Civil Engineering - UPSC Civil Service Exam Questions MCQs Part 21

1. Consider the following statements regarding the phenomenon of bulking of sand :1. It is due to film of water around sand particles.2. It is due to capillary action.3. It is more in finer sands.Which of the following statements given above is/are correct ?

A.
1, 2 and 3

B.
1 and 3

C.
2 and 3

D.
1 and 2

 Answer Option A

2. The magnitude of acceleration is given by the

A.
slope of distance-time curve

B.
length of velocity-time curve

C.
slope of velocity-time curve

D.
length of distance-time curve

 Answer Option A

3. A 100 m tape is held 1 m out of line. The true length is

A.
100.0050 m

B.
99.9950 m

C.
100.0100 m

D.
99.9800 m

 Answer Option B

4. Which one of the following types of settling phenomenon can be analysed by the classic sedimentation laws of Newton and Stokes ?

A.
Discrete settling

B.
Flocculent settling

C.
Hindered settling

D.
Compression settling

 Answer Option A

5. Window sills in residential houses are normally kept at

A.
83 to 90 cm above the floor level

B.
80 to 90 cm above the floor level

C.
78 to 88 cm above the floor level

D.
75 to 85 cm above the floor level

 Answer Option D

6. Lime stabilisation method is particularly suitably and has been found successful in stabilising

A. clayey soil with expansive nature in water-logged areas

B. sandy desertic area

C. soils having liquid limit less than 30%

D. wind-blown soil deposits

 Answer Option A

7. The optimistic, most likely and pessimistic time estimates of an activity are 5, 10 and 21 days respectively. What are the expected time and standard deviation ?

A. 12, 3

B. 11, 4

C. 11,

D. 10, 16

 Answer Option C

8. What is the minimum number of longitudinal bars provided in a reinforced concrete column of circular cross section?

A. 4

B. 5

C. 6

D. 8

 Answer Option C

9. The odour of drying paint or varnish is derived from which of the following chemical compounds?

A. Organic gases

B. Volatile organic compounds

C. Ethylene

D. Acetylene

 Answer Option C

10. D'Alembert's principle

A. is based on the law of conservation of energy

B. is based on the law of conservation of angular momentum

C. provides no special advantage over Newton's law

D. enables a dynamic problem to be treated akin to a problem of statics

 Answer Option D

11. For sampling saturated sands and other soft and wet soils satisfactorily, the most suitable soil sampler is

A. open drive thin-walled tube sampler

B. standard split-spoon sampler

C. stationary piston sampler

D. rotary sampler

 Answer Option A

12. A 30 cm diameter friction pile is embedded 10 m into a homogeneous consolidated deposit. Unit adhesion developed between clay and pile shaft is 4 t/m2 and adhesion factor is 0.7. The safe load for factor of safety 2.5 will be

A. 21.50 t

B. 11.57 t

C. 10.55 t

D. 6.35 t

 Answer Option C

13. Consider the following statements :1. Point of contraflexure is the point where the bending moment is maximum.2. Point of cantraflexure is the point where the bending moment changes sign.3. Point of contraflexure is the point where the shear force is zero.Which of these statements is/are correct ?

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 2 and 3

C. 2 only

D. 1 only

 Answer Option B

14. What is the significant purpose of monitoring a project through its implementation phase ?

A. To fix responsibility for delays

B. To revalue the project with control over cost over-run

C. To revalue the project with minimum time over-run

D. To revalue the project with optimal time and cost over-run

 Answer Option D

15. The yield of a well depends upon

A. permeability of soil

B. area of aquifer opening into the wells

C. actual flow velocity

D. all of the above

 Answer Option D

16. The coordinates of two end-points A and B traverse line AB are XA = 1000.00 m, YA = 1000.00 m XB = 2000.00 m, YB = 1000.00 m The bearing of the line AB will be

A. 0°0'00"

B. 60°0'00"

C. 90°0'00"

D. 180°0'00"

 Answer Option C

17. Consider the following statements relating to compressible flow :1. In a contracting conduit, sonic velocity is reached in the minimum cross-sectional area.2. In a contracting conduit, supersonic velocities are reached only in the expanding section downstream from the minimum section.3. An expansion shockwave is physically possible and can be exhibited.4. In the Laval nozzle it is possible to obtain a velocity greater than the velocity of sound in the expanding section of nozzle.Of these statements :

A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct

B. 1, 2 and 4 are correct

C. 2, 3 and 4 are correct

D. 1, 3 and 4 are correct

 Answer Option A

18. Consider the following factors :1. Elevation2. Temperature3. Gradient4. Trip length.For finding the runway length, which of these are taken into reckoning ?

A. 1 and 3

B. 2 and 4

C. 1 and 2

D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

 Answer Option D

19. Which one of the following is the reaction of the cantilever at B as shown in the figure ?

A. 3/8 wl

B. 5/8 wl

C. 6/17 wl

D. 3/21 wl

 Answer Option C

20. If a road surface is adequately superelevated on horizontal curve, which one of the following is the proper distribution of pressure on the vehicle wheels ?

A. Pressure on both outer and inner wheels is equal

B. Pressure on inner wheels is more than the outer wheels

C. Pressure on inner wheels is less than the outer wheels

D. Pressure on front wheels is thrice the pressure on rear wheels

 Answer Option A

21. The role of superplasticizer in a cement paste is to

A. disperse the particles

B. disperse the particles and to remove air bubbles

C. disperse the particles, remove air bubbles and to retard setting

D. retard setting

 Answer Option C

22. For stability analysis of slopes of purely cohesive soils, the critical centre is taken to lie at the intersection of

A. the perpendicular bisector of the slope and the locus of the centre

B. the perpendicular drawn at one-third slope from the toe and the locus of the centre

C. the perpendicular drawn at two-third slope from the toe and the locus of the centre

D. directional angles

 Answer Option D

23. A prismatic bar of uniform cross-sectional area of 5 cm2 is subjected to axial loads as shown in the given figure. Portion BC is subjected to an axial stress of

A. 400 kg/cm2 tansion,

B. 2000 kg/m2 compression

C. 1000 kg/cm2 tension

D. 600 kg/cm2 tension

 Answer Option B

24. Which one of the following methods would give accurate results in determining the direction of the observer's meridian ?

A. Observation of circumpolar stars on the same vertical

B. Observation of circumpolar stars at culmination

C. Extra-meridian observation of a circumpolar star

D. Observation of the sun at equal altitudes

 Answer Option B

25. In a truss work as shown in the figure given above, what is the force induced in the member DE ?

A. 50 kN (tensile)

B. zero

C. 50 kN (compressive)

D. 25 kN (compressive)

 Answer Option B

26. The process by which a mass of saturated soil is caused by external forces to suddenly lose its shear strength and to behave as a fluid is called

A. piping

B. slide

C. quick condition

D. liquefaction

 Answer Option C

27. In steady laminar flow of a liquid through a circular pipe of internal diameter D, carrying a constant discharge, the hydraulic gradient is inversely proportional to

A. D

B. D2

C. D4

D. D5

 Answer Option B

28. A pipe line, 2000 m long, carries water. Velocity of propagation of pressure wave is 1000 m/s. If the valve at the low stream end is instantaneously closed at time, t = 0, negative water hammer pressure at the valve will last for

A. 0 - 4 S

B. 2 - 4 S

C. 4 - 8 S

D. S - 12 S

 Answer Option B

29. Consider the following statements related to triaxial test :1. Failure occurs along pre-determined plane.2. Intermediate and minor principal stresses are equal.3. Volume changes can be measured.4. Field conditions can be simulated.Of these statements :

A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct

B. 1, 2 and 4 are correct

C. 1, 3 and 4 are correct

D. 2, 3 and 4 are correct

 Answer Option D

30. What is the magnitude of the force in the member BD in the figure given above ?

A. 5 kN

B. 7 kN (App)

C. 42kN

D. Zero

 Answer Option D

31. Consider the following statements :Cement concrete is a/an :1. Elastic material.2. Visco-elastic material.3. Visco-plastic material.Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

A. 1, 2 and 3

B. 2 and 3

C. 2 only

D. 1 only

 Answer Option C

32. Water present in an artesian aquifer is usually

A. at sub atmospheric pressure

B. at atmospheric pressure

C. at 0.5 times of the atmospheric pressure

D. above atmospheric pressure

 Answer Option D

33. What is the shape of influence line diagram for the maximum bending moment in respect of a simply supported beam ?

A. Rectangular

B. Triangular

C. Parabolic

D. Circular

 Answer Option C

34. Consider the following statements about a hydraulic ram :1. Hydraulic ram does not need external power. 2. It works on the fundamental principle of water hammer.3. The efficiency of a hydraulic ram is only of the order of 8 to 10%.4. It can be termed as a low, intermittent discharge low-head pumping installation. Which of these statements are correct ?

A. 2 and 3

B. 1, 2, 3 and 4

C. 1 and 2

D. 1 and 3

 Answer Option C

35. Which of the following are the purposes of a groyne as a river training structure ?1. It contracts a river channel to improve its depth.2. It protects the river bank.3. It does not allow silt to deposit in the vicinity.4. It trains the flow along a certain course.Select the correct answer using the code given below :

A. 1 and 2

B. 1, 2 and 3

C. 1 and 3

D. 2, 3 and 4

 Answer Option D

36. What is the permissible tensile stress is bolts used for column bases ?(Where fy is the yield stress of the steel)

A. 120 N/mm2

B. 150 N/mm2

C. 0.6 fy

D. 0.4 fy

 Answer Option A

37. King closers are related to

A. doors and windows

B. king post truss

C. queen post truss

D. bricks masonry

 Answer Option D

38. The area of a plot is to be determined using Simpson's rule. The following offsets were taken to a boundary from points along a chain line all measurements being in metres 12, 15, 22, 29, 36, 38, 31, 22, 17.There were taken at 100 m intervals. Consider the following steps in this regard.1. 2. Sum of the odd ordinates = 22 + 36 + 1 = 893. Sum of the even ordinates = 15 + 29 + 38 + 22 = 1044. 12 + 17 = 395. Area = 100 (19.5 + 89 + 104)6. Area = (39 + 2 x 89 + 4 x 104)7. Area 100 x 19.5 (104 - 89)The area of the plot can be determined by using the steps listed above :

A. 1, 2, 3 and 5

B. 1, 3, 4 and 6

C. 1, 2, 4 and 7

D. 2, 3, 4 and 6

 Answer Option D

39. At a cross-section of a beam, the maximum compressive stress at top is 800 kg/cm2 and its maximum tensile stress at bottom is 200 kg/cm2. The depth of cross-section is 10 cm. The depth of the neutral axis from the top of the section is n. The n is equal to

A. 2 cm

B. 4 cm

C. 6 cm

D. 8 cm

 Answer Option D

40. A buttress in a wall is intended to provide

A. lateral support to roof slab only

B. lateral support to wall

C. to resist vertical loads only

D. lateral support to roof beams only

 Answer Option B

41. A shaft turns at 150 rpm under a torque of 1500 Nm. Power transmitted is

A. 15 π kW

B. l0 π kW

C. 7.5 π kW

D. 5 π kW

 Answer Option C

42. Consider the following factors :1. Initial prestress 2. Losses in prestress3. Depth of cable from extreme compression fibre. Those which affect the ultimate moment capacity of a prestressed concrete beam would include

A. 1 and 2

B. 1 and 3

C. 1 alone

D. 3 alone

 Answer Option D

43. If the stream function is ψ = 2 xy, then the velocity at a point (1, 2) is equal to

A. 2

B. 4

C. 20

D. 16

 Answer Option C

44. The cantilever frame shown in the given figure is supported by vertical links at B and C and carries loads as shown. The force in the bar AE is

A. 500 kg

B. 1000 kg

C. zero

D. 2500 kg

 Answer Option C

45. Two piles, one a bored cast-in-situ pile and another a precast driven pile, both of same length and diameter are constructed in a loose sand deposit. If the bearing capacity of the bored pile is Q1, and that of the precast driven pile is Q2, then which of the following is correct ?

A. Q1 > Q2

B. Q1 = Q2

C. Q1 < Q2

D. No specific comparison may hold good

 Answer Option A

46. Two perfectly elastic spheres of equal mass moving in the same direction with their velocities in the ratio 2 : 1 have an impact. After the impact, the two spheres will

A. move in the same direction

B. have in velocity in the ratio of 1 : 2

C. move in opposite directions with velocity the ratio of 1: 2

D. move in the same direction with velocity the ratio of 1: 2

 Answer Option D

47. For the design of a simply supported RCC T-beam, the ratio of the effective span to the overall depth of the beam should not exceed

A. 10

B. 20

C. 30

D. 40

 Answer Option B

48. The typical density in kg/cm (in situ) of well-compacted municipal solid waste in landfill is in the range of

A. 100 to 300

B. 310 to 500

C. 550 to 850

D. 900 to 1100

 Answer Option B

49. What is the y-coordinate of the centroid of the area ABCDE shown in the figure given aside ?

A. 3.2

B. 3.3

C. 3.4

D. 3.5

 Answer Option B

50. In a plate load test on sandy soil, the test plate of 60 cm x 60 cm undergoes a settlement of 5 mm at a pressure of 12 x 104 N/m2. What will be the expected settlement of 3 m x 3 m footing under same pressure ?

A. 25 mm

B. 20 mm

C. 15 mm

D. 9 mm

 Answer Option D