MCQ in Geotechnical Engineering Part 2 | Civil Board Exam

This is the Multiple Choice Questions Part 2 of the Series in Geotechnical Engineering as one of the Hydraulics and Principles of Geotechnical Engineering topic. In Preparation for the Civil Board Exam make sure to expose yourself and familiarize in each and every questions compiled here taken from various sources including but not limited to past Board Examination Questions in Hydraulics and Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering Books, Journals and other Civil Engineering References.

PRC Board of Civil Engineering Examination Syllabi

The applicant shall acquire a general average of 70% with no grades lower than 50% in any given subject of the examination as follows:

Applied Mathematics, Surveying, Principles of Transportation and Highway Engineering, Construction Management and Methods – 35%

1. Calculus

• Differential Equations
• Integral Calculus

2. Differential Equations

• First Order Differential Equation
• Higher Order Differential Equations

3. Engineering Data Analysis

4. Numerical Methods

5. Physics for Engineers

6. Engineering Economy

• Present Economy Study
• Time-Value Relations
• Selection Among Alternatives: Present, Annual, and Future Worth; Internal and External Rate of Return Method

7. Construction Surveying and Layout

8. Materials for Construction

9. Quantity Surveying

10. Construction Occupational Safety and Health

11. Transportation Engineering

• Highway Engineering
  • Highway and Urban Transportation Planning and Economics
  • Driver, Vehicle, Traffic and Road Characteristics
  • Highway Design
  • Traffic Engineering and Highway Operations
  • Road and Pavement Design
• Airport Engineering
• Ports and Harbors
• Bridges

12. Construction Management Principles and Methods

• Engineering Relations and Ethics
• Contracts & Specifications
• Construction Project Organization
• Planning and Scheduling (PERT/CPM)
• Construction Estimates
• Construction Methods & Operations
• Construction Equipment Operations and Maintenance

Hydraulics and Principles of Geotechnical Engineering – 30%

1. Fluid Mechanics

• Properties of Fluids
• Hydrostatics
• Fluid Flow Concepts and Basic Equations
• Viscous Flow and Fluid Resistance
• Ideal Fluid Flow
• Steady Flow in Closed Conduits
• Steady Flow in Open Channels

2. Buoyancy and Flotation

3. Relative Equilibrium of Liquids

4. Hydrodynamics

5. Soil Mechanics and Foundation

• Soil Properties and Classification
• Fluid Flow through Soil Mass
• Soil Strength and Tests
• Stresses in Soil Mass
• Bearing Capacity
• Compaction
• Consolidation and Settlement
• Soil Improvement
• Lateral Earth Pressures
• Slope Stability

6. Water Supply Soil Properties

Principles of Structural Analysis and Design- 35%

1. Engineering Mechanics

• Statics of Rigid Bodies
• Dynamics of Rigid Bodies
• Kinematics of Rigid Bodies
• Strength of Materials

2. Reinforced Concrete Beams and Columns

• Steal Beams, Columns, Footings and Connections
• Prestressed Concrete Beams

3. Construction Materials Testing

4. Application of the Governing Codes of Practice

Continue Practice Exam Test Questions Part 2 of the Series

⇐ MCQ in Geotechnical Engineering Part 1 | Civil Board Exam

Choose the letter of the best answer in each questions.

51. It is an analysis which involves determining and comparing the shear stress developed along the most likely rupture surface with shera strength of the soil.

a. Slope Stability Analysis

b. Director Shear Analysis

c. Mohr Coulumb Theorem

d. None of these

52. It is a type of failure occurs in a such a way that the surface of sliding passes at a distance below the toe of the slope.

a. Slope failure

b. Base Failure

c. Circular Failure

d. critical Failure

53. It is a type of failure occurs in a such a way that the surface of sliding intersects the slope or above its toe.

a. Slope failure

b. Base Failure

c. Circular Failure

d. critical Failure

54. It is the failure circle in the case of slope and occurred when it passes through the toe of the slope.

a. Toe Circle

b. Slope Circle

c. Mid-point Circle

d. Concentric Circle

55. It is the failure circle in the case of slope circle and occurred when it passes above the toe of the slope.

a. Toe Circle

b. Slope Circle

c. Mid-point Circle

d. Concentric Circle

56. It is the failure circle in the case of base failure

a. Toe Circle

b. Slope Circle

c. Mid-point Circle

d. Concentric Circle

57. It is a method for analyzing the stability of a slope in two dimensions. The sliding mass above the failure surface is divided into a number of slices. The forces acting on each slice are obtained by considering the mechanical equilibrium for the slices.

a. Method of Slices

b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices

c. Sarma Method

d. Lorimer’s Method

58. It is a method for calculating the stability of slopes. It is an extension of the Method of Slices. By making some simplifying assumptions, the problem becomes statically determinate and suitable for hand calculations where the forces on the sides of each slice are horizontal.

a. Darcy ‘s Method

b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices

c. Sarma Method

d. Lorimer’s Method

59. It is a Limit equilibrium technique used to assess the stability of slopes under seismic conditions. It may also be used for static conditions if the value of the horizontal load is taken as zero. The method can analyse a wide range of slope failures as it may accommodate a multi- wedge failure mechanism and therefore it is not restricted to planar or circular failure surfaces. It may provide information about the factor of safety or about the critical acceleration required to cause collapse.

a. Method of Slices

b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices

c. Sarma Method

d. Lorimer’s Method

60. It is a technique for evaluating slope stability in cohesive soils. It differs from Bishop’s Method in that it uses a clothoid slip surface in place of a circle. This mode of failure was determined experimentally to account for effects of particle cementation.

a. Method of Slices

b. Michalowki’s Solution

c. Sarma Method

d. Lorimer’s Method

61. It uses the kinematic approach of limit analysis similar to ordinary methods of slices.

a. Method of Slices

b. Michalowki’s Solution

c. Sarma Method

d. Lorimer’s Method

62. The process of identifying the layers of deposits that underlie a proposed structure and their physical characteristics.

a. Geological exploration

b. Subsurface Exploration

c. Surface Exploration

d. Geotechnical Exploration

63. It is the simplest method of making exploratory boreholes which can use two hand tools.

a. Auger Boring

b. Wash Boring

c. Rotary Drilling

d. Percussion Drilling

64. It is another method of advancing boreholes which uses a casing about 2-3m long driven into the ground. The soil inside the casing is then removed using a chopping bit attached to a drilling rod.

a. Auger Boring

b. Wash Boring

c. Rotary Drilling

d. Percussion Drilling

65. It is a procedure by which rapidly rotating drilling bits attached to the bottom of drilling rods cut and grind the soil and advance the borehole. It can be used in clay, sand, and rocks.

a. Auger Boring

b. Wash Boring

c. Rotary Drilling

d. Percussion Drilling

66. it is an alternative method of advancing a borehole, particularly through hard soil and rock. It also required casing.

a. Auger Boring

b. Wash Boring

c. Rotary Drilling

d. Percussion Drilling

67. It can be used in the field to obtain soil samples that are generally disturbed but still representative. It consists of a steel driving shoe, a steel tube that is split longitudinally in half, and a coupling at the top..

a. Safety Hammer

b. Donut Hammer

c. spring Core Catcher

d. Split-Spoon Sampler

68. It is device placed inside the split spoon to ease the sample recovery when the material encountered in the field is fine sand below the water surface.

a. Safety Hammer

b. Donut Hammer

c. Spring Core Catcher

d. Extensometer

69. They are sometimes called as Shelby tubes. Which are made of seamless steel tube and are commonly used to obtain undisturbed clayey soil

a. Aluminium Tube

b. Steel Tube

c. Thin Wall Tubes

d. Piezometer

70. It is a versatile sounding method that can be used to determine the material in a soil profile and estimate their engineering properties.

a. Cone Penetration Test

b. Dutch Cone Penetration Test

c. Static Penetration Test

d. All of the Above

71. It is an in situ test conducted in a borehole. It was originally developed by Menard to measure the strength and deformability of soil.

a. Pressure meter Test (PMT)

b. Dilatometer Test (DMT)

c. Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

d. None of these

72. It is the ratio of effective horizontal stress to the vertical stress.

a. Coefficient of Earth Pressure at rest

b. Coefficient of Dynamic Earth Pressure.

c. Coefficient of Dynamic Viscosity

d. Coefficient of Rankine’s Active Pressure

73. It refers to the condition in which every point in a soil mass is on the verge of failure.

a. Plastic Equilibrium

b. Elastic Equilibrium

c. Dynamic Equilibrium

d. Static Equilibrium

74. It is the pressure that soil exerts against a structure in a sideways, mainly horizontal direction. The common applications of its theory are for the   design   of   ground engineering structures   such    as retaining walls, basements, tunnels, and to determine the friction on the sides of deep foundations.

a. Allowable pressure

b. Lateral Earth Pressure

c. Effective Pressure

d. Ultimate Pressure

75. The state occurs when a soil mass is allowed to relax or move outward to the point of reaching the limiting strength of the soil; that is, the soil is at the failure condition in extension. Thus it is the minimum lateral soil pressure that may be exerted.

a. Active State

b. Passive State

c. Equilibrium State

d. None of these

76. The state occurs when a soil mass is externally forced to the limiting strength (that is, failure) of the soil in compression. It is the maximum lateral soil pressure that may be exerted.

a. Active State

b. Passive State

c. Equilibrium State

d. None of these

77. It was developed in 1857, and is a stress field solution that predicts active and passive earth pressure. It assumes that the soil is cohesionless, the wall is frictionless, the soil-wall interface is vertical, the failure surface on which the soil moves is planar, and the resultant force is angled parallel to the backfill surface.

a. Rankine’s Theory

b. Coulumb’s Theory

c. Terzaghi’s Theory

d. Big Bang Theory

78. A theory for active and passive earth pressure against the retaining wall. The proponent assumed that the failure surface is plane. The wall friction was taken into consideration. It was presented last 1776.

a. Rankine’s Theory

b. Coulumb’s Theory

c. Terzaghi’s Theory

d. Big Bang Theory

79. It is the lowest part of the structure and its function is to transfer the load of the structure to the soil on which it is resting.

a. Excavation

b. Foundation

c. Column

d. basement

80. It is simply an enlargement of a load bearing wall or column that makes it possible to spread the load of the structure over the large area of the soil

a. Spread Footing

b. Mat Foundation

c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation

d. Deep Foundation

81. They are used for heavier structures when great depth is required for supporting the loads.

a. Spread Footing

b. Mat Foundation

c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation

d. None of these

82. It is a structural member made of concrete, timber, or steel that transmit the load of the superstructure to the lower layers of the soil.

a. Footing

b. anchorage

c. pile

d. column

83. He was the first to present a comprehensive theory for evaluating the ultimate bearing capacity of rough shallow foundation. According to his theory the depth of the foundation is shallow if the depth of the foundation is less than or equal to the width of the foundation.

a. Rankine

b. Coulomb

c. Terzaghi

d. Meyorhof

84. He proposed a correlation for the net allowable bearing pressure for foundation with the standard penetration resistance.

a. Rankine

b. Coulomb

c. Terzaghi

d. Meyorhof

85. It is a type of foundation which is referred to as a raft foundation. It is a combined footing that may cover entire area under structure supporting several columns and walls.

a. Spread Footing

b. Mat Foundation

c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation

d. Deep Foundation

86. A type of pile which are generally either pipe piles or Rolled steel H- Section piles.

a. Steel Pile

b. Concrete Pile

c. Timber Pile

d. Composite Pile

87. A type of pile which are either precast pile or cast-in-situ piles.

a. Steel Pile

b. Concrete Pile

c. Timber Pile

d. Composite Pile

88. A type of pile which are tree trunks that have their branches and bark carefully trimmed off. The maximum length of this type of pile is 10 to 20 m.

a. Steel Pile

b. Concrete Pile

c. Timber Pile

d. Composite Pile

89. It is type of retaining wall which are constructed with plain concrete or stone masonry. They depend on their own weight and ay soil resting on the masonry for stability and it is not economical for high walls.

a. Gravity Retaining Wall

b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall

c. Cantilever Retaining Wall

d. Counterfort Retaining Wall

90. They are made up of reinforced concrete that consist of a thin stem and a base slab. This type of wall is economical to a height about 8m.

a. Gravity Retaining Wall

b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall

c. Cantilever Retaining Wall

d. Counterfort Retaining Wall

91. It is similar to Cantilever Retaining Wall, its purpose is to reduce the shear and the bending moments.

a. Gravity Retaining Wall

b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall

c. Cantilever Retaining Wall

d. Counterfort Retaining Wall

92. They are called as geotextiles

a. Metal Strip

b. Biodegradable Fabrics

c. Non-Biodegradable Fabrics

d. Geogrids

93. They are high-modulus polymer material such as polypropylene and polyethylene and are prepared by tensile drawing.

a. Metal Strip

b. Biodegradable Fabrics

c. Non-Biodegradable Fabrics

d. Geogrids

94. It is defined as the ratio of the unconfined compression strength in undisturbed state to that in a remolded state.

a. degree of saturation

b. degree of freedom

c. degree of sensitivity

d. degree of compressibility

95. Which of the following are the solutions developed in the past for stability analysis of simple slope with steady state seepage.

I. Bishop and Mongensterns’s Solution

II. Spencer’s Solution

III. Cousin’s Solution

IV. Michalowki’s Solution

a. I only

b.  I and II only

c. II and III only

d. All of the Above

96. It is another method of determining liquid limit that is popular in Europe and in Asia. In this test the liquid limit is defined as the moisture content at which a standard cone of apex angle 300 and weigh 0.78 N will penetrate a distance d=20 mm in 5 seconds when allowed to drop from a position of point contact with the soil surface.

a. Fall Cone Test

b. Standard Cone Test

c. British Standard Test

d. Europe Cone Test

97. Which of the following are the typical properties of sand.

I. The grain-size distribution of the sand at any particular location is surprisingly uniform.

II. The general grain size decreases with distance from the source, because the wind carries the small characteristics small particles farther than the large one.

III. The relative density of sand deposited on the windward side of dunes can be as high as 50 to 65 %, decreasing to about 0 to 15 % on the leeward side.

a. I only

b. II and III only

c. I and II Only

d. All of the Above

98. These are the common types of rollers that are used for Field Compaction.

I. Smooth-wheel roller

II. Pneumatic rubber-tired roller

III. Sheepfoot Roller

IV. Vibartory Roller

a. I, II, and III only

b. I, II, and IV only

c. II, III, and IV only

d. All of the Above

99. Which of the following are the standard procedures used for determining the field unit weight of compaction.

I. Sand Cone Method

II. Rubber Balloon Method

III. Nuclear Method

IV. Falling Head Test

a. I only

b. I, II, and III only

c. I and II only

d. All of the Above

100. These are the regions found on the analysis of the variation hydraulic gradient.

I. Laminar Flow Zone

II. Transition Zone

III. Turbulent Flow Zone

IV. undisturbed flow zone

a. I only

b. I, II, and III only

c. I and II only

d. All of the Above