All Free Civil Engineering MCQs with Answers
Every Civil Engineering question in the bank, across all chapters, each with the correct answer and a written explanation. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
631 questions · page 30 of 32
- A. The variation of pavement thickness along a route
- B. The movement pattern between traffic zones
- C. The cross slope of a road surface
- D. The distribution of stresses beneath a wheel load
Explanation: A desire-line diagram represents the major origin and destination movements between traffic analysis zones.
Correct answer: The movement pattern between traffic zones582. In highway route location, which survey is conducted first to identify broad alternative corridors?
- A. Final location survey
- B. Preliminary survey
- C. Reconnaissance survey
- D. Construction staking survey
Explanation: A reconnaissance survey examines the terrain, obstacles, settlements and broad route possibilities.
Correct answer: Reconnaissance survey583. Average Annual Daily Traffic, or AADT, is obtained by dividing the annual traffic volume by the:
- A. Number of peak hours
- B. Number of working days
- C. Number of lane kilometres
- D. Number of days in the year
Explanation: AADT represents the average traffic volume for a typical day over a full year.
Correct answer: Number of days in the year- A. 1,200 vehicles per hour
- B. 900 vehicles per hour
- C. 600 vehicles per hour
- D. 3,600 vehicles per hour
Explanation: Flow is the reciprocal of time headway when expressed in consistent units.
Correct answer: 1,200 vehicles per hour- A. Permanent deformation of the subgrade
- B. Loss of adhesion between bitumen and aggregate
- C. Formation of transverse concrete cracks
- D. Polishing of railway ballast particles
Explanation: Stripping is the separation of bitumen from aggregate, usually because water weakens the bond.
Correct answer: Loss of adhesion between bitumen and aggregate- A. Transfer wheel loads across a transverse joint
- B. Permit free expansion at an expansion joint
- C. Keep adjoining lanes from separating
- D. Reduce the required concrete thickness
Explanation: Tie bars hold adjacent concrete slabs or lanes together and prevent the longitudinal joint from opening.
Correct answer: Keep adjoining lanes from separating- A. Rail cant
- B. Formation width
- C. Sleeper spacing
- D. Track gauge
Explanation: Track gauge is the specified distance between the inner faces of the rails.
Correct answer: Track gauge- A. Aircraft parking, loading and servicing
- B. Aircraft takeoff and landing
- C. Controlling runway lighting systems
- D. Storing excavated runway soil
Explanation: The apron is the paved area where aircraft park and receive services such as boarding, loading, refuelling and maintenance.
Correct answer: Aircraft parking, loading and servicing- A. Increase the stopping sight distance
- B. Drain rainwater away from the pavement
- C. Reduce the length of a vertical curve
- D. Provide extra width on a horizontal curve
Explanation: Camber gives the pavement a cross slope that allows rainwater to flow toward the edges.
Correct answer: Drain rainwater away from the pavement- A. Insufficient shoulder width
- B. Excessive road camber
- C. Insufficient superelevation
- D. Excessive vertical gradient
Explanation: Insufficient superelevation leaves too much of the lateral demand to be resisted by tyre friction, increasing the risk of outward…
Correct answer: Insufficient superelevation- A. Permissive phase
- B. Coordination phase
- C. Flashing phase
- D. Protected phase
Explanation: A protected phase gives a movement an exclusive right of way while conflicting traffic is stopped.
Correct answer: Protected phase- A. Sources and destinations of individual trips
- B. Number of vehicles using each pavement layer
- C. Strength of soil beneath the roadway
- D. Superelevation required on road curves
Explanation: An origin-destination survey records where trips begin and end, along with related travel information.
Correct answer: Sources and destinations of individual trips- A. Increased pavement drainage requirements
- B. Vehicle off-tracking and driver psychology
- C. Reduced strength of the road subgrade
- D. Greater thickness of the surface dressing
Explanation: The rear wheels of a vehicle follow a shorter radius than the front wheels, causing off-tracking on curves.
Correct answer: Vehicle off-tracking and driver psychology- A. One-fourth of the jam density
- B. Equal to the jam density
- C. One-half of the jam density
- D. Twice the jam density
Explanation: The Greenshields model assumes a linear relationship between speed and density.
Correct answer: One-half of the jam density- A. Arithmetic mean of vehicle speeds
- B. Modal value of vehicle speeds
- C. Geometric mean of vehicle speeds
- D. Harmonic mean of vehicle speeds
Explanation: Space mean speed represents the average speed over a specified road length and is calculated as the harmonic mean of individual speeds.
Correct answer: Harmonic mean of vehicle speeds- A. Vehicles in the intersection to clear it
- B. Pedestrians to begin crossing early
- C. Additional vehicles to join the queue
- D. The signal controller to change its cycle
Explanation: During the all-red interval, all approaches display red so vehicles already within the intersection can leave safely.
Correct answer: Vehicles in the intersection to clear it- A. Loss of aggregate particles from the surface
- B. Upward movement of excess binder to the surface
- C. Formation of transverse cracks from shrinkage
- D. Depression caused by weak underlying soil
Explanation: Bleeding produces a shiny, smooth surface because excess bitumen rises to the pavement surface.
Correct answer: Upward movement of excess binder to the surface- A. Provide drainage through the pavement surface
- B. Increase the width available to moving vehicles
- C. Control cracking caused by concrete shrinkage
- D. Prevent vehicles from crossing the centre line
Explanation: A contraction joint creates a planned weakened plane where shrinkage and temperature-related contraction can produce a controlled crack.
Correct answer: Control cracking caused by concrete shrinkage- A. Stop automatically at a station platform
- B. Increase its speed on a straight track
- C. Reduce vibration between rail and sleeper
- D. Change from one track to another
Explanation: A turnout consists of track components that guide railway vehicles from one track onto another.
Correct answer: Change from one track to another- A. Runway threshold
- B. Taxiway shoulder
- C. Aircraft holding bay
- D. Runway blast pad
Explanation: The runway threshold identifies the beginning of the landing surface available for aircraft operations.
Correct answer: Runway threshold