VELAMMAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE
( an Autonomous Institution - Affiliated to Anna University, Chennai )
HINTS for Civil Engineering Diploma Students Technical Quiz February 7, 2020
In Concrete, Slump means
In Surveying, BM means
Two BEAMS :: Same span; same material; One
is SQUARE in cross sectional shape; other is
RECTANGULAR; Both shapes have SAME Cross-
sectional area; Which beam will have higher
load carrying capacity?
small depression(pit) on one face of brick
holding the Brand Name; this pit is called
In Surveying, the process of RANGING is
required only when
COARSE AGGREGATES ( jally ) used for concrete
in Tamil Nadu comes from STONE CRUSHERS;
this is called as ( based on Source / Method of
Formation )
COARSE AGGREGATES ( jally ) used for concrete
in Tamil Nadu comes from STONE CRUSHERS;
this CA type is called as ( based on SHAPE of the
Stone)
The Size Limit between Fine Aggregates (
மணல)and Coarse Aggregates ( ஜலலல ) is
Choose the ODD ONE OUT from this
list
இந்த பட்டியலலல பபபொருந்தபொத
ஒன்றறக் கண்டுபபிடி
Fly Ash / Rice Husk Ash / M Sand / Steel Slag
For Compaction of Soils, choose the correct
statement
M 20 grade concrete means, a 150 mm size
cube made from that concrete, tested in
Compression Testing Machine should show a
Compressive Strength of 20 MPa ( or ) 20 N /
mm2. This strength should be achieved in
concrete in a MINIMUM Duration / Age of
In any RCC Construction, for any formwork –
Steel – Timber – Plywood – they apply a black or
any colour grease like oil / chemical on the
INSIDE surfaces of the formwork where
CONCRETE will touch; ( this is applied before
pouring the concrete ) this oil / chemical is
called as
A Chain is 20 m long and has 100 LINKS;
then the length of each link is
M Sand means
In Water Supplying, technical reason for using
PVC pipes instead of GI Pipes
Concrete is made using 53 grade cement; 150
mm size cube is made from concrete at site on
the day while the construction is done; after 28
days, when this cube is tested,
Choose correct statement : Fly Ash Bricks get
COMPRESSIVE Strength MAINLY from
In Concrete lab, we use sieves like 20 mm sieve,
12 mm sieve, etc. Sieve is a CIRCULAR shaped
Brass / Aluminium vessel fitted with mesh
containing many OPENINGS; SHAPE OF EACH
OPENING is
M 20 grade concrete means, a 150 mm size cube
made from that concrete, when tested on 28th
day, will show a
You are constructing a long RCC Beam; you are
setting up the BOTTOM surface and sides of the
FORMWORK; all the side shutters are perfectly
VERTICAL; but the BOTTOM Shuttering is NOT
set PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL ( it is set slightly
CURVED Upwards – CAMBER ); The reason for
this camber in bottom shuttering is
A special concrete called SCC is used nowadays
for RCC structures with too much of steel
reinforcements. SCC means
One Solid Circular ROD and One Hollow Circular
PIPE, cross sections have the same CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA; then if these two shapes are
used as VERTICAL COLUMNS with Pure Axial
Loading, which column will have Higher load
carrying capacity?
RCC Columns – circular cross section -- the
Separate 6 or more Vertical ( MAIN )
Reinforcements are connected by smaller
diameter reinforcements called as TIES (Rings ).
TWO types of TIES :: Type 1 * Separate
separate circular rings placed at regular spacing
one above the other for the full height of the
columns; ( called CIRCULAR TIES )
The lorry bringing the fresh mixed concrete from
RMC factory to construction site is called as
( technical name )
The effects of INCREASING COVER Thickness
below / above / surrounding the Steel
Reinforcements in RCC structures is / are
same OHT – OverHead Tank, two pipes carry
water to streets and houses, BOTH pipes are
made of SAME material, same height, same
length, same level, BUT their DIAMETERS are
NOT SAME – Different Diameters ;( i.e two pipes
have DIFFERENT AREAs of Cross-Section ( A1 
A2 ); Here, which FLOW PROPERTY, will be
affected in the 2 pipes
Steel Pipes / Channels / Aluminium Z shaped
long lengthy members are placed above
Trusses; they connect all trusses and also
support Roofing sheets; the members name is
Equipment used to Decrease Thickness of
Earthfill / Road Pavement layers and to
INCREASE Density & Strength by applying
Rolling Weight & Vibration forces is called as
9” ( 9 inch ) thick brick wall; 1 horizontal layer, all
bricks are laid as STRETCHERS; Next horizontal
layer, all bricks are HEADERS; this bond is
metal weight dropped from ship; its pierces into
sea bed soil; this weight keeps the ship stable;
--- loading,, unloading works can be done easily;
this metal weight is called
A brick is placed in wall such that its vertical
height dimension is 4 ½” (inches). This
arrangement is called as
Choose the correct order of soils based on their
PARTICLE SIZE ( DESCENDING Order ) ( starting
from BIGGEST size to SMALLEST size )
In RCC Structures, Steel Reinforcements are used
and their grade is expressed as Fe 415, Fe 500,
etc. This number called GRADE of Steel is
W.H.O -- international advisory body attached to
UN / UNO ( United Nations ); WHO publishes
recommendations, guidelines, standards for
Water Quality, etc. WHO means
TYPE 2 :; NOT SEPRATE but one single
Reinforcement bar placed continuously in the
shape of a HELIX -- மரத்றதச சுற்றல
படரும கககொடி பபகொல – ( HELICAL TIES
Assume all other data o be same
for BOTH Columns ( as per IS 456
– 2000 )
QUESTION : which tie will give higher
load carrying capacity for the column
One Solid Circular ROD and One Hollow Circular
PIPE, cross sections have the same CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA; then if these two shapes are
used as BEAMS, which beam will have Higher
load carrying capacity?
Single LARGE SLAB LIKE foundation is provided
connecting ALL Columns of the building; used
when soil has very low bearing capacity; this
foundation is called
In the RMC factory, the slump of concrete is very
high – example 150 mm;
But when the transit mixer reaches the
construction site, the site supervisor finds that
the slump is only 50 to 60 mm; he rejects that
supply and demands a new supply; which is very
costly ; to avoid such losses and delays, a
chemical is added in the concrete at the RMC
factory itself before dispatching the concrete to
site; this chemical is called as
A new software concept BIM is used by Civil
Engineers now; BIM means
correct sequence / order of occurrence in
cement reaction and processes ( RCC Structure )
IRC is the Indian Central Government agency
responsible for all Highway Engg / Road /
Pavements code books, standards, designs, and
other theory; IRC is
Name the Hydraulic Equipment which converts
WATER / HYDRAULIC Power into MECHANICAL
Power
In RMC factories, concrete manufacturing is
done by MEASURING the Quantities of all raw
materials in terms of the material’s ( called as
BATCHING Method )
Among various types of Waste Water, one type is
called Grey Water. Grey Water means
In Surveying, Contour lines mean
Choose the Underground Structure used for
Storing FRESH WATER
Fresh Water ( Drinking Water ) Treatment, all
treatment processes completed; water is tested
& found to be fit for drinking; still after all these,
again they add one chemical to water so that
water does not get contaminated by bacteria,
etc. while traveling from Treatment Plant to
Houses through pipelines; This chemical is
Same TOTAL Area of Work:: which work item will
have HIGHER labour rate per sq ft / m2?
Marble belongs to which classification of Rocks?
tall tower close to sea shore on beach; powerful
light on building roof rotates full circle; light
guides ships in sea to see where the nearest
land is located; The tower is called
the correct equation for Continuity Equation
w.r.t. Flow Through Pipes is
Prestressed Concrete (PSC):: special steel
reinforcement used to Prestress the concrete;
much stronger than regular steel rebar; very
high yield strength; this special steel is called
Name the equipment shown used for testing
FRESH Concrete WORKABILITY
LONG earth excavation made to bury Pipelines
below Ground Level; excavation is called
VT -- TOP Cone Volume ;;; VM -- MIDDLE Cone
Volume ;; VC -- BOTTOM Cylinder Volume
In the above equipment ( Q No. *&% ) ( used for
measuring the workability of fresh concrete ) ,
comment about the Volumes of the 3 vessels
Beam Type
for Soils, Degree of Saturation (S) is called the
ratio between Volume of Water to the Volume
of Voids; for Oven Dried Soils, S =
Two RCC Beams; Both same SPAN; carrying
same load; One beam is designed by WORKING
STRESS Method; ( WSM ) another beam designed
by Limit State Method ( LSM ); which Design
Method will give a lesser depth ( d ) and lesser
amount Steel Reinforcement ( Ast ) for the
beam? i.e. which design method will give an
economical deisgn ( cheaper lesser cost ) ?
( both beams --same concrete grade, same steel
grade and same WIDTH B b )
The cross section of any highway pavement is
NOT Horizontal but has a TRIANGULAR raised
slope shape; This CROSS-SLOPE of Roads is called
concrete mixing:: VOLUMETRIC Batching not
preferred for the reason of
While constructing Bitumen / Tar roads, total
thickness of road is designed and calculated
based on a property of the natural soil on which
the road is laid; this soil property is called
Process of converting SEA Salt Water into
Drinking Fresh Water is called as
Name of item? meaning
of NUMBERS printed?
any Soil, are Empty Spaces between Soil SOLID
particles, filled with Water / Air or Both;
TECHNICAL name for these Empty Spaces is
TRAPEZIUM Centroid Point
The Father of Soil Mechanics is
The Height of one WHITE / COLOUR BAND in a
Leveling Staff is
From ROCKS, Stones are blasted, excavated, cut
and taken out and sent to Crusher Factories for
further processes; this place is called as

Contour Map shows what natural geological
feature?
The combination of Cement + Fine Aggregate is
called as
A concrete mix proportion is mentioned as 1 : 2 :
4--- The 3 numbers represent
Place where Ships are repaired outside the sea
in an area without water presence is
Steel Reinforcement type TMT bar means
Purely COHESIONLESS Soil ( Dry River Sand),
value of ‘c’ in Shear Strength  = c +
tan,
In Prestressed Concrete Structures, like PSC
Beams, Slabs, etc. ONLY the Special Steel
Reinforcement TENDONS are used; ordinary
steel rebars are NOT required/ NOT used.
Rocks formed by moving water or winds or
glaciers are called
Planes RUN while take-off & landing on Tar or
Concrete Road; this road is
In Water Resource Engineering subject, the
technical name for RAINFALL is
While casting concrete slabs, after pouring the
concrete, spreading, leveling and compacting
the concrete and finishing the surface, after
some time, water starts accumulating at the
surface separately as a thin film; this is a defect
which will lead other defects like cracks, etc. This
problem of Water Separating out is called
Two brand new cars; same type; same best
condition; two drivers same skills driving it at
same time on same road in 2 PARALLEL Lanes;
both lanes of the road brand new laid just
recently; no damage anywhere; perfect surface;
ONE Lane is FULLY DRY;; Another Lane is fully
wet by pouring water by Sprinkling water from a
water truck; NOW on these 2 lanes –
DRY and WET; the 2 cars run at same speed for
some distance; The 2 drivers apply sudden brake
at the same time in the same style; Choose the
correct statement
PARALLEL Activities : two / more activities done
at same time by different gangs
SEQUENTIAL Activities : two / more activities
can be done only, one after the other
( technically a work can be completed only after
the completion of the previous work )
Identify which Activity do the following belong to
( a ) Foundation Pits Excavation
( b ) Fabrication of Steel Reinforcement Mats
( c ) Fabricate Timber Shutters for Footing
Formwork ( d ) Pour Concrete in Footing
Construction Management, CPM used to
calculate Project Duration, start & completion
times, urgent activities, not–so– urgent
activities, first acivity, next, … CPM means
Bricks are wetted / immersed in water before
constructing wall. Reason for wetting is
The place where Rainfall is measured is called as
Unit of measurement for Earthwork
( EXCAVATION or FILLING ) quantity is
designation SE in government department means
The type of Surveying where the Earth’s
CURVATURE is considered while measuring
distances, etc. is called as
GRANITE belongs to which Rocks classification?
Size of soil SOLID particles, choose the CORRECT
Statement :: Gravel, Clay, Silt, Sand, Pebble
Which ARCH will have maximum STABILITY
( i.e ) ZERO Horizontal Thrust Force?
A pile has one/ more enlarged Cross-sectional
Bulb near the Pile Bottom; Pile name is
This is a Crane; It cannot move from one location
but can rotate full circle; its height can go higher
and higher as the building grows taller;
( Mathematically its X = 0; Y = 0; Z = Limited ( but
variable) ;
r = 0 to R; θ = 0 to 360ᵒ ). This Crane is called as
In Staircases, the horizontal
portion where legs are placed is called ( P )
and the vertical portion giving height for the
staircase is called ( Q )
Airports, a large factory like shed with Column
Free Span Trusses, the full plane can enter inside
and repairs / maintenance done; this shed is
called
Some Burnt Clay Bricks are fully or partially black
in colour; reason for this black colour is