MCQ in Geotechnical Engineering Part 5 | Civil Board Exam

(Last Updated On: June 1, 2022)

This is the Multiple Choice Questions Part 5 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 5 of the Series

⇐ MCQ in Geotechnical Engineering Part 4 | Civil Board Exam

Choose the letter of the best answer in each questions.

201. Which of the following types of soil is transported by gravitational forces?

A) Loess

B) Talus

C) Drift

D) Dune sand

202. Valid range for percentage of voids is :

A) 0 < n < 100

B) 0 ≤ n ≤ 100

C) n > 0

D) n ≤ 0

203. When the degree of saturation is zero, the soil mass under consideration represents :

A) One phase system

B) Two phase system with soil and air

C) Two phase system with soil and water

D) Three phase system

204. Relative density of a compacted dense sand is approximately equal to :

A) 0.4

B) 0.6

C) 0.95

D) 1.20

205. If the natural water content of soil mass lies between its liquid limit and plastic limit, the soil mass is said to be in :

A) Liquid state

B) Plastic state

C) Semi-solid state

D) Solid state

206. The admixture of coarser particles like sand or silt to clay causes :

A) Decrease in liquid limit and increase in plasticity index

B) Decrease in liquid limit and no change in plasticity index

C) Decrease in both liquid limit and plasticity index

D) Increase in both liquid limit and plasticity index

207. Rise of water table above the ground surface causes :

A) Equal increase in pore water pressure and total stress

B) Equal decrease in pore water pressure and total stress

C) Increase in pore water pressure but decrease in total stress

D) Decrease in pore water pressure but increase in total stress

208. Physical properties of a permeant which influence permeability are :

A) Viscosity only

B) Unit weight only

C) Both viscosity and unit weight

D) None of the above

209. Coefficient of consolidation for clays normally :

A) Decreases with increase in liquid limit

B) Increases with increase in liquid limit

C) First increases and then decreases with increase in liquid limit

D) Remains constant at all liquid limits

210. With the increase in the amount of compaction energy :

A) Optimum water content increases but maximum dry density decreases

B) Optimum water content decreases but maximum dry density increases

C) Both optimum water content and maximum dry density increase

D) Both optimum water content and maximum dry density decrease

211. In a consolidated drained test on a normally consolidated clay, the volume of the soil sample during shear :

A) Decreases

B) Increases

C) Remains unchanged

D) First increases and then decreases

212. In the triaxial compression test, the application of additional stress (i.e.deviator stress) on the soil specimen produces shear stress on :

A) Horizontal plane only

B) Vertical plane only

C) Both horizontal and vertical planes

D) All planes except horizontal and vertical planes

213. The effect of cohesion on a soil is to –

A) Reduce both the active earth pressure intensity and passive earth pressure intensity

B) Increase both the active earth pressure intensity and passive earth pressure intensity

C) Reduce the active earth pressure intensity but to increase the passive earth pressure intensity

D) Increase the active earth pressure intensity but to reduce the passive earth pressure intensity

214. Rankine’s theory of earth pressure assumes that the back of the wall is –

A) Plane and smooth

B) Plane and rough

C) Vertical and smooth

D) Vertical and rough

215. Allowable bearing pressure for a foundation depends upon :

A) Allowable settlement only

B) Ultimate bearing capacity of soil only

C) Both allowable settlement and ultimate bearing capacity

D) None of the above

216. Negative skin friction on a pile :

A) Acts downward and increases the load carrying capacity of the pile

B) Acts upward and increases the load carrying capacity of the pile

C) Acts downward and reduces the load carrying capacity of the pile

D) Acts upward and reduces the load carrying capacity of the pile

217. Lime stabilization is very effective in treating :

A) Sandy soils

B) Silty soils

C) Non-plastic soils

D) Plastic clayey soils

218. The unit weight of a soil at zero air voids depends on :

A) Specific gravity

B) Water content

C) Unit weight of water

D) All of the above

Answer

219. According to Skemptom’s formula for a surface footing of square shape, the net ultimate bearing capacity on a purely cohesive soil of cohesion ‘c’ is :

A) 1.4 c

B) 6.0 c

C) 7.4 c

D) 9.0 c

220. Compression index on a soil helps to determine :

A) Total time required for consolidation

B) Time required for 50% consolidation

C) Total settlement of clay layer

D) Pre-consolidation pressure of clay

221. A Pycnometer is used to determine :

A) Water content and Voids ratio

B) Specific gravity and dry density

C) Water content and specific gravity

D) Voids ratio and dry density

222. Which of the following is a measure of particle size range?

A) Effective size

B) Uniformity coefficient

C) Coefficient of curvature

D) None of the above

223. If the Plasticity Index of a soil mass is zero, the soil is :

A) Sand

B) Silt

C) Clay

D) Clayey silt

224. The water content of soil, which represents the boundary between plastic state and liquid state, is known as :

A) Liquid limit

B) Plastic limit

C) Shrinkage limit

D) Plasticity index

225. If the water table rises up to ground surface, then the –

A) Effective stress is reduced due to decrease in total stress only but pore water pressure does not change

B) Effective stress is reduced due to increase in pore water pressure only but total stress does not change

C) Total stress is reduced due to increase in pore water pressure only but effective stress does not change

D) Total stress is increased due to decrease in pore water pressure but effective stress does not change

226. The Critical Hydraulic Gradient ic of a soil mass of specific gravity ‘G’ and void ratio ‘e’ is given by :

A) ic = (G+1)/(1 – e)

B) ic = (G -1)/(1+e)

C) ic = (G+1)/(1+e)

D) ic = (G -1)/(1 – e)

227. The total discharge from two wells situated near to each other is –

A) Sum of the discharges from individual wells

B) Less than the sum of the discharges from individual wells

C) Greater than the sum of the discharges from individual wells

D) Equal to larger of the two discharges from individual wells

228. Phreatic line in an earthen dam is –

A) Straight line

B) Parabolic

C) Circular

D) Elliptical

229. Which of the following clays behaves like a dense sand?

A) Over-consolidated clay with high over consolidation ratio

B) Over-consolidated clay with low over consolidation ratio

C) Normally consolidated clay

D) Under-consolidated clay

230. Coarse-grained soils are best compacted by a :

A) Drum roller

B) Rubber tyred roller

C) Sheep foot roller

D) Vibratory roller

231. For better strength and stability, the fine-grained soils and coarse-grained soils are compacted respectively as :

A) Dry of OMC and wet of OMC

B) Wet of OMC and dry of OMC

C) Wet of OMC and wet of OMC

D) Dry of OMC and dry of OMC

232. Unconfined Compressive Strength test is :

A) Undrained test

B) Drained test

C) Consolidated undrained test

D) Consolidated drained test

233. If a cohesive soil specimen is subjected to a vertical compressive load, the inclination of the cracks to the horizontal is :

A) 900

B) 450

C) 220

D) 00

234. In a triaxial compression test when drainage is allowed during the first stage (i.e. application of cell pressure) only and not during the second stage (i.e. application of deviatoric stress at constant cell pressure), the test is known as :

A) Consolidated drained test

B) Consolidated undrained test

C) Unconsolidated drained test

D) Unconsolidated undrained test

235. According to Terzaghi’s theory, the ultimate bearing capacity at ground surface for a purely cohesive soil and for a smooth base of a strip footing is :

A) 2.57 C

B) 5.14 C

C) 5.7 C

D) 6.2 C

236. A combined footing is generally used when :

A) Number of columns is more than two and they are spaced far apart

B) Number of columns is two and they are spaced close to each other

C) Number of columns is two and they are spaced far apart

D) There is only one column

237. Mechanical stabilization of soil is done with the help of :

A) Cement

B) Lime

C) Bitumen

D) Proper grading

238. A plate load test is useful to estimate :

A) Bearing capacity of foundation

B) Settlement of foundation

C) Both bearing capacity and settlement of foundation

D) None of the above

239. The value of bearing capacity factor for cohesion Nc, for piles as per Meyerhof is taken as :

A) 6.2

B) 9.0

C) 5.14

D) 5.17

240. Westergaard’s analysis for stress distribution beneath loaded area is applicable to :

A) Sandy soils

B) Clayey soils

C) Stratified soils

D) Silty soils

241. Lacustrine soil are those soils which are :

A) Deposited in sea water

B) Deposited at the bottom of lakes

C) Transported by running water

D) Transported by wind

242. The soil transported by glaciers either by ice or water is called :

A) Talus

B) Loess

C) Drift

D) None of the above

243. The minimum size of grains of silts is about –

A) 0.0002 mm

B) 0.002 mm

C) 0.02 mm

D) 0.2 mm

244. If the pores of a soil are completely full of air only, the soil is said to be :

A) Wet soil

B) Dry soil

C) Fully saturated soil

D) Partially saturated soil

245. The relation between porosity (n) and void ratio (e) is given by :

A) n = (1+e)/e

B) n = e/(1+e)

C) e = n/(1-n)

D) e = (1-n)/n

246. The ratio of volume of air voids to the volume of voids is called :

A) Void ratio

B) Air content

C) Degree of saturation

D) Porosity

247. The degree of saturation for the moist soil is about –

A) 0%

B) 1 to 25%

C) 25 to 50%

D) 50 to 75%

248. Gravel and sand is a –

A) Cohesive coarse grained soil

B) Cohesive fine grained soil

C) Non-cohesive coarse grained soil

D) Non-cohesive fine grained soil

249. The water content of soils can be accurately determined by :

A) Sand bath method

B) Calcium carbide method

C) Oven drying method

D) Pycnometer method

250. The standard temperature at which the hydrometer is calibrated is –

A) 10 deg C

B) 15 deg C

C) 20 deg C

D) 27 deg C