Bahir Dar University(BDU)

Bahir Dar Institute of Technology(BIT)

School of Civil and Water Resource
Engineering(SCWRE)
Department of Civil Engineering
Construction Technology and Management
Post Graduate Entrance Exam

Max. Time allowed: 3 hrs

Instructions:

Write only the answers on the answer sheet provided.

Calculations & answers which doesnt follow instruction will not be corrected.
Exam is closed book.
Switch off your mobile and put away it until you finish the exam.
Programmable calculator is forbidden.
All questions have equal marks of 1 point unless explicitly specified.
Write your name on the question paper too and return them too. Failure to write
your name and/or return will disqualify you.
No correction is available. Ambiguous questions, if there is any will be bonus.
Give short and brief answers when required so.
Attempt all questions.
Dont turn the page until you are told to do so.

1
 Answer Sheet

Name___________________________________________________ID___________________

Part I (Construction Materials) Part II(QS & Specification)

1 6 1 6
2 7 2 7
3 8 3 8
4 9 4 9
5 10 5 10

Part III(Contract) Part IV( Building Construction)

1 6 1 6
2 7 2 7
3 8 3 8
4 9 4 9
5 10 5 10.A
10.B
10.C
10.D

Part V (Construction Equipments) Part VI(Construction Management)

1 6 1 7
2 7 2 8
3 8 3 9
4 9 4 10
5 10 5 11
6 12
13
Part VII(General) 14.A
1 6 14.B
2 7 14.C
3 8 14.D
4 9 14.E
5 10 14.F
14.G
14.H
14.I
14.J

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 pt
Part VIII(Practical Questions)
s
1a 1
1b 1
1c 1
1d 1
1e 1
1f 1
1g 1
1h 1
2 5
3 3
4 4
5 a. b. c. d. 8
6 3
7A.1
7A.2
7A.3 5
7A.4
7A.5
7B 3
8a 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 5
2
8b
Because 3
2
8c
Because 3
Total 54

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Part I-Practical and General Questions
1) Answer Based on the following case. Answers should be short and precise.(3 points each)

The ERA filed a suit against United on July 24, 2013, following the
termination of a road construction contract it had given to Tibebe
Construction Plc on February 3, 2009 at an outlay of 546.9 million Br. United
was a guarantor both for the advance payment and for the due performance
of the contractor.

The deal was to construct a 47 km road extending from Sanja to Kerkera, in

the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region. It was planned to be completed
in three years.

Nonetheless, the contractor did not finalize it within the agreed period.
Consequently, the authority extended the period for an additional six months,
at the end of which the contractor was able to perform only 55.3pc of the
total project. This led to the termination of the deal on February 13, 2013.

The remaining work was later awarded to the China Railway Engineering
Group (CREG) on March 5, 2014, at a cost of 786.8 million Br.

Following the termination, the ERA filed a suit to the Federal High Courts 6 th
Civil Bench, claiming a payment of 139.2 million Br by the guarantor, United
Insurance. This was for the 84.5 million Br advance payment paid to the
contractor and 54.7 million Br pledged by the guarantor as a performance
guarantee. The remainder was made up from nine percent legal interest.

The ERA paid to the contractor a total of 123.6 million Br as an advance

payment, including the 24.9 million Br for the purchase of construction
materials, says its charge. Out of this sum, the Authority was able to recollect
39 million Br in the form of deductions from payments made to the contractor
for the works it had done according their deal. {FORTUNE PUBLISHED ON
MAY 25, 2014 [ VOL 15 ,NO 734]}

A. What type of Performance Guarantee was provided by the contractor?

B. What type of Advance Payment Guarantee was provided by the contractor?

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 C. Were there any possibilities/instruments that can keep ERA away from
litigation?
D. If yes, what are they?
E. If yes, why do you think ERA Preferred the current instruments?
F. What kinds deductions enabled ERA to collect 39 M ETB before going to
litigation?
G. Among the different kinds of terminations, what type of termination does ERA
invoked? (Answer based on PPA condition of contract).
H. From the given case, what are the two main disadvantages of termination?
2) Cement can complete hydration at lower water-cement ratio. Why in practice we
mostly use water-cement ratio in the range of 0.4 to 0.6?
A. ......................................................
3) What type of equipments are being used for compaction and spreading of aggregate in
Grand Renaissance Dam(GRD) concreting? What type of concrete is being casted? What
type of cement is being used? Where is the cement manufactured? (3 points)
A. Spreading equipment......................................................
B. Compaction equipment...................................................
C. Type of concrete .............................................................
D. Type of Cement...............................................................
E. Source of Cement
4) Gilgel Gebi II hydropower has several kilometers of tunnels. What type of
method/equipment is used in boring the tunnels? (4 points)
A. ......................................................
5) What is the current contribution of the construction industry to Ethiopias economy as a
percentage of the GDP (you can give the closest range if you dont know the figure)? (5
points)
6) Write Down four ministries of Ethiopia which have prominent and/or direct roles in the
construction industry.
A. ......................................................
B. ......................................................
C. ......................................................
D. ......................................................
7) Evaluate the following contractors for construction of public construction works. The
evaluation criteria least bidder and the minimum technical qualification score is 70%.
(Hint: The local contractors have preferential margin of 7.5%)

Contractor Nationality Technical Financial offer Rebate Offer after

2
 corrections &
of the Evaluation at bid opening
before rebate
company Result METB
METB
A Foreign 80% 12.20 - 13.00
B Local 70% 13.10 2.0% 13.20
C Foreign 80% 12.80 - 12.00
D Foreign 85% 13.20 1.5% 13.10
E Local 68% - - -
F Foreign 75% 11.90 - 12.20
G Local - - -

a) Ranks for evaluation of bid is: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7). (6 points)

b) Which contractor is disqualified from bid? State the possible reason.(4 points)

c) Which contractor is not responsive to financial evaluation? Why?(4 points)

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Part I-Match

Part I-Work out and give short answer

1. Answer based on the following chart(2 points each)

A. How much is the project duration in working days?
B. How many non working days are in the schedule?
C. What is the critical path?(Specify only WBS code, for example A-B-C-etc)
D. Which activities have total floats? (Specify only WBS code).
E. Which activities have free floats? (Specify only WBS code).
F. Activity B and D are called.activities.
G. When was the schedule prepared?
H. How many working days per week are in the schedule?
I. What type of schedule displaying method is employed in the chart?
J. What type of construction project is depicted in the chart?

Note:

In Gregorian calendar,

4th, 6th, 9th and 11th months are 30 days each

2nd month is 28 days except in leap years which will be 29 days
The rest are 31 days.

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5
Part IMultiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is not true about Mix design of concrete
A. It is an art
B. It is a science
C. Now a days it is possible to have strength more than 200MPa
D. The mix proportion once designed, it can serve every time, everywhere
E. None
2. For quality control of Portland cement, which test is not necessary?
A. Setting time
B. Soundness
C. Tensile strength
D. Consistency
E. None

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3. For given water content, workability decreases if the concrete aggregates contain an excess
of
A. Thin particles
B. Flat particles
C. Elongated particles
D. Flaky particles
E. All the above
4. The commonly used material in the manufacture of cement is
A. Sand stone
B. Slate
C. Lime stone
D. Graphite
E. None
5. Curing a concrete for long period ensures better
A. Volume stability
B. Strength
C. Water resistance
D. Water tightness and durability
E. All the above
6. Substances added to a concrete batch immediately before or during its mixing in order to
alter or enhance specific property of concrete is
A. Fly ash
B. Cement
C. Water
D. Admixtures
E. None
7. Which of the following is not a factor in mix design of concrete?
A. Strength
B. Economy
C. Workability
D. Durability
E. None
8. Which of the following is not true about fineness modules(FM)?
A. The higher the FM the finer the aggregate is
B. FM is the total or sum of cumulative weight retained on standard sieve sizes
C. It is an important parameter in mix design of concrete
D. Same standard sieve sizes are used for both coarse and fine aggregate.
E. All except C

Part II-Quantity Surveying & Specification

1. Pick up the excavation where measurements are made in square meters for payment.

A. Ordinary cuttings up to 1 m

7
 B. Surface dressing up to 15 cm depths
C. Surface excavation up to 30 cm depths
D. Both (B) and (C)
E. Both (A) and (B)
2. Pick up the correct statement in case of water supply.
A. Pipes laid in trenches and pipes fixed to walls are measured separately
B. Cutting through walls and floors are included with the item
C. Pipes are classified according to their sizes and quality
D. In laying pipes, the method of jointing and fixing is specifically specified
E. All the above
3. A construction estimate is used
A. to judge tentatively or approximate value of the project
B. to produce a statement of the approximate cost
C. to decide an approximation of the value of the project and not the exact cost
D. None of these
4. The wages of supervisors and material handlers are charged as:
A. Over head
B. Direct labor cost
C. Indirect labor cost
D. None of these
5. The excavation exceeding 1.5 m in width and 10 sq. m in plan area with a depth not
exceeding 30 cm, is termed as
A. Excavation
B. Surface dressing
C. Cutting
D. Surface excavation
E. Trenching
6. Which of the following is not a function specification?
A. Serve as contract document
B. Help to estimate cost
C. Help to furnish details
D. Help the bidder to identify his capacity
E. None
7. Site book is used for recording
A. Instructions by the executive engineers
B. Construction measurements
C. Issue of store equipments
D. Minutes of meeting
E. All
8. What is the linear density(kg/m) of RHS section of 2x1x1/8? (if required, density of
steel is 7850kg/m3).(3 points)
9. There is no diameter 25mm rebar in Ethiopia, which is common in US. What is the nominal
linear density(kg/m) of this rebar?(3 points)
10. How much is the amount of masonry work involved for a guard house masonry foundation
with external dimensions 2m by 2.5m with a depth of 60cm and thickness of 400mm.(3
points)

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Part III-Contract

1. Once signed, a contract is legally binding unless:

A. One party is unwilling to perform

B. One party is unable to finance his/her part of the work
C. It is in violation of applicable law
D. It is declared null and void by one party
E. None
2. In order to properly assess indirect costs, the estimator must:
A. Consult with the owner
B. Rely on past experience to recognize and record all indirect costs
C. Conduct a pre-construction survey
D. Check with an accountant
E. None
3. Contract can be made in
A. Words
B. Actions
C. Writings
D. All the above
E. A and C Only
4. Written information that clarifies or modifies the building documents, often issued during
the bidding process.
A. Change Order
B. Addendum
C. Work Order
D. Corundum
E. None
5. What is the latest version of PPA condition of contract for works?
A. PPA 2006
B. PPA 2008
C. PPA 2011
D. PPA 2013
E. Not stated
6. Which of the following insurance is not available?
A. Damages due to war
B. Damages due to earthquake
C. Damage due to theft
D. Damages due to lightening
E. A and D
7. In public construction works, limited bids requires less floating time than competitive bids.
A. It is true statement
B. It is false statement

9
 C. It is neither false nor true
D. It is difficult to tell
E. None
8. In Ethiopian public procurement, the local contractors do have preferential margin to foreign
contractors by
A. 7.5%
B. 10%
C. 5%
D. No preference
E. None of the above

9. The proper direction for deviating from the original drawings and specifications during the
progress of the work is achieved by:
A. An official addendum
B. Verbal authority from the owner
C. Written instructions from the owner
D. A change order
E. Work order

10. Which is the correct precedence of conditions of contract in Ethiopia(recent last)?

A. BaTCoDA-PPA-MoUWD
B. BaTCoDA-MoUWD-PPA
C. MoUWD-BaTCoDA-PPA
D. MoUWD-PPA-BaTCoDA
E. MoUWD-PPA-FIDIC

Part IV-Building Construction

1. The foundations are placed below ground level, to increase

A. Strength
B. Workability
C. Stability of structure
D. All the above
2. Black cotton soil is unsuitable for foundations because its
A. Bearing capacity is low
B. Permeability is uncertain
C. Particles are cohesive
D. Property to undergo a volumetric change due to variation of moisture content
E. All of the above
3. Which one of the following rocks is used for monumental buildings:
A. Granite
B. Marble
C. Sand stone
D. Slate
E. None

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4. Which one of the following factors is not mainly considered for the orientation of buildings:
B. The direction of the prevailing winds in the area
C. The exposure of the walls and roof of the buildings to the rays of sun
D. The extent up to which the sunrays penetrate with the verandah
E. All
F. None
5. Soluble salts when dried get deposited on the surface of brick walls as white crystalline
layer on the surface of brick. This phenomenon is knows as:
A. Hydrolysis
B. Paralysis
C. Efflorescence
D. Osmosis
E. None
6. Which of the following foundations support two or more columns
A. Strap footing
B. Combined footing
C. Continues footing
D. All
E. B and C
7. In building construction, how much does the labor cost account?
A. Up to 40%
B. Up to 30%
C. Up to 10%
D. Above 40%
E. Less than 5%
8. Which of the following methods doesnt improve bearing capacity of soil?
A. Increasing depth of foundation
B. Compacting the soil
C. Replacing the poor soil
D. Draining the soil
E. None
9. The apex line of sloping roof is known as
A. Pitch
B. Eave
C. Hip
D. Ridge
E. Verge
10. Match the right column with the left
A. Isolation Joints A. Inter-lift
B. Expansion Joints B. Avoid restraints
C. Contraction Joints C. Relive shrinkage stress
D. Construction Joints D. Separate elements from each other
E. Control Joints

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Part VConstruction Equipments

2. Which of the following compacting equipment has kneading action on soil?

A. Sheep foot roller

B. Vibratory roller
C. Tamping pad
D. Pneumatic foot roller
E. Vibratory plate
3. Dozers are not used for one of the following task. Which?
A. Pushing material
B. Land clearing
C. Ripping
D. Towing other equipments
E. None
4. Which the following factor is the most factor in selecting equipment in construction project?
A. Quantity of the work
B. Nature of the work
C. Specification requirement
D. Location
E. All
5. Which of the following methods of acquiring construction equipment helps a contractor to
have the lowest ownership(total) cost?
A. Cash purchase
B. Loan purchase
C. Lease
D. Rent
E. C and D
6. Which of the following doesnt belong to the rest of the group?
A. Excavator
B. Dozer
C. Scraper
D. Grader
E. None
7. How best compaction specification is stated in road or earthen dam construction?
A. As percent of modified proctor compaction test
B. As percent of standard proctor compaction test
C. Lift thickness
D. Number of passes
E. A and B
8. Which of the following doesnt constitute owning cost?
A. Tax and Tax saving from depreciation
B. Insurance
C. Purchasing cost
D. Storage Cost

12
 E. None
9. Which of the following specification is not included while classifying a crane?
A. Rated load
B. Rated radius with rated load
C. Boom length
D. Type of mounting
E. None
10. From the following, identify the item of equipment not needed for earth road construction?
A. Road roller
B. Dumper
C. Front-end loaders
D. Bulldozer
E. All of the above
11. The salvage value of an construction equipment is taken as:
A. Value of the equivalent scrap metal on date of purchase of the asset at prevailing metal
prices
B. Value of asset as on the books after depreciation
C. Expected cash value at the end of an asset's useful life
D. Costs that have been sunk into the project of date
E. None of the above

Part VIConstruction Management

2. Which of the following does not represent an activity?
A. Site located
B. Foundation is being dug
C. The office area is being cleaned
D. The invitations are being sent
E. None
3. Earliest finish of an activity is always
A. Greater than earliest event time of the following node
B. Less than earliest event time of the following node
C. Less than or equal to earliest event time of the following node
D. Greater than or equal to earliest event time of the following node
E. None
4. Select the incorrect statement.
A. A critical path always begins at the very first event
B. A critical path always terminates at the last event
C. Critical activities control the project duration
D. Critical activity is the one for which free float is zero
E. None
5. The performance of a specific task in CPM, is known
A. Dummy
B. Event
C. Activity
D. Contract

13
 E. None
6. Critical path net work helps an engineer
A. To concentrate his attention on critical activities
B. To divert the resources from non-critical advanced activities to critical activities
C. To be cautious for avoiding any delay in the critical activities to avoid delay of the
whole project
D. All the above
E. None
7. The time by which activity completion time can be delayed without affecting the start of
succeeding activities, is known as
A. Duration
B. Total flat
C. Free float
D. Interfering float
E. None
8. The artificial activity which indicates that an activity following it, cannot be started unless
the preceding activity is complete, is known as
A. Event
B. Free float
C. Dummy
D. Constraint
E. None
9. A construction schedule is prepared after collecting
A. Number of operations
B. Output of labor
C. Output of machinery
D. Quantity of various items
E. All the above.
10. If the total float and duration of an activity are 5 and 10 days respectively, the particular
activity can be
A. Started 5 days later
B. Completed 5 days later
C. Performed at slower rate in 15 days
D. All the above
E. None
11. The difference between simple and compound interests compounded annually on a certain
sum of money for 2 years at 4% per annum is 1 Birr. The sum in ETB is:

A. 625 b. 630

C. 640 d. 650

12. An uncommon type of project delivery system is employed for Bure-Wolega road
construction project?
A. DBB
B. DB

14
 C. EPC
D. DBO
E. None
13. Referring to the cash flow diagram of gradient series given below, the gradient is:

32500 ETB 35000 ETB

30000 ETB
27500 ETB
25000 ETB

A. ETB 10% per year D. ETB 1500 per year

B. ETB 2500 per year E. A and B
C. ETB 2000 per year

14. Contractor X borrowed a certain amount of money from an illegal banker(Arata Abedari)
at 3% per month compounded monthly in order to alleviate his financial cash flow? In
their agreement, the contractor can return the principal together with the interest whenever
he wanted. After how many months will the amount the contractor borrowed doubles?(3
point).

Part VIIGeneral

1. are used to resist tensile and shear stresses induced by superimposed loads.

A. Secondary Reinforcements

B. Primary Reinforcements

C. Stirrups

D. Tie wires

E. None

2. The measure of stiffness of the material

A. Moment of Inertia

15
 B. Section Modulus

C. Modulus of Elasticity

D. Cross sectional area

E. None

3. Increased deformation under constant load is termed as:

A. Fatigue

B. Creep

C. Non elastic behavior

D. Excessive deformation

E. None

4. Which of the following Ministries do not have any role in construction industry of
Ethiopia?

A. MoFED

B. MoUWD

C. MoWE

D. MoJ

E. None

5. How the ductility of RCC beam/slab is insured?

A. Increasing reinforcement

B. Decreasing the depth

C. Increasing the depth

D. A and B

E. A and C

6. The four generalized steps for inspections are:

16
 A. Plan, Inspect, Report, Follow up

B. Inspect, Prioritize, Follow up, Report

C. Plan, Notify, Inspect, Report

D. Inspect, Report, Notify, Follow up

E. None

7. For earthquake resistant buildings, they should have

A. Strong columns-Strong beams

B. Weak columns-Weak beams

C. Weak columns-Strong beams

D. Strong columns-Weak beams

E. None

8. The maximum stirrup spacing of 400mm x 300mm beam cannot be greater than

A. 300mm

B. 200mm

C. 190mm

D. 400mm

E. None

9. In 3m by 6.2m all side supported solid slab

A. Most of the load is transferred to the 3m beam

B. All of the load is transferred to the 6.2m beam

C. Most of the load is transferred to 6.2m beam

D. All of the load is transferred to the 3m beam

E. None

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10. According to EBCS, Bahir Dar is classified as earth quake

A. Zone 0

B. Zone 1

C. Zone 2

D. Zone 3

E. Zone 4

18