Free Transportation Engineering MCQs with Answers

80 Transportation Engineering MCQs from Civil Engineering, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Transportation engineering covers highway planning and alignment, traffic studies, road geometric design, pavement materials and flexible or rigid pavement construction. It also includes railway, airport and traffic engineering concepts such as sight distance, superelevation, signals, capacity and level of service, distinguishing pavement failure from poor geometric design.

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80 questions · page 3 of 4

  • 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
  • A. Circular curve
  • B. Parabolic curve
  • C. Spiral curve
  • D. Compound horizontal curve

Explanation: A parabolic vertical curve provides a gradual change in gradient and gives a convenient relationship between elevation and distance.

Correct answer: Parabolic curve
  • A. Driver reaction time on the approach
  • B. Pavement thickness at the low point
  • C. Headlight sight distance along the curve
  • D. Width of the shoulder on the curve

Explanation: At night, the driver’s view on a sag curve is limited by the headlight beam and its upward angle.

Correct answer: Headlight sight distance along the curve
  • A. Aggregate crushing value
  • B. Flakiness index
  • C. Los Angeles abrasion value
  • D. Aggregate impact value

Explanation: The aggregate impact value measures resistance to sudden impact or shock loading.

Correct answer: Aggregate impact value
  • A. To accommodate slab expansion due to temperature rise
  • B. To improve the skid resistance of the pavement
  • C. To prevent water from entering the subgrade
  • D. To increase the compressive strength of concrete

Explanation: An expansion joint provides space for concrete slabs to expand when temperature increases.

Correct answer: To accommodate slab expansion due to temperature rise
  • A. Parking accumulation survey
  • B. Cordon count survey
  • C. Spot speed survey
  • D. Axle load survey

Explanation: A cordon count records traffic crossing a defined boundary, or cordon, around an urban area.

Correct answer: Cordon count survey
  • A. Total traffic volume entering the intersection daily
  • B. Average number of vehicles waiting during red
  • C. Maximum discharge rate of a lane under continuous green
  • D. Time required for pedestrians to cross the road

Explanation: Saturation flow is the maximum rate at which vehicles can discharge from a lane when a continuous green signal is available and the queue…

Correct answer: Maximum discharge rate of a lane under continuous green
  • A. Recreational function
  • B. Warning function
  • C. Guide function
  • D. Regulatory function

Explanation: Regulatory signs communicate legal restrictions, prohibitions, and required actions, such as speed limits or no entry.

Correct answer: Regulatory function
  • A. Join two rail ends in a continuous track
  • B. Support the rail directly on the ballast
  • C. Provide extra elevation on a curve
  • D. Guide a train from one track to another

Explanation: Fish plates, used with bolts, connect the ends of two rails and maintain alignment across the rail joint.

Correct answer: Join two rail ends in a continuous track
  • A. Hangar
  • B. Terminal building
  • C. Control tower
  • D. Runway shoulder

Explanation: The terminal building handles passenger processing, boarding, arrivals, and baggage movement.

Correct answer: Terminal building
  • A. Weathering by repeated wetting and drying
  • B. Shape deformation during compaction
  • C. Wear and impact in service
  • D. Absorption of bitumen during mixing

Explanation: The Los Angeles abrasion test evaluates aggregate toughness and resistance to abrasion and impact caused by traffic and handling.

Correct answer: Wear and impact in service
  • A. Median island
  • B. Central reserve
  • C. Traffic refuge island
  • D. Catch-water drain

Explanation: A catch-water drain is placed on the uphill side of a cut to intercept runoff before it reaches the road slope or pavement.

Correct answer: Catch-water drain