All Free Civil Engineering MCQs with Answers

• A. CH
• B. ML
• C. CL
• D. MH

Explanation: The liquid limit is below 50 percent, so the soil has low plasticity. Its plasticity index lies above the A-line, indicating clay rather…

• A. i/γw
• B. iγsat
• C. γw/i
• D. iγw

Explanation: The seepage force per unit volume is the hydraulic gradient multiplied by the unit weight of water, expressed as iγw.

• A. Clean sands and gravels
• B. Fine silts with very low permeability
• C. Highly compressible clays
• D. Organic soils with high water content

Explanation: Clean sands and gravels permit water to pass at a rate that can be measured conveniently under a constant hydraulic head.

• A. Decrease while optimum moisture rises
• B. Rise while optimum moisture falls
• C. Remain constant while saturation falls
• D. Rise while optimum moisture also rises

Explanation: Greater compactive effort usually produces a higher maximum dry unit weight and a lower optimum moisture content.

• A. H Cc/(1 + e0) log10(σ0'/σ0')
• B. H Cs/(1 + e0) log10((σ0' + Δσ')/σ0')
• C. H Cc/(1 + e0) log10((σ0' + Δσ')/σ0')
• D. H Cc(1 + e0) log10((σ0' + Δσ')/σ0')

Explanation: For normally consolidated clay, the virgin compression index Cc is used and the stress ratio is the final effective stress divided by the…

• A. Loose sand and very soft clay
• B. Highly organic peat deposits
• C. Uniformly saturated silt only
• D. Dense sand and stiff clay

Explanation: General shear failure develops through a well-defined failure surface and is typical of dense sands and stiff, overconsolidated clays.

• A. The surrounding soil settles relative to the pile
• B. The pile settles faster than the surrounding soil
• C. The pile tip reaches the water table
• D. The pile is installed in dense sand

Explanation: When surrounding compressible soil settles relative to a pile, interface shear acts downward along the pile shaft.

• A. The footing self-weight only
• B. The effective overburden pressure at foundation level
• C. The allowable bearing pressure
• D. The total settlement of the footing

Explanation: Net ultimate bearing capacity removes the pressure that existed at the foundation level before construction.

• A. Pore water pressure minus total stress
• B. Total stress plus pore water pressure
• C. Total stress minus pore water pressure
• D. Total stress divided by pore water pressure

Explanation: Effective stress is the portion of stress carried by the soil skeleton.

• A. Depends only on soil plasticity
• B. Decreases as particle size increases
• C. Remains constant for all particle sizes
• D. Increases as particle size increases

Explanation: Larger particles usually create larger and more continuous flow channels, allowing water to pass more easily.

• A. Fine-grained soil
• B. Coarse sand
• C. Clean gravel
• D. Open rock joints

Explanation: Fine-grained soils transmit water slowly, so the change in water level in a standpipe can be measured over time.

• A. w = eGs
• B. w = e/Gs
• C. w = Gs/e
• D. w = e + Gs

Explanation: In a saturated soil, the volume of water equals the volume of voids. Using the phase relationships gives w = e divided by Gs, when both w…

• A. Chemical weathering of minerals
• B. Expulsion of water from clay
• C. Distortion of the soil mass
• D. Long-term cementation of particles

Explanation: Immediate settlement occurs mainly from elastic deformation and distortion of the soil soon after loading.

• A. Current effective stress to total stress
• B. Void ratio to degree of saturation
• C. Total stress to pore water pressure
• D. Preconsolidation pressure to current effective stress

Explanation: OCR is the preconsolidation pressure divided by the current effective vertical stress.

• A. Factor of safety
• B. Coefficient of permeability
• C. Degree of saturation
• D. Plasticity index

Explanation: The factor of safety provides a margin against uncertainty in soil strength, loading and construction conditions.

• A. A long retaining wall
• B. A single column with adequate spacing
• C. A group of closely spaced columns
• D. A continuous row of masonry

Explanation: An isolated footing transfers the load from one column to the supporting soil.

• A. Only soil suction
• B. Only capillary pressure
• C. End bearing and shaft friction
• D. Buoyancy and surface tension

Explanation: A pile can transfer load at its tip by end bearing and along its embedded surface by shaft friction.

• A. Vertical settlement of the specimen
• B. Pore pressure at the ground surface
• C. Water content after drying
• D. Total normal stress on the shear plane

Explanation: The direct shear test provides failure pairs of shear stress and applied normal stress.

• A. (w - PL) / PI
• B. (LL - w) / PI
• C. (w - LL) / PL
• D. (PI - w) / LL

Explanation: Liquidity index compares the natural water content with the plasticity range, so it is (w - PL) divided by PI.

• A. Percentage of sand fraction
• B. Percentage of clay fraction
• C. Percentage of silt fraction
• D. Percentage of gravel fraction

Explanation: Clay activity is the plasticity index divided by the percentage of particles finer than 0.002 mm.