Question 1

The three-dimensional state of stress at a point is given by σ = [[10, 0, 0],[0, 40, 0],[0, 0, 0]] MPa. The maximum shear stress at the point is

Accepted Answer

20 MPa. The matrix is diagonal, so principal stresses are 40, 10 and 0 MPa. Maximum shear stress = (sigma_max - sigma_min)/2 = (40 - 0)/2 = 20 MPa, not 25 MPa.

Question 2

A 2 m wide strip footing is founded at a depth of 1.5 m below the ground level in a homogeneous pure clay bed. The clay bed has unit cohesion of 40 kPa. Due to seasonal fluctuations of water table from peak summer to peak monsoon period, the net ultimate bearing capacity of the footing, as

Accepted Answer

remain the same. The net ultimate bearing capacity of the footing remains the same because it is determined by the soil's cohesion and the depth of the footing, which are not affected by seasonal fluctuations in the water table in a homogeneous clay bed.

Question 3

Consider the statements P and Q.
P: Soil particles formed by mechanical weathering, and close to their origin are generally subrounded.
Q: A activity of the clay physically signifies its swell potential.
Which one of the following options is CORRECT?

Accepted Answer

P is FALSE and Q is TRUE. Statement P is incorrect because soil particles formed by mechanical weathering are typically angular rather than subrounded, as they have not undergone significant transport. Statement Q is correct as the physical activity of clay, such as its ability to swell, is a key indicator of its swell potential.

Question 4

The number of degrees of freedom for a natural open channel flow with a mobile bed is

Accepted Answer

4. In natural open channel flow with a mobile bed, the degrees of freedom account for the flow's velocity, water surface elevation, bed elevation, and the position of the sediment bed, leading to a total of four degrees of freedom.

Question 5

The following table gives various components of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and a list of treatment/separation techniques.

Component of MSW
P - Ferrous metals
Q - Aluminum and copper
R - Food waste
S - Cardboard

Treatment/separation technique
i - Incineration
ii - Rapid composting
iii -

Accepted Answer

P-iv, Q-iii, R-ii, S-i. The correct option matches each component of Municipal Solid Waste with the most effective treatment or separation technique: ferrous metals (P) are best separated using a magnetic separator (iv), aluminum and copper (Q) are effectively separated with an eddy current separator (iii), food waste (R) is suited for rapid composting (ii), and cardboard (S) can be incinerated (i) for energy recovery.

Question 6

A car is travelling at a speed of 60 km/hr on a section of a National Highway having a downward gradient of 2%. The driver of the car suddenly observes a stopped vehicle on the car path at a distance of 130 m ahead, and applies brake. If the brake efficiency is 60%, coefficient of friction

Accepted Answer

75 to 79. The correct option is right because, after accounting for the driver's reaction time and the effective braking distance, the total stopping distance falls within the range of 75 to 79 meters, considering the car's initial speed, gradient, and braking efficiency.

Question 7

As per the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the basic runway length is increased by x (%) for every y (m) rise in elevation from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). The values of x and y, respectively, are

Accepted Answer

7% and 300 m. The correct option is based on ICAO guidelines, which state that for every 300 meters of elevation above mean sea level, the basic runway length should be increased by 7% to ensure safe aircraft operations in thinner air.

Question 8

Which one of the following statements related to bitumen is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Softer grade bitumen possesses higher softening point than hard grade bitumen.. Softer grade bitumen actually has a lower softening point compared to hard grade bitumen, as the terms 'soft' and 'hard' refer to the viscosity and temperature characteristics of the material.

Question 9

If the number of sides resulting in a closed traverse is increased from three to four, the sum of the interior angles increases by

Accepted Answer

180°. The sum of the interior angles of a polygon can be calculated using the formula (n-2) × 180°, where n is the number of sides. When increasing the number of sides from three to four, the increase in the sum of the interior angles is (4-2) × 180° = 2 × 180° = 360°, but since we are comparing the difference from a triangle (180°) to a quadrilateral (360°), the increase is 180°.

Question 10

A surveyor observes a zenith angle of 93° 00' 00" during a theodolite survey. The corresponding vertical angle is

Accepted Answer

−03° 00' 00". The zenith angle is measured from the vertical down to the line of sight, so an angle of 93° indicates that the line of sight is 3° below the horizontal plane, resulting in a vertical angle of -3°.

Question 11

The elements that DO NOT increase the strength of structural steel are

Accepted Answer

Chlorine. Chlorine does not contribute to the strength of structural steel and can actually be detrimental, as it may lead to corrosion and brittleness, unlike carbon and manganese which enhance strength and toughness.

Question 12

Consider a balanced doubly-reinforced concrete section. If the material and other sectional properties remain unchanged, for which of the following cases will the section become under-reinforced?

Accepted Answer

Area of tension reinforcement is decreased.. Decreasing the area of tension reinforcement reduces the tensile capacity of the section, which can lead to a situation where the concrete can fail in compression before the steel yields, thus making the section under-reinforced.

Question 13

The primary air pollutant(s) is/are

Accepted Answer

Sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is considered a primary air pollutant because it is directly emitted from sources such as burning fossil fuels and industrial processes, contributing significantly to air quality issues and acid rain.

Question 14

A flow velocity field V: V (x,y) for a fluid is represented by V = 3 î + (5x) ĵ. In the context of the fluid and the flow, which one of the following statements is CORRECT?

Accepted Answer

The fluid is incompressible and the flow is rotational.. div V = d(3)/dx + d(5x)/dy = 0, so the fluid is incompressible. curl_z = d(5x)/dx - d(3)/dy = 5 != 0, so the flow is rotational. Hence incompressible and rotational, option (a).

Question 15

The free mean speed is 60 km/hr on a given road. The average space headway at jam density on this road is 8 m. For a linear speed-density relationship, the maximum flow (in veh/hr/lane) expected on the road is

Accepted Answer

1875. Jam density kj = 1000/8 = 125 veh/km. For the linear Greenshields model the maximum flow is q_max = vf*kj/4 = 60*125/4 = 1875 veh/hr/lane. The stored value 938 (which is half of that) is wrong; the answer is index 0, 1875.

Question 16

A map is prepared with a scale of 1:1000 and a contour interval of 1 m. If the distance between two adjacent contours on the map is 10 mm, the slope of the ground between the adjacent contours is

Accepted Answer

10%. The slope is calculated by dividing the vertical rise (1 m) by the horizontal distance represented on the map. Given the scale of 1:1000, 10 mm on the map corresponds to 10 m in reality, resulting in a slope of 1 m rise over 10 m run, which simplifies to 10%.

Question 17

Which of the following statement(s) is/are CORRECT?

Accepted Answer

Both loose and dense sands with different initial void ratios can attain similar void ratio at large strain during shearing.. Loose and dense sands can reach a similar void ratio under large strain conditions due to the rearrangement of particles during shearing, which allows for a convergence in their structural behavior despite their initial differences.

GATE Technical: Civil Engineering Set 1 (CE1) questions with solutions

Questions