CIVIL ENGINEERING REVIEWER

SOIL AND FOUNDATION

1) A fully saturated soil is said to be a. two phase system with soil and airb. three phase systemc. one phase systemd. two phase system with soil and water

2) In hydrometer analysis for a soil massa. both meniscus correction and dispersing agent correction are additiveb. meniscus correction is additive and dispersing agent correction is subtractive.c. meniscus correction is subtractive and dispersing agent correction is additived. both meniscus correction and dispersing agent correction are subtractive

3) Stoke’s Law is valid only if the size of particle isa. greater than 0.2 mmb. less than 0.0002 mmc. between 0.2 mm and 0.0002 mmd. all of the choices

4) If the plasticity index of the of a soil mass is zero, the soil isa. sandb. clayc. siltd. clayey silt

5) Select the correct statementa. A uniform soil has more strength and stability than a non-uniform soil.b. Uniformity coefficient does not affect strength and stability.c. A uniform soil has less strength and stability than a non-uniform soil.d. Uniformity coefficient of a poorly graded soil is more than that of a well graded soil.

6) The hydrometer method of sedimentation analysis differs from the pipette analysis mainly in

a. the method of taking observationsb. the method of preparation of soil suspensionc. the principle of testd. all of the choices

7) If the volume of voids is equal to the volume of solids in a soil mass, then the values of porosity and void ratio respectively are

a. 0.5 and 1.0

b. 1.0 and 0.5c. 1.0 and 0.0d. 0.0 and 1.0

8) For proper field control, which of the following method is best suited for quick determination of water content of a soil mass?

a. sand bath methodb. alcohol methodc. calcium carbide methodd. oven drying method

9) When the plastic limit of a soil is greater than the liquid limit, then the plasticity index is reported as

a. oneb. non-plastic (NP)c. zerod. negative

10) Water content of soil cana. be greater than 100%b. take values only from 0% to 100%c. be less than 0%d. never be greater than 100%

11) At liquid limit, all soils possessa. different shear strengths of large magnitudeb. same shear strength of large magnitudec. same shear strength of small magnituded. different shear strengths of small magnitude

12) The admixture of coarser particles like sand or silt to clay causesa. decrease in liquid limit and no change in plasticity indexb. decrease in both liquid limit and plasticity indexc. decrease in liquid limit and increase in plasticity indexd. increase in both liquid limit and plasticity index

13) Uniformity coefficient of a soil is a. always equal to 1b. equal to or greater than 1c. equal to or less than 1d. always less than 1

14) Select the correct range of density index, IDa. ID > 0b. ID > 1c. 0 < ID <1

d. none of the choices

15) Effective stress isa. a physical parameter that can be measuredb. important because it is a function of engineering properties of soilc. the stress at particles in contactd. all of the choices

16) The clay mineral with the largest swelling and shrinkage characteristics is a. kaoliniteb. montmorillonitec. illited. none of the choices

17) A pycnometer is used to determinea. water content and specific gravityb. void ratio and dry densityc. specific gravity and dry densityd. water content and void ratio

18) Dispersed type of soil structure is an arrangement comprising particles havinga. edge-to-face orientationb. face-to-face or parallel orientationc. face-to-edge orientationd. all of the choices

19) If the sand in-situ is in its densest state, then the relative density of sand is a. greater than 1b. between 0 and 1c. zero d. one

20) A soil has a bulk density of 22 kN/m3 and water content of 10%. The dry density of soil is

a. 23.2 kN/m3

b. 22.0 kN/mc. 18.6 kN/m3

d. 20.0 kN/m3

21) Rise of water table in cohesionless soils up to ground surface reduces the net ultimate bearing capacity approximately by

a. 75%b. 25%c. 90%d. 50%

22) Contact pressure beneath a rigid footing resting on cohesive soil isa. less at edges compared to middleb. more at edges compared to middlec. uniform throughoutd. none of the choices

23) Void ratio of a soil mass cana. never be greater than unityb. take values between 0 and 1 onlyc. take any value greater than zerod. none of the choices

24) If the water table rises up to ground surface, then thea. total stress is increased due to decease in pore water pressure but effective

stress does not changeb. effective stress is reduced due to decrease in total stress only but pore water

pressure does not changec. total stress is reduced due to increase in pore water pressure only but

effective stress does not changed. effective stress is reduced due to increase in pore water pressure only

but total stress does not change.

25) 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. semi-solid stateb. plastic statec. liquid stated. solid state

26) Relative density of compacted dense sand is approximately equal toa. 0.4b. 0.95c. 0.6d. 1.20

27) Which of the following soils as more plasticity index?a. gravelb. clayc. sandd. silt

28) If the degree of saturation of a partially saturated soil is 60%, then air content of the soil is

a. 60%

b. 100%c. 80%d. 40%

29) If the material of the base of the Casagrande liquid limit device on which the cup containing soil paste drops is softer than the standard hard rubber, then

a. the liquid limit of soil always decreasesb. the liquid limit of soil may decreasec. the liquid limit of soil always increasesd. the liquid limit of soil may increase

30) Sand particles are made ofa. montmorilloniteb. illitec. kaolinited. rock minerals

31) Rise of water table above the ground surface causes a. equal decrease in pore water pressure and total stressb. decrease in pore water pressure but increase in total stressc. equal increase in pore water pressure and total stressd. decrease in pore water pressure but increase in total stress

32) The hydraulic head that would produce a quick condition in a sand stratum of thickness 1.5 m, specific gravity 2.67 and voids ratio 0.67 is equal to

a. 2.0 mb. 1.0 mc. 3.0 md. 1.5 m

33) If the voids of a soil mass are full of air only, the soil is termed asa. dehydrated soilb. partially saturated soilc. air entrained soild. dry soil

34) Toughness index is defined as the ratio of a. plasticity index to flow indexb. liquidity index to flow indexc. plasticity index to consistency indexd. consistency index to liquidity index

35) Which of the following type of soil is transported by gravitational forces? a. talusb. driftc. dune sand

d. loess

36) Which of the following methods is most accurate for the determination of the water content of soil?

a. pycnometer methodb. sand bath methodc. calcium carbide methodd. oven drying method

37) Highway Research Board (HRB) classification of soils is based on a. particle size compositionb. plasticity characteristicsc. both particle size composition and plasticity characteristicsd. none of the choices

38) If the water content of a fully saturated soil mass is 100%, then the void ratio of the sample is

a. equal to specific gravity of soil b. greater than specific gravity of soil c. independent of specific gravity of soil d. less than specific gravity of soil

39) Valid range for n, the percentage of voids, is a. 0 < n < 100b. n > 0c. n < 0d. none of the choices

40) The ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of soil mass is called a. percentage air voidsb. air contentc. porosityd. void ratio

41) According to Atterberg, the soil is said to of medium plasticity if the plasticity index PI is

a. 17 < PI < 27b. 0 < PI < 7c. PI > 27d. 7 < PI < 17

42) Which of the following is a measure of particle size range? a. coefficient of curvatureb. effective sizec. none of the choicesd. uniformity coeficient

43) When the degree of saturation is zero, the soil mass under consideration represents

a. two phase system with soil and airb. two phase system with soil and waterc. three phase systemd. one phase system

44) Which of the following statements is correct? a. For a well graded soil, both uniformity coefficient and coefficient of curvature

are nearly unity.b. A soil is said to be well graded if it has most of the particles of about the

same size.c. Uniformity coefficient represents the shape of the particle size distribution

curve.d. none of the choices

45) Residual soils are formed by a. glaciersb. waterc. windd. none of the choices

46) Valid range for S, the degree of saturation of soil in percentage is a. 0 < S < 100b. S > 0c. S < 0d. none of the choices

47) Inorganic soil with low compressibility are represented by a. SLb. MLc. CHd. MH

48) The water content of soil, which represents the boundary between plastic and liquid state, is known as

a. plastic limitb. liquid limitc. shrinkage limitd. plasticity index

49) The total and effective stresses at a depth of 5 m below the top level of water in a swimming pool are respectively

a. zero and 50 kg/cm2

b. 0.5 kg/cm2 and zero

c. 50 kg/cm2 and 0.5 kg/cm2

d. none of the choices

50) Select the correct statement a. Unit weight of soil increases due to submergence in water.b. For dry soils, dry unit weight is less than total unit weight.c. Unit weight of soil decreases due to submergence in water.d. Unit weight of dry soil is greater than unit weight of wet soil.