Building Engineering Building Civil Engineering 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of footing distributes the load from a single column to the soil beneath it?
- Strip footing
- Spread (isolated) footing (Correct answer)
- Mat footing
- Combined footing
Correct answer: Spread (isolated) footing
A spread or isolated footing supports a single column by distributing its load over a wider soil area.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a retaining wall in civil construction?
- Support roof loads
- Retain lateral earth pressure (Correct answer)
- Resist wind uplift
- Anchor foundation piles
Correct answer: Retain lateral earth pressure
Retaining walls are designed to hold back soil or other material on one side, resisting lateral earth pressure.
Question 3: In reinforced concrete design, what does the term 'cover' refer to?
- Thickness of formwork
- Distance from rebar to outer concrete surface (Correct answer)
- Depth of the neutral axis
- Total slab thickness
Correct answer: Distance from rebar to outer concrete surface
Cover is the minimum distance between the outer surface of the rebar and the nearest concrete face, protecting steel from corrosion.
Question 4: Which soil test is most commonly used on-site to estimate bearing capacity and relative density of granular soils?
- Atterberg limits test
- Standard Penetration Test (SPT) (Correct answer)
- Hydrometer analysis
- Triaxial shear test
Correct answer: Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) uses blow counts (N-values) to estimate in-situ soil density and bearing capacity.
Question 5: What is the primary structural role of shear walls in a building?
- Transfer gravity loads to columns
- Resist lateral forces like wind and seismic loads (Correct answer)
- Support floor slabs directly
- Provide thermal insulation
Correct answer: Resist lateral forces like wind and seismic loads
Shear walls are vertical structural elements that resist lateral forces from wind or earthquakes by acting as vertical cantilevers.
Question 6: In concrete mix design, what does a lower water-to-cement (w/c) ratio generally produce?
- Higher workability and lower strength
- Lower strength and higher porosity
- Higher strength and lower permeability (Correct answer)
- Higher shrinkage and lower durability
Correct answer: Higher strength and lower permeability
A lower w/c ratio produces denser, stronger concrete with less porosity, improving both compressive strength and durability.
Question 7: Which method is used to improve weak subgrade soils by injecting a cementitious grout under pressure?
- Vibrocompaction
- Dynamic compaction
- Grouting (Correct answer)
- Surcharging
Correct answer: Grouting
Grouting injects cementitious or chemical grout under pressure to fill voids and strengthen weak or loose soils.
Building Engineering Building Civil Engineering 2
Which type of footing distributes the load from a single column to the soil beneath it?