WBPSC AE 1998 (Public Works Department) question paper with answers

Q1.If a two hinged parabolic arch of span L and rise h is subjected to u.d.l. of intensity W over half of its span, the horizontal thrust at the supports is equal to

1. WL²/8h
2. WL²/12h
3. WL/2
4. WL²/16h

Q2.The free end b of a cantilever beam AB of length L is found to deflect too much and is jacked up to the same level as A. If the beam carries a uniformly distributed load W per unit length, what will be the force on the jack?

1. 5/16 WL
2. 3/8 WL
3. 1/2 WL
4. 2/3 WL

Q3.A beam of span L is fixed at both ends and carries two loads each P, at a distance L/4 from each end. It is found that the resulting deflection produced at the centre of the span is Δ. If one load, equal to 2P, acts at the centre of span, what deflection will be produced at each quarter span point?

1. 4Δ
2. 2Δ
3. Δ
4. Δ/2

Q4.A beam of span L is fixed at both ends and carries a point load W at its mid-span point. At what distance from each support will be the points of contraflexure?

1. 3L/8
2. L/4
3. 5L/8
4. L/3

Q5.A fixed end beam AB of span L has hinges at distances L/4 from either end. If the beam carries a uniformly distributed load of w per unit length, what will be the maximum B.M. in it?

1. WL²/8
2. 3WL²/32
3. 5WL²/16
4. WL²/128

Q6.The ends A and B of member 5m long, are subjected to unequal sagging moments MA greater than MB, without allowing any change in the level of supports. If MA is 50 T-m and MB is [value not clearly legible in scan] T-m, what are the support reactions?

1. RA = 14T upwards, RB = 14T downwards
2. RA = 4T upwards, RB = 4T Upwards
3. RA = 14T downwards, RB = 14T upwards
4. RA = 4T downwards, RB = 4T upwards

Q7.A beam ABCD is built in at the end supports A and D and is provided with two hinges at B and C where AB=CD=L and BC=2L. What minimum part of the beam should be covered by a uniformly distributed load to produce maximum bending moment at A?

1. AB (or CD)
2. AC (or BD)
3. BC
4. AD

Q8.Applied load vector premultiplied by inverse of stiffness matrix is equal to

1. Flexibility matrix
2. Displacement vector
3. Internal force vector
4. Elasticity matrix

Q9.At a plastic hinge

1. The maximum fibre stress reaches yield point
2. The maximum tensile stress is equal to ultimate stress
3. There is free rotation with a zero B.M
4. The B.M is equal to the fully plastic moment of the section

Q10.What is the degree of redundancy of a rigid building frame consisting of two bays, one of which is three-storied and the other two stories and all the three column bases being fixed?

1. 9
2. 12
3. 15
4. 18

Q11.A simply supported uniform beam ABC overhangs beyonds B to C, such that AB=L and BC=L/3. If it is to carry factored verical loads of 2W at mid-span of AB and W at the free end C, what is the value of Mp that should be provided?

1. (3/15)WL
2. (6/15)WL
3. WL/3
4. (2/9)WL

Q12.In the collapse load method of designing a structure the collapse is said to take place when

1. three is excessive deflection
2. Yield stress is exceeded first at a section
3. elastic instability develops
4. the structure degenerates into a mechanism

Q13.For simply supported beam the maximum ordinate of influence line for bending moment at one-third span is

1. 1/3
2. 2/3
3. 2/9
4. 1/9

Q14.The degree of statical indeterminancy for a pin jointed space frame is given by the following, where m = number of members, J = total number of joints including the supprots, r = number of reaction components:

1. (2m+r)-J
2. (m+2r)-6j
3. (m+r)-4j
4. (m+r)-3j

Q15.In a statically indeterminate structure, the redundants must be such as to make the total strain energy a minimum. The statement is the deifinition of:

1. Castigliano's Second Theorem
2. Theorem of virtuel work
3. superposition theorem
4. Thereorem of least work

Q16.Weakest section in a fillet weld is

1. throat of the fillet
2. side perpendicular ot load axis
3. side parallet to load axix
4. hypotenuse of the fillet triangel

Q17.The strength of the welded joint

1. is always less than the strength of the elements
2. cannot exceed 80% the strength of the elements
3. cannot exceed 90% of the strength elements
4. may be more than the strength of the elements

Q18.Ratio of permissible bearing stress in power drirver field rivets with respect to that for shop rivet is

1. 1.0
2. 0.9
3. 0.8
4. 0.6

Q19.Maximum permissible longitudinal pitch of rivets in rivett joints in compression momoers, is

1. 16t
2. 12t
3. 16D
4. 12D

Q20.Maximum permissible slenderness ration for a tie member in a roof truss is

1. 250
2. 350
3. 450
4. 150

Q21.Diameter of a rivet hole for rivet diameter less than 25 mm is usually considered as

1. 1.5 mm + nominal diameter of rivet
2. 2.0 mm + nominal diameter of rivet
3. 2.50 mm + nominal diameter of rivet
4. 3.0 mm + nominal diameter of rivet

Q22.Transverse surge force on the rail head from on EOT crane girder, when compared with combined wieght of crab and weight lifted is

1. 5%
2. 10%
3. 15%
4. 20%

Q23.Intermediate vertical stiffeners are provided in a plate girder if the web plate thickness is less than

1. d/45
2. d/85
3. d/100
4. d/200

Q24.In a steel roof truss, s tension member consists of single angle connected by rivets to gueset plates, cross sectional area to be considered for design is

1. net area of both the legs of the section
2. net area of the connected leg plus a fraction of the other leg area
3. net area of the conneted leg only
4. mean of the areas of connected and unconnected legs

Q25.When effect of wind or earthquake load is taken into account the permissible stresses on rivets, bolts and tension rods may be exceeded by

1. 25%
2. 33(1/3)%
3. 35%
4. 40%

Q26.Maximum permitted slenderness ratio for a structural member carrying compressive load due to D.L. and L.L. is

1. 180
2. 250
3. 300
4. 350

Q27.Slenderness ratio of the lacing bars for compression members shall not exceed

1. 180
2. 145
3. 125
4. 200

Q28.Projection of a plate or flange in tension, beyond its connected to a web, or other line of support shall not exceed

1. 16 t
2. 20 t
3. 25 t
4. 40 t

Q29.Impact allowance for crane girders and supporting coloumns for electrically operated heavy duty cranes is

1. 10%
2. 25%
3. 30%
4. 50%

Q30.Cross-sectional area being the same, the most economical section for a column is

1. I section
2. L section
3. Flat shape
4. Tubular section

Q31.For single lacingbars, the thickness of flat bracing bare shall not be less than

1. 1/30 (length between inner end riverts or welds)
2. 1/40 (length between inner end riverts or welds)
3. 1/50 (length between inner end riverts or welds)
4. 1/60 (length between inner end riverts or welds)

Q32.The allowable tensile stress in mild steel stirrups in R.C. structure (working stress method) is

1. 140 N/mm²
2. 190 N/mm²
3. 230 N/mm²
4. 250 N/mm²

Q33.In the working stress method of R.C. design, permissible bending compressive stress in concrete is approximately equal to

1. 0.40 fcn
2. 0.33 fcn
3. 0.25 fcn
4. 0.20 fcn

Q34.Development length of a rainforcing bar

1. includes anchorage value of hooks in compression
2. is less for compression than for tension
3. is less for tension than for compression
4. excludes anchorage value of hooks in tension

Q35.For the design of R.C. columns a column is treated as short one if the ratio of effective length to its least lateral dimension is less than

1. 20
2. 16
3. 12
4. 8

Q36.In the limit state method of R.C. design, maximum permissible compressive strain concrete is

1. 0.035
2. 0.0035
3. 0.02
4. 0.002

Q37.Minimum percentage of high yield deformed bars in R.C. slab compared with gross concrete area is

1. 0.40
2. 0.15
3. 0.12
4. 0.10

Q38.The minimum diameter of longitudinal bars in a R.C. column is

1. 10 mm
2. 12 mm
3. 16 mm
4. 8 mm

Q39.To take care of reversible shear in an R.C.C. beam, it is advisable to use

1. only vertical stirrups
2. vertical stirrups in association with cranked reinforcement
3. only cranked reinforcement
4. a combination of vertical and inclined stirrups

Q40.In prestressed concreto construction high tensile steel is used for prestressing because

1. It can retain enough residual strength after initial losses
2. It required less quantity of steel
3. It matches well with high strength concrete
4. It has high ductility

Q41.For a 90° bend in rein forcement, anchorage value is kd where d = diameter of rainforcement and the value of k is

1. 4
2. 8
3. 16
4. 12

Q42.A decrease in stress at constant strain in called

1. shrinkage stress
2. creep stress
3. relaxation of stress
4. transfer stress

Q43.Steel is used as reinforcement instead of other metals in reinforced concrete because

1. concrete and steel have the same midulus of elasticity
2. steel is cheaper compared to other metals
3. concrete and steel have the same coefficient of linear them expansion
4. steel is readily available in large quantity

Q44.Reinforcement in a R.C.C column should be as follows

1. Not less than 0.8% not more than 6%
2. Not less than 0.5% not more than 6%
3. Not less than 1% not more than 4%
4. Not less than 1% not more than 6%

Q45.For footings on piles the thickness of concrete tops of piles shall not be less than

1. 150 mm
2. 200 mm
3. 250 mm
4. 300 mm

Q46.Critical section for shear in case of R.C.C beams in frame buildings is taken at a distance of

1. d from edge of support
2. at the face or support
3. d/2 from face of support
4. 0.75d from face of support where d = effective depth of beam

Q47.Howrah bridge (Rabindra setu) is a

1. cantilever-suspension bridge
2. cable-stayed bridge
3. suspension bridge
4. continuous bridge

Q48.Limiting moment of resistance for singly reinforced rectangular beams using Fe.415 steel is (usual notation being used)

1. 0.133 fck/bd²
2. 0.138 fxk/bd²
3. 0.149 fck/bd²
4. 0.150 fck/bd²

Q49.The maximum area of tensile reinforcement in R.C.C beams shall not exceed

1. 0.15%
2. 15%
3. 2.0%
4. 4.0%

Q50.A R.C.C. column can be considered as a short column, if its slenderness ration is less than

1. 30
2. 35
3. 40
4. 50

Q51.For soil smapling, boreholes should be stabilised for

1. Prevention of entry of seepage water into brochole
2. Prevention of collapse of side walls of borehole
3. Quick advancement of borehole
4. Lowering of ground water table

Q52.Sand piles are primarily used for

1. increasing the bearing capacity of soil
2. accelerating the total settlement
3. to reluce the settlement
4. to increase shear streingth of soil

Q53.Standard split spoon sampler is used for

1. Collecting undisturbed soil smaples
2. determination of ground water table
3. getting N-value of soil depos it
4. determination of void ratio

Q54.The pile tip and shaft resistances can be assessed separately from load test by

1. equilibrium method
2. constant rate of penetration method
3. Housed methods
4. Cyclic method

Q55.Immediate settlement of a shallow foundation in a clavey soil occurs due to

1. rapid release of excess pore pressure
2. shear distrotion
3. rapid rate of construction
4. breakage of primary structure of soil

Q56.Two footing A (2m×2m) and B (4m×4m) are placed on a saturated conesive soil and Subjected to the same intensity of pressure. The immediate settlement of B will be

1. same as A
2. twice the settlement of A
3. four times the settlement of A
4. very small compared to A

Q57.Negative skin friction develope in a pile when

1. the pile settles excessively due to superimposed load
2. the pile and surroundingsoil settle excessively
3. the surrounding soil settles more than the pile due to consolidation
4. the pile settles more than the surrounding soil

Q58.'Sensitivity' of soil can be assessed from

1. standard pebetratuib test
2. statuc cibe penetration test
3. field density test
4. vane sheare test

Q59.In an unconfined compression test the specimen fails at a compressive stress of 14t/m². The shear strength of the soil is

1. 7 t/m²
2. 14 t/m²
3. 28 t/m²
4. unknown

Q60.Rankine's earth pressure theory is least violated in

1. cantilever retaining wall
2. Gravity retaining wall
3. Sheet pile coffer dam
4. anchored bulk head

Q61.Coeficient of earth pressure at rest is generally less than 1. But it can be greater than 1, if the soil is

1. normally consolidated
2. highly organic
3. heavily overconsilidated
4. elastic

Q62.Buoyant unit weight of soil is equal to sturated density

1. multiplied by unit weight of water
2. divided by unit weight of water
3. plus unit weight of water
4. minus unit weight of water

Q63.Passive earth pressure decreases with

1. decrease of angle of internal friction
2. increase of height of wall
3. movement of wall towards the backfill
4. increase of surcharge on backfill

Q64.Sheet piles are used primarily for

1. to carry vertical load from structure
2. to prevent seepage of water
3. retaining side of cuts
4. to increase bearing capacity of soil

Q65.Intensity of active earth pressur at a depth of 10 in dry cohensionless soil with an angle of internal friction of 30 and with unit weight of 1.80 t/m³

1. 3 t/m²
2. 6 t/m²
3. 7 t/m²
4. 9 t/m²

Q66.Active earth pressure of a soil is proportionate to (θ = angle of internal friction of the soil)

1. tan²(45°-θ/2)
2. sin²(45°-θ/2)
3. cos²(45°+θ/2)
4. tan²(45°-θ/2)

Q67.Ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of the given soil mass is known as its

1. porosity
2. specific gravity
3. void ratio
4. water content

Q68.Net effective waterway under a bridge is calculated as follows:

1. (sum of the clear span) - 1/2(sum of all pier widths)
2. (sum of all C. to C. span dimensions) - 2(sum of all pier widths)
3. sum of all clear spans
4. (sum of all C. to C. of spans) - (sum of mean submerged widh of piper and its foundation up to normal scour level)

Q69.In alluvial streams the well foundation for bridge piers shall have a grip length

1. 1/2 D
2. D
3. 1/3 D
4. 2/3 D

Q70.Regime scour depth, R, for alluvial rivers is given by the following empirical formula due to lacey:

1. R = 1.34(g/f)^(1/3)
2. R = 1.34(Q/f)^(1/3)
3. R = 1.34(q²/f)^(1/3)
4. S = 1.34(Q²/f) Where Q = discharge in cumecs, q = discharge in cumecs per unit width, f = silt factor

Q71.Softening point of a straight run-bitumen is etermined by

1. Penetrometer
2. Ring and Ball method
3. Strength and toughness
4. Durability

Q72.Softening point of a straight-run-bitumen is etermined by

1. Penetrometor
2. Ring and Ball method
3. Thin-Film oven test
4. Distillation

Q73.In laboratory CBR is usually selected at

1. 2.0 mm. penetration
2. 2.5 mm penetration
3. 3.0 mm. penetration
4. 3.5 mm. penetration

Q74.For road repair work at exceptionally cold weather condition at high altitude, which binder can be used most effectively?

1. RC-1
2. RT-1
3. MC-2
4. RT-2

Q75.Limestone dust filler material is required for production of

1. wet-mix-macadam
2. Surface dressing
3. Mastic asphalt
4. Built-up-spray grout

Q76.The maximum number of vehicles that can move on a road at any section during one hour under prevailing situation is known as

1. traffic volume
2. traffic density
3. traffic capacity
4. service volume

Q77."Marshall" stability is to be considered for design of

1. Bituminous macadam
2. Bituminous penetration macadam
3. mix seal surfacing
4. Bituminous concrete

Q78.For non-cohesive materials compaction can be best achieved by

1. Vibratory rollers
2. Sheeps foot rollers
3. 3 wheel steel rollers
4. Pneumatic rollers

Q79.'Bankel man Beam' is used for

1. measuring temperature gradient in E.G.S.
2. A part of 3 gieders system bridge
3. a supporting structure for a long span caffolding structure
4. design of pavement overlay by deflection technique

Q80.If R be the radius of main curve and L the length of the transition curve, the shift of the curve is

1. L/24R
2. L/12R
3. L²/24
4. L²/12R

Q81.If the difference in elevation between the crown and the edge of the pavement of 9 m. width is 15 cm, the camber is

1. 1 in 30
2. 1 in 45
3. 1 in 60
4. 1 in 90

Q82.The formation width of a road means the width of

1. embankment at the top level
2. embankment of the ground level
3. carriageway
4. roadway and road margins

Q83.If V be the speed of a moving vehicle in m/sec r the radius of the curve in m, g the acceleration due to gravity in m/sec² and W the width of the carriageway in m, the raising of outer edge of pavement is

1. WV/gr
2. WV/gr²
3. W²V/gr
4. WV²/gr

Q84.The steepest gradiet permitted on rads, which in ordinary conditions, is not exceeded is known as

1. rulling gradient
2. maximum gradient
3. exceptional gradient
4. floating gradient

Q85.The correct formula for calculating super-elevation for the hill roads is

1. e=v²/254R
2. e=v²/225R
3. e=v²/278R
4. e=v²/114R

Q86.To determine the overtaking sight distance the driver's eye height above road surface is considered to be

1. 1.0 m
2. 1.2 m
3. 2.0 m
4. 2.4 m

Q87.Bitumen stabilization is suitable for

1. Claycy soil
2. Sandy coil
3. peaty soil
4. Silty soil

Q88.In rotary intersection the weaving length is

1. the length between the ends of the channel islands in fornt of two consecutive entry and exit
2. The perimeter of the centre line of the therroad circumspering the central island
3. The distanct between two opposite roads
4. the width of the road between the central island and the channel islanding

Q89.Warping of concerete pavment cause

1. reveral of stresses
2. frictional stresses
3. direct compressive stresses
4. direct tensile stresses

Q90.When the speed of traffic flow becomes zero, then

1. traffic density and traffic volume both attains maximis value
2. traffic density attains maximum value whereas trafic volume becomes zero
3. traffic density and traffic volume both become zero
4. traffic density becomes zero whereas traffic volume attains maximum value

Q91.Grade compensation on hill road means

1. increase of gradient at step places
2. decrease of gradient at horizontal curve
3. decrease of gradient at vertical curve
4. increase of gradient at hair pin bend

Q92.The dowel bars are used in rigid pavment

1. to prevent warping stresses
2. to resist bending stresses
3. to tranfer load from one slab to the next
4. to resist Bending and shear streasses

Q93.Tack coat is provided

1. to ensure bond between an old and a new construction
2. to increase the skid resistance of the top surface
3. to prevent the ingress of water into the pavement
4. to smoothen the top surface

Q94.While conducting traffic survey of a road, the composition of various vehicles are found to be (i) car-100 (ii) Bus-20, (iii) Truck-40. The P.C.U. of the road as per I.R.C. equivalency factors is

1. 240
2. 260
3. 280
4. 320

Q95.The term 'Vehicle Damage Factor' is

1. damage of vehiole due to bad road surface condition
2. number of standard axies per commercial vehicle
3. the ratio of number of damaged vehicle to the total number of vehicles registered
4. impact effect of vehicle on pavement

Q96.Maximum value of super relevation in plain terrain in urban road is

1. 8%
2. 6%
3. 4%
4. 2%

Q97.In winter during mid-day critical combination of stress at the edge of concreate pavment is

1. load stress + wrping stress - frictional stess
2. load stress + warping stress + frictional stress
3. load stress - warping stress - frictional stress
4. load stress - warping stress + frictional stress

Q98.If L be the length of wheel base of a moving vehicle and R the radius of a curve, the mechanical widening per lane to be provided on the curve is

1. L/R
2. L/2R
3. L/3R
4. L²/2R