x 10-2 radian

D. 2.0 x 10-2 radian

 Answer Option D

49. The shape of clay particle is usually

A. angular

B. flaky

C. tubular

D. rounde

 Answer Option B

50. As per IS : 800-1984 the maximum allowable slenderness ratio of compression members carrying forces resulting from dead load and superimposed load is

A. 180

B. 250

C. 300

D. 400

 Answer Option A