Civil Engineering - UPSC Civil Service Exam Questions MCQs Part 11

1. The initial and final void ratios of a clay sample in a consolidation test are 1 and 0.5, respectively. If the initial thickness of the sample is 2.4 cm, then its final thickness will be

A.
1.3 cm

B.
1.8 cm

C.
1.9 cm

D.
2.2 cm

 Answer Option B

2. Cohesion is 15 kN/m2, the unit weight of soil is 20 kN/m3, the factor of safety is 1.5 and stability number is 0.05; the safe maximum height of the slope is

A.
5.0 m

B.
8.0 m

C.
10.0 m

D.
12.0 m

 Answer Option C

3. The nail diameter should not be more than(t = least thickness of the wooden member to be connected)

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option A

4. As per practice of Indian Railways, the grade compensation provided for B.G. on curves is

A.
0.5% degree

B.
0.2% degree

C.
0.4% degree

D.
0.15% degree

 Answer Option C

5. In cement concrete pavements, tie bars are installed in

A.
expansion joints

B.
contraction joints

C.
warping joints

D.
longitudinal joints

 Answer Option D

6. A cantilever beam of T cross-section carries uniformly distributed load. Where does the maximum magnitude of the bending stress occur ?

A. At the top of cross-section

B. At the junction of flange and web

C. At the mid-depth point

D. At the bottom of the section

 Answer Option D

7. Which of the following are claimed as advantageous in respect of aerobic sludge digestion as compared to anaerobic sludge digestion ?1. Lower BOD concentration in supernatant liquor.2. Production of a sludge with excellent dewatering propensity.3. Greater production of methane.4. Lesser operating cost.5. Lesser capital cost.Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

A. 1, 2 and 4

B. 2, 3, 4 and 5

C. 3, 4 and 5

D. 1, 2 and 5

 Answer Option D

8. Which one of the following statements is not correct ?A control section in an open channel is the site

A. where the flow quantity can be controlled

B. at which flow is known to be critical

C. where the discharge can be measured

D. where the specific energy is determined

 Answer Option B

9. For a given storm, other factors remaining same :

A. Basins with large drainage densities give smaller flood peaks.

B. Low drainage density basins give shorter time bases of hydrographs.

C. The flood peak is independent of the drainage density.

D. Basins having low drainage density give smaller peaks in flood hydrographs.

 Answer Option D

10. Two small orifices A and B of diameters 1 cm and 2 cm, respectively, are placed on the sides of a tank at depths of h1 and h2 below the open liquid surface. If the discharges through A and B are equal, then the ratio of h1 and h2 (assuming equal Cd values) will be

A. 16 : 1

B. 8 : 1

C. 4 : 1

D. 2 : 1

 Answer Option A

11. The moment of inertia of a square cross-section of side 'b' about its diagonal is

A. b4/3

B. b4/6

C. b4/8

D. b4/12

 Answer Option D

12. A particle of mass M is attached to a light horizontal wire which is stretched tightly between two fixed ends with a tension T. If a and b are the distances of the particle from the two ends, then the period of a small transverse oscillation of the particle is given by

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option B

13. What is the ratio of the permissible bearing stress in power driven shop rivets relative to the yield stress of mild steel ?

A. 1.0

B. 0.8

C. 0.6

D. 0.4

 Answer Option B

14. If the methyl orange alkalinity of water equals or exceeds total hardness, all of the harness is

A. non-carbonate hardness

B. carbonate hardness

C. pseudo hardness

D. negative non-carbonate hardness

 Answer Option B

15. Which one of the following statements is correct ? The number of unknowns to be determined in the stiffness method is equal to :

A. the static indeterminacy

B. the kinematic indeterminacy

C. the sum of kinematic indeterminacy and static indeterminacy

D. two times the number of supports

 Answer Option C

16. If the diameter of a shaft subjected to torque alone, is doubled, then the horse power P can be increased to

A. 16 P

B. 8 P

C. 4 P

D. 2 P

 Answer Option B

17. Which one of the following represents the basic capacity of a single lane road?(where V = speed in kmph, s = Average centre to centre spacing of vehicle in m, h = Average time headway between two vehicles in seconds.)

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option B

18. Consider the following factors :1. Mass of ships to be berthed2. Overall transit time3. Speed of berthing4. Environmental conditions of the portWhich of these factors are taken into account while selecting the type of fender system ?

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 2, 3 and 4

C. 1, 3 and 4

D. 1 and 4

 Answer Option C

19. Which one of the following statements is correct with respect to rigid pavements ?

A. Vertical stresses are transmitted to the lower layer through the points of contact in granular structure.

B. Vertical compressive stress is maximum on the pavement surface directly under the wheel load.

C. Lower layers have to take lesser magnitudes of stress

D. Stresses on rigid pavements are transmitted to a wider area of sub grade.

 Answer Option B

20. Consider the following statements :Selection of the type and grade of the bituminous binder is made on the basis of1. cost of the binder material.2. climatic conditions of the area and the construction technique.3. degree of importance of the road.4. thickness of pavement layer to be constructed.Which of these statements is/are correct ?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. 1, 2 and 4

D. 1, 2 and 3

 Answer Option B

21. Consider the following statements :1. Welded structures are usually lighter than riveted structures.2. Welding allows the arrangement of structural components in such a manner that the joint provides maximum efficiency.3. During welding, the members do not get distorted.Of these statements :

A. 1, 2 and 3 correct

B. 1 and 2 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. 1 and 3 are correct

 Answer Option A

22. Which is the major pollutant present in photochemical smog ?

A. PAN

B. S02

C. HC

D. N02

 Answer Option A

23. What are the bending moments at the ends A and B of a uniform beam AB fixed in direction and position at A and B when acted upon by two concentrated loads at l/3rd span as shown in the figure ?

A. 2/9 WL

B. 4/9 WL

C. 6/9 WL

D. 8/9 WL

 Answer Option A

24. Due to rise in temperature, the viscosity and unit weight of percolating fluid are reduced to 70% and 90% respectively. Other things being constant, the change in coefficient of permeability will be

A. 20.0%

B. 28.6%

C. 63.0%

D. 77.8%

 Answer Option B

25. The correct sequence of the sludge digestion steps is

A. Acid formation, hydrolysis, methane formation

B. Methane formation, acid formation, hydrolysis

C. Hydrolysis, methane formation, acid formation

D. Hydrolysis, acid formation, methane formation

 Answer Option D

26. Consider the following statements : Kiln seasoning of timber results is :1. reduced density.2. reduced life.3. dimensional stability.Which of the following given above is/are correct ?

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 1 only

C. 2 and 3

D. 1 and 3

 Answer Option D

27. The approximate ratio of strength of 15 cm x 30 cm concrete cylinder to that of 15 cm cube of the same concrete is

A. 1.25

B. 1.00

C. 0.85

D. 0.50

 Answer Option C

28. Consider the following characteristic of soil layer :1. Poisson's ratio 2. Young's modulus3. Finite nature of soil layer 4. Effect of water table5. Rigidity of footingWestergaard's analysis for pressure distribution in soils utilises

A. 1, 3, 4 and 5

B. 2, 3, 4 and 5

C. 3, 4 and 5

D. 1 and 2

 Answer Option D

29. Consider the following statements associated with the laws of weights in the theory of erros :1. If an equation is multiplied by its own weight, then the weight of the resulting equation is equal to the reciprocal of the weight of the equation.2. The weight of the algebraic sum of two or more quantities is equal to the reciprocal of the sum of the individual weights.3. If the quantity of a given weight is multiplied by a factor, then the weight of the result is obtained by dividing its given weight by the square root of that factor.4. If the quantity of a given weight is divided by a factor, then the weight of the result is obtained by multiplying its given weight by the square of that factor.Of these statements :

A. 1 and 4 are correct

B. 2 and 3 are correct

C. 3 and 4 are correct

D. 1 and 3 are correct

 Answer Option D

30. The given diagrams show the details of two simply supported beams B1 and B2. EI is constant throughout the length and same for both the beams. The beams have the same area of cross-section and the same depth. What is the ratio of maximum bending stress in B2 to that in B1 ?

A. 4

B. 1

C. 2

D.

 Answer Option D

31. The Chezy's coefficient C is related to Darcy-Weisbach friction factor f as

A. C = (g/8f)

B. C = (6g/f)

C. C = (8g/f)

D. C = (f/8g)

 Answer Option C

32. What is the maximum permissible longitudinal pitch in staggered riveted compression joints ?

A. 500 mm

B. 400 mm

C. 300 mm

D. 100 mm

 Answer Option C

33. For determining the forces in the members of a truss by graphic statics, the method of substitution will be required in the case of

A. Fink truss

B. Howe truss

C. King post truss

D. Warren truss

 Answer Option A

34. A Rankine (oval) half-body PP is subjected to a two-dimen-sional flow (x, y coordinate directions from origin O) with uniform velocity V, resulting in typical streamlines as shown in the figure by dotted lines. The point A on the body surface is

A. separation point

B. stall point

C. stagnation point

D. point of maximum velocity

 Answer Option C

35. A projectile is fired horizontally with a velocity of 6 m/s from a point of height h m above and 12 m away from an object. What is the value of h required so that projectile hits the object ?

A. 4.9 m

B. 9.8 m

C. 6 m

D. 19.6 m

 Answer Option D

36. For a simple circular curve which one of the following gives the correct relation between the radius R and degree of curve D, for 20 m arc length ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

 Answer Option C

37. A car negotiates a curve on a slippery road at a constant speed of 10 m/s. If the coefficient of friction is 0.5, what is the minimum radius of the arc in which the car can turn ?

A. 20 m

B. 10 m

C. 5 m

D. 4 m

 Answer Option A

38. Grid lines on a mapsheet can be plotted mechanically by means of a

A. rotometer

B. pantograph

C. coordinatograph

D. stereometer

 Answer Option C

39. A municipal sewage has BOD5 of 200 mg/l. It is proposed to treat it and dispose off into a marine environment. For what minimum efficiency should the sewage treatment plant be designed ?

A. 85%

B. 60%

C. 50%

D. 33.67%

 Answer Option A

40. As the state of strain of an element of dense sand changes from plain strain to trivial condition, the effective angle of internal friction :

A. increases

B. decreases

C. remains constant

D. first increases and then remains constant

 Answer Option B

41. The force in member 1 of the truss shown in the given figure is

A. 4T compressive

B. 36T tensile

C. 16T tensile

D. 20T tensile

 Answer Option C

42. High alumina cement is produced by fusing together a mixture of

A. limestone and bauxite

B. limestone, bauxite and gypsum

C. limestone, gypsum and clay

D. limestone, gypsum, bauxite, clay and chalk

 Answer Option A

43. The declination of a star is 21° 15' N at a latitude of 43° 30' N. The zenith distance at the upper culmination is

A. 22° 15'

B. 21° 15'

C. 64° 45'

D. 43° 30'

 Answer Option A

44. Consider the following statements :Ventilation of sewer lines is necessary to1. avoid building up to sewer gases.2. ensure atmospheric pressure in the waste water surface.3. ensure the safety of sewer maintenance people.4. provide oxidation facility to sewage.Which of these statements are correct ?

A. 1, 2 and 4

B. 1, 3 and 4

C. 2, 3 and 4

D. 1, 2 and 3

 Answer Option D

45. For fish habitat in a river, the minimum dissolved oxygen required is

A. 2 mg/l

B. 4 mg/l

C. 8 mg/l

D. 10 mgl

 Answer Option B

46. A clay soil specimen when tested in unconfined condition gave an unconfined compressive strength of 100 kN/m2. A specimen of the same clay with the same initial condition is subjected to a UU triaxial test under a cell pressure of 100 kN/m2. The axial stress (in kN/m2) at failure would be

A. 150

B. 200

C. 250

D. 300

 Answer Option B

47. A propped cantilever of span 4 m is fixed at A and propped at B. The beam carries a u.d.l. of 1 t/m over the entire span. The reaction at B is

A. 5/2 t

B. 2 t

C. 1 t

D. 3/2 t

 Answer Option D

48. The spacing of tile drains to relieve water-logged land is directly proportional to the

A. depth of drain below the ground surface

B. depth of impervious strata from the drain

C. depth of drain below the water level

D. coefficient of permeability of the soil to be drained

 Answer Option D

49. Four bolts share the load P as shown in the figure. The shearc strength of bolt is 30 kN and tension strength of bolt is 40 kN. Which one of the following is the value of P ?

A. 96 kN

B. 105 kN

C. 117 kN

D. 134 kN

 Answer Option D

50. The object of chain and cross-staff survey is to1. locate the boundaries of an area.2. plot the figure to a scale.3. find the area of the plot.4. find the reduced levels of the plot.Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

A. 1, 2, 3 and 4

B. 1, 2 and 3

C. 1 and 2

D. 4 alone

 Answer Option B