Civil Engineering - UPSC Civil Service Exam Questions MCQs Part 16

1. Water is to be pumped at the rate of 0.025 m3/s from a 4 m deep ground level tank to an overhead tank. The difference in levels of the full tank levels of these tanks is 16 m. What is the approximate power required for operating a 65% efficient centrifugal pump ?

A.
7.5 kW

B.
6.0 kW

C.
3.9 kW

D.
3.2 kW

 Answer Option C

2. If in a concrete mix the fineness modulus of coarse aggregate is 7.6, the fineness modulus of fine aggregate is 2.8 and the economical value of the fineness modulus of combined aggregate is 6.4, then the proportion of fine aggregate is

A.
25%

B.
%

C.
50%

D.
%

 Answer Option A

3. A rectangular footing 1 m x 2 m is placed at a depth of 2 m in a saturated clay having an unconfined compressive strength of 100 kN/m2. According to Skempton, the net ultimate bearing capacity is

A.
420 kN/m2

B.
412.5 kN/m2

C.
385 kN/m2

D.
350 kN/m2

 Answer Option C

4. A floating body is in stable equilibrium

A.
when its metacentric height is zero

B.
when the centre of gravity of the body is below the centre of buoyancy

C.
when its metacentre is above the centre of gravity of body

D.
in none of the above situations

 Answer Option C

5. For three-dimensional movement of a weight, which one of the following is most suitable ?

A.
Chain hoist

B.
Winch

C.
Crane

D.
Jack

 Answer Option C

6. The following data pertain to a sewage sample :Initial D.O = 10 mg/lFinal D.O. = 10 mg/1 Dilution to 1%The BOD of the given sewage sample is

A. 8 mg/1

B. 10 mg/1

C. 100 mg/1

D. 2 mg/1

 Answer Option D

7. In a simply supported beam of span 'l', each end is restrained against torsion, compression flange being unrestrained. According to IS : 800, the effective length of the compression flange will be equal to

A. 0.65l

B. 0.85l

C. 0.75l

D. 0.70l

 Answer Option A

8. Which one of the following is the correct statement ? Penetration to know bitumen grade is measured in

A. one-hundredth of mm

B. one-tenth of mm

C. one-tenth of an inch

D. one micron

 Answer Option B

9. Which one of these methods of Tunnel Construction is not suitable in rocks ?

A. Full face method

B. Compressed air method

C. Heading and benching method

D. Drift method

 Answer Option D

10. Consider the following statements regarding uniform flow in an open channel :1. Energy grade line, water surface and bed slope are parallel to each other.2. Froude number does not vary from section to section.3. Velocity of water is the same at all points of the cross-section.Of these statements :

A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct

B. 1 and 2 are correct

C. 1 and 3 are correct

D. 2 and 3 are correct

 Answer Option C

11. For the continuous beam (EI constant) loaded as shown in the figure given, the moment at 'B' is

A. 0.75 times free moment at mid-span of AB

B. same as the free moment at mid-span of AB

C. 1.50 times free moment at mid-span of AB

D. 2.00 time free moment at mid-span of AB

 Answer Option A

12. The representative fraction means that the scale is 1 cm equal to

A. 0.25 m

B. 2.5 m

C. 25 m

D. 2.5 km

 Answer Option C

13. The correct sequence of processes in a water treatment plant for rural water supply is

A. Chlorination, aeration, sedimentation, rapid sand filter

B. Coagulation, sedimentation, slow sand filter, chlorination

C. Coagulation, flocculation, clarification, pressure filter

D. Aeration, plain sedimentation, slow sand filter, chlorination

 Answer Option D

14. The maximum deflection of a fixed beam carrying a central load W is equal to

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option C

15. A simply supported beam of span L carries a concentrated load W at its mid-span. If the width 'b' of the beam is constant throughout the span, then, when the permissible bending stress is 'f', the beam's mid-span depth will be

A. 3WL/2bf

B. 3WL/2bf

C. 6WL/bf

D. 6WL/bf

 Answer Option B

16. Consider the following statements :1. A recovery ratio of less than 1 implies that the soil has compressed.2. A recovery ratio greater than 1 implies that the soil has swelled.3. A recovery ratio of less than 1 implies that the soil has swelled.4. A recovery ratio greater than 1 implies that the soil has compressed.Which of the following statements given above is/are correct ?

A. 1 and 2

B. 1 only

C. 3 and 4

D. 4 only

 Answer Option A

17. The force in the member 'AB' of the truss shown in the given figure is

A. 25 kN compressive

B. 25 2 tensile

C. 25 2kN compressive

D. 25 kN tensile

 Answer Option B

18. What are the distribution factors at joint B for the members BA and BC respectively, in the figure at side ?

A. 0.57 and 0.43

B. 0.43 and 0.57

C. 0.50 and 0.50

D. 0.36 and 0.64

 Answer Option C

19. If the gradient of a ground is -3%, that of another ground intersecting with the former is 5%, and the horizontal length of the vertical curve to be drawn is 600 m, then the vertical offset 'e' from the vertex of the vertical curve to the mid-point of the curve will be

A. 1.5 m

B. 6 m

C. 15 m

D. 75 m

 Answer Option B

20. Why is super plasticizer added to concrete?1. To reduce the quantity of mixing water.2. To increase the consistency.3. To reduce the quantity of cement.4. To increase resistance to freezing and thawing.Select the correct answer using the code given below :

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 1, 3 and 4

C. 2 and 3

D. 4 only

 Answer Option A

21. In an aerial photo, the image of the top of a tower is found to be 10 cm from the centre of thephotograph. If the height of the tower is 100 m and the flying height of the aircraft is 1000 m above the average terrain height, then the height displacement of the image from the true position will be

A. 10 mm

B. 20 mm

C. 50 mm

D. 100 mm

 Answer Option A

22. Which of the following are the requirements for the design of a transition curve for a highway system ?1. Rate of change of grade2. Rate of change of radial acceleration3. Rate of change of super elevation4. Rate of change of curvatureSelect the correct answer using the code given below :

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 2, 1 and 4

C. 1, 3 and 4

D. 2, 3 and 4

 Answer Option D

23. The void-pressure diagram is shown above. What is the coefficient of compressibility ?

A. 0.5 m2/t

B. 0.73 m2/t

C. 0.20 m2/t

D. 0.25 m2/t

 Answer Option C

24. A propped cantilever of span 'L' is subjected to a concentrated load at mid-span. If Mp is plastic moment capacity of the beam, then the value of the collapse load will be

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option C

25. A propped cantilever of span 'l' carries uniformly distributed load of 'w' per unit over its entire span. The value of prop react to keep the beam horizontal is

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option B

26. When two roads with two-lane, two-way traffic, cross at an uncontrolled intersection, the total number of potentional major conflict points would be

A. 32

B. 24

C. 16

D. 4

 Answer Option B

27. If the load, warping and frictional stresses in a cement concrete slab are 210 N/mm2, 290 N/mm2 and 10 N/mm2 respectively, the critical combination of stresses during summer midday is

A. 290 N/mm2

B. 390 N/mm2

C. 490 N/mm2

D. 590 N/mm2

 Answer Option C

28. From a circular plate of diameter D, whose centre is C, another circular plate of diameter AC is cut, removed and kept over CB (in the given figure). The thickness of the plate is uniform. The shift of the centroid due to this operation will be

A. D/4 to the left of C

B. D/8 to the right of C

C. D/4 to the right of C

D. 3D/8 to the right of C

 Answer Option B

29. Consider the following statements :1. Infiltration galleries are placed along the river beds at a depth of 4 to 6 m.2. The draw-down for the infiltration galleries is more than that for radial wells.3. Clogging of pipe pores in inflitration galleries is less than that for radial wells.4. The cost of extracting unit volume of water is more in case of infiltration galleries as compared to radial wells.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

A. 1 and 2

B. 1, 2 and 3

C. 2, 3 and 4

D. 4 only

 Answer Option C

30. What is the actual ground area covered by a 20 cm x 20 cm size vertical aerial photograph, at an average scale of 1 cm = 200 m having 60% forward overlap and 30% side overlap ?

A. 1.92 km2

B. 4.48 km2

C. 6.72 km2

D. 2.88 km2

 Answer Option B

31. Non-collodial liguids are :

A. Newtonian fluids

B. Plastic fluids

C. ideal fluids

D. dilatant fluids

 Answer Option C

32. Consider the following statements with respect to tunnelling methods:1. Full face excavation is suitable for small size tunnel of short length in compact rock. It is not suitable in urban areas.2. Heading and Benching method is suitable for soft rock tunnelling of medium size.3. Drift method is suitable for large tunnels in difficult or incompetent rock.Which of the statements given above are correct ?

A. 1 and 3

B. 1, 2 and 3

C. 2 and 3

D. 1 and 2

 Answer Option A

33. For excavating utility trenches with precise control of depth the excavation equipment used is:

A. Hoe

B. Shovel

C. Dragline

D. None of the above

 Answer Option A

34. Sewage sickness is a term used for

A. persons who become sick after drinking polluted water

B. a treatment plant which does not function properly

C. a stream where the flora and fauna die due to sewage inflow

D. the condition of land where sewage is applied continuously for a long period.

 Answer Option D

35. Which one of the following conditions is a typical characteristic of critical flow (symbols have the usual meanings)

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option A

36. Consider the following statements- with reference to a continuous beam supported at A, C and E for which the shear force diagram is shown in the given figure.There is 1. a concentrated load acting at point B2. a concentrated load acting at point D3. a uniformly distributed load acting on the portion CE.Of these statements:

A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct

B. 1 and 2 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. 1 and 3 are correct

 Answer Option D

37. A bullet of mass 0.01 kg moving with a velocity of 401 m/s strikes a block of mass 4 kg which is free to move in the direction of the bullet, and gets embedded in it. The overall loss of kinetic energy is

A. 80.2 Nm

B. 401 Nm

C. 802 Nm

D. 1604 Nm

 Answer Option C

38. A Treadle bar is used for

A. Interlocking points and signal

B. Setting points and crossings

C. Setting marshalling yard signals

D. track maintenance

 Answer Option A

39. A vehicle is moving up an incline when the driver applies its brakes and the vehicle retards at 0.5 m/s2. Then according to D'Alembert's principle

A. inertia force will be directed in the direction of motion

B. inertia force will be directed opposite to the direction of motion

C. magnitude of the inertia force will depend on the angle of inclination

D. magnitude of the inertia force will depend on coefficient of friction between the wheels and the road surface

 Answer Option A

40. Consider the following statements :A : The load factor for live load is greater than that for dead load. R : The live loads are more uncertain than dead loads. Of these statements :

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

B. Both A and R true but R is not a correct explanation of A

C. A is true but R is false

D. A is false but R is true

 Answer Option B

41. According to Boussinesq's theory, the vertical stress at a point in a semi-infinite soil mass depends upon

A. point load, coordinates of the point and modulus of elasticity of soil

B. point load, coordinates of the point, modulus of elasticity of soil and its Poisson's ratio

C. point load and coordinates of the point

D. point load, coordinates of the point, modulus of elasticity of soil and its density.

 Answer Option C

42. A star is observed at its western elongation. If the latitude of place of observation is θ, the declination of star is δ, altitude of star at elongation is α, then the hour angle of star is given by

A. cos H = cos δ . sec θ

B. cos H = tan θ . cot δ

C. cos H = tan θ . cot α

D. cos H = tan δ . cot θ

 Answer Option B

43. For the simply supported beam in the figure, C is the centre of the span. C is also the point through which the resultant of the column load W passes. The column rests on the beam over a small length symmetrically on either side of C. What is the shearing force at C ?

A. W/2

B. W/4

C. W

D. 0

 Answer Option D

44. A 20 m chain was found to be 10 cm too long after chaining a distance of 2000 m. It was found to be 18 cm too long at the end of the day's work after chaining a total distance of 4000 m. What is the true distance if the chain was correct before the commencement of the day's work ?

A. 3962 m

B. 4019 m

C. 3981 m

D. 4038 m

 Answer Option B

45. Timber can be made reasonably fire-resistant by

A. soaking it in Ammonium Sulphate

B. coating with Tar paint

C. pumping creosote oil into timber under high pressure

D. seasoning process

 Answer Option D

46. A jet of water issues from a 5 cm diameter nozzle, held vertically upwards, at a velocity of 20 m/sec. If air resistance consumers 10% of the initial energy of the jet, then it would reach a height, above the nozzle, of

A. 18.35 m

B. 19.14 m

C. 19.92 m

D. 20.00 m

 Answer Option A

47. A given material has Young's modulus E, modulus of rigidity G and Poisson's ratio of Young's modulus to modulus of rigidity of this material is,

A. 3.75

B. 3

C. 2.5

D. 1.5

 Answer Option C

48. The force in the member BD of the truss shown in the given figure is

A. 4 kN tensile

B. 4 kN compressive

C. zero

D. 12 kN compressive

 Answer Option B

49. Which of the following instruments have both horizon glass and index glass ?1. Optical square2. Line ranger3. Box sextant4. PedometerSelect the correct answer using the code given below :

A. 2, 3 and 4

B. 1, 3 and 4

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 2 and 4 only

 Answer Option C

50. Which of the following equations are used for the derivation of the differential equation for water surface profile in open channel flow :1. Continuity equation2. Energy equation3. Momentum equationSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 1 and 3

C. 2 and 3

D. 1 and 2

 Answer Option A