Civil Engineering interview questions and answers

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1.What are the steps involved in the concreting process, explain?

2. Describe briefly the various methods of concrete curing.
3. What do you understand by “preset” during the installation process of bridge bearings?
4. Why are steel plates inserted inside bearings in elastomeric bearings?
5. What reinforcements are used in the process of prestressing?

What are the steps involved in the concreting process,

explain?
The major steps involved in the process of concreting are as follows:
1. Batching
2. Mixing
3. Transporting and placing of concrete
4. Compacting.

> Batching: The process of measurement of the different materials for the making of concrete is
known as batching. batching is usually done in two ways: volume batching and weight batching.
In case of volume batching the measurement is done in the form of volume whereas in the case
of weight batching it is done by the weight.
> Mixing: In order to create good concrete the mixing of the materials should be first done in dry
condition and after it wet condition. The two general methods of mixing are: hand mixing and
machine mixing.
> Transportation and placing of concrete: Once the concrete mixture is created it must be
transported to its final location. The concrete is placed on form works and should always be
dropped on its final location as closely as possible.
> Compaction of concrete: When concrete is placed it can have air bubbles entrapped in it which
can lead to the reduction of the strength by 30%. In order to reduce the air bubbles the process of
compaction is performed. Compaction is generally performed in two ways: by hand or by the use
of vibrators.

Describe briefly the various methods of concrete curing.

Curing is the process of maintaining the moisture and temperature conditions for freshly
deployed concrete. This is done for small duration of time to allow the hardening of concrete.
The methods that are involved in saving the shrinkage of the concrete includes:
(a) Spraying of water: on walls, and columns can be cured by sprinkling water.
(b) Wet covering of surface: can be cured by using the surface with wet gunny bags or straw
(c) Ponding: the horizontal surfaces including the slab and floors can be cured by stagnating the
water.
(d) Steam curing: of pre-fabricated concrete units steam can be cured by passing it over the units
that are under closed chambers. It allows faster curing process and results in faster recovery.
(e) Application of curing compounds: compounds having calcium chloride can be applied on
curing surface. This keeps the surface wet for a very long time.

What do you understand by “preset” during the installation

process of bridge bearings?
During the installation of bridge bearings the size of the upper plates is reduced to save the
material costs. This process is known as preset. Generally the upper bearing plate comprises of
the following components:
> Length of bearing
> 2 x irreversible movement.
> 2 x reversible movement.
The bearing initially is placed right in the middle point of the upper bearing plate. No directional
effects of irreversible movement is considered. But since the irreversible movement usually takes
place in one direction only the displaced direction is placed away from the midpoint. In such
cases the length of the upper plate is equal to the length of the length of the bearing + irreversible
movement + 2 x reversible movement.

Why are steel plates inserted inside bearings in elastomeric

bearings?
In order to make a elastomeric bearing act/ function as a soft spring it should be made to allow it
to bulge laterally and also the stiffness compression can be increased by simply increasing the
limiting amount of the lateral bulging. In many cases in order to increase the compression
stiffness of the bearing the usage of metal plates is made. Once steel plates are included in the
bearings the freedom of the bulge is restricted dramatically, also the deflection of the bearing is
reduced as compared to a bearing without the presence of steel plates. The tensile stresses of the
bearings are induced into the steel plates. But the presence of the metal plates does not affect the
shear stiffness of the bearings.

What reinforcements are used in the process of prestressing?

The major types of reinforcements used in prestressing are:
> Spalling Reinforcement: The spalling stresses leads to stress behind the loaded area of the
anchor blocks. This results in the breaking off of the surface concrete. The most likely causes of
such types of stresses are Poisson`s effects strain interoperability or by the stress trajectory
shapes.
> Equilibrium reinforcements: This type of reinforcements are required where several
anchorages exist where the prestressing loads are applied in a sequential manner.
> Bursting Reinforcements: These kinds of stresses occur in cases where the stress trajectories
are concave towards the line of action of load. In order to reduce such stresses reinforcements in
the form of bursting is required.
6. In the design of bridge arguments what considerations
should be made to select the orientation of the wing walls?
Some of the most common arrangements of wing walls in cases of bridge
arguments are as follows:
> Wing walls parallel to abutments: This method is considered to take least
amount of time to build and is simple as well. But on the downside this method is
not the most economical. The advantage of this type of design being that they
cause the least amount of disturbance to the slope embankment.
> Wing walls at an angle to abutments: This design method is considered to be
the most economical in terms of material cost.
> Wing walls perpendicular to abutments: The characteristic of this design is it
provides an alignment continuous with the bridge decks lending a support to the
parapets.

7. In case if concrete box girder bridges how is the number

of cells determined?
When the depth of a box girder bridge exceed 1/6th or 1/5th of the bridge width
then the design recommended is that of a single cell box girder bridge. But in
case the depth of the bridge is lower than 1/6th of the bridge width then a twin-
cell or in some cases multiple cell is the preferred choice. One should also note
that even in the cases of wider bridges where there depths are comparatively low
the number of cells should be minimized. This is so as there is noticeably not
much improvement in the transverse load distribution when the number of cells
of the box girder is higher than three or more.

8. Under what circumstances should pot bearings be used

instead of elastomeric bearings?
Pot bearings are preferred over elastomeric bearings in situations where there
are chances of high vertical loads in combinations of very large angle of
rotations. Elastomeric bearings always require a large bearing surface so that a
compression is maintained between the contact surfaces in between the piers and
the bearings. This is not possible to maintained in high load and rotation
environment. Also the usage of elastomeric bearings leads to the uneven
distribution of stress on the piers. This results in some highly induced stresses to
be targeted at the piers henceforth damaging them. Due to the above reasons pot
bearings are preferred over elastomeric bearings in such cases.
9. Why should pumping be not used in case of concreting
works?
During the pumping operation the pump exerted pressure must overcome any
friction between the pumping pipes and the concrete, also the weight of the
concrete and the pressure head when the concrete is placed above the pumps.
Since only water is pump able, all the pressure generated is by the water that is
present in the concrete. The major problem due to pumping are segregation
effects and bleeding. In order to rectify and reduce these effects, generally the
proportion of the cement is increased in order to increase the cohesion , which
leads to the reduction of segregation and bleeding. Also if a proper selection of
the aggregate grading can vastly improve the concrete pump ability.

10. Why should curing not be done by ponding and

polythene sheets?
The primary purpose of curing is to reduce the heat loss of concrete that is
freshly placed to the atmosphere and in order to reduce the temperature
gradient across the cross-section of the concrete. Ponding is not preferred for
curing as this method of thermal curing is greatly affected by cold winds. In
addition to that in ponding large amounts of water is used and has to be disposed
off from the construction sites. Polythene sheets are used on the basis that it
creates an airtight environment around the concrete surface henceforth reducing
the chances of evaporation over fresh concrete surfaces. But the usage of
polythene can be a drawback as it can be easily blown away by winds and also
the water lost by self-desiccation cannot be replenished.

11. What are the different type of slump test indications?

Slump tests are performed to empirically measure the workability of fresh
concrete. It is used to measure the consistency of the concrete. In general there
are three different types of slumps that occur in slump tests. They are as follows:
> True Slump
> Shear Slump
> Collapse Slump

True Slump: This type of slump is characterized by the general drop of the
concrete mass evenly without visible signs of deterioration or disintegration.
Shear Slump: It indicates that the concrete mix is deficient in cohesion. This type
of slump leads to segregation and bleeding. Henceforth in the long run effecting
the durability of the concrete.
Collapse Slump: This type of slump is indicates that the mix of concrete is simply
too wet. The mix is considered to be harsh and lean.

12. Why is propping required for long structures once the

formwork is removed?
Once the process of concreting is performed the striking of the formworks should
be done as soon as possible as delay in this process can lead to the discoloration
of the concrete structures. In case of long structures particularly long span
structures once the structures have attained enough strength to support
themselves it is essential to provide them with propping as creep deflection can
take place which can greatly reduce the integrity of the structure. Due to the
above mentioned reasons propping should be done after the removal of
formwork. Also the props should not be made to stand long as it can lead to
overstress for the structures.

13. Explain the mechanism of cavitations in pipes and

drains?
The formation of air bubbles in a fluid due to low pressure conditions lower than
the saturation pressure is known as cavitations. This is considered to be a high
potential damage condition where the strength and durability of the pipes can be
greatly reduced. Cavitation works on the principle of Bernoulli's Equation.
When fluids are at high velocities the pressure head of fluids reduce accordingly.
But since the fluid pressure is lower than the saturation pressure the dissolved
gases get released from the flowing fluid. These air bubbles suddenly collapse on
entering a region of high pressure. This leads to the damage of the pipelines as a
high level of dynamic pressure is created.

14. For what purpose bedding is used under storm water

drains, explain?
Beddings are primarily made up of granular or concrete materials. They are
primarily used for the following purposes:
> They are used to provide a more uniform support for the under pipes so that
the bending moment longitudinally can be reduced greatly.
> In order to enable the pipes to get more load-supporting strength.
> They are also used to act as a platform to achieve a more correct alignment
and level pre and post construction.
> In case of pipes which contain spigot and socket joints, it enables pipes to get
supported along pipe lengths in place of sockets. Otherwise it can lead to uneven
stress being induced on the pipes eventually damaging it.

15. Why are pull-out tests performed for soil nails?

Pull out tests are performed for primarily the following reasons:
> In order to detect and the verification of the bond strength among the soil and
the grout adopted during the design of soil nails. This is considered to be as the
primary objective of performing pull out tests for soil nails.
> For the detection of any slippage or occurrence of creeps.
> To detect the elastic and deformations (plastic) of any of the test nails
employed. Observations are made during the loading and unloading cycles of the
soil nails repetitively.
> To achieve the perfect balance the test nails should always be loaded so that the
ultimate soil/grout mixture with an upper limit of 80%.

16. Describe briefly the advantages and disadvantages of

using plastic and timber fenders?
The advantages and disadvantages of using plastic fenders are as follows:
Plastic fenders are low in strength with a relatively high resistance to abrasion.
Plastic fenders are resistant to chemical and biological attacks. Plastic fenders
have moderate energy absorption capacity. The berthing reactions are also
comparatively moderate and depends on the point of contact. Also since they are
made from recycled material they are environmental friendly.
The advantages and disadvantages of using timber fenders are:
timber fenders are low in strength and are very susceptible to marine borer
attacks and rotting. The energy absorption capacity is very low. Also generally
the contact pressure between the vessels and the fender are high.

17. Explain why concrete barriers have curved surface

profiles?
The concrete safety fencings are made to contain vehicles in their carriageway
being travelled so as to reduce the chances of rebounding into the roads leading
to more hazards. In the case of normal fencings upon vehicle crashes the fencings
give away so as to absorb as much energy as possible henceforth reducing the
impact on the vehicles. But in the case of concrete barriers their purpose is not to
absorb energy of vehicles crashing into the barrier but to retain them. They have
a curved design so as to allow the vehicles that hit them to slightly go up on the
barrier but not overturn. They also prevent the vehicle from again getting back
on the road by rebounds. This helps in vastly reducing the chances of other
vehicle hazards.

18. Why is the use of granular sub-base in concrete

carriageways not preferred, explain?
Some of the reasons why granular sub-base is not preferred in concrete
carriageways:
> Sub bases are permeable and hence water can seep through them easily. The
soil particles get pumped out through the joints on the application of traffic
loads. This results in the creation of voids underneath the pavement structure.
This leads to the weakening of the concrete surface and it can crack easily upon
intense traffic loads.
> Instead if lean concrete is used for carriageways it greatly increases the
strength of the roads and the load carrying capacity of the roads is increased.
> Sub-bases implementation requires a lot of workmanship which can lead to an
un-uniform distribution of the sub-base. This can lead to the cracking of the
carriageway when there is severe traffic loading.

19. Why are separation membranes used between concrete

pavement slab and sub-base?
The purpose of separation membrane between the concrete pavement slab and
the sub-base are as follows:
> The separation membrane reduces the frictional forces between the concrete
slabs and the sub-base. The membrane aids the movement of the concrete slab in
reference to the sub-base when changes in the level of the moisture and
temperature occurs.
> It aids in the segregation of sub-base materials from freshly placed concrete.
> The separation membrane also helps in the reduction of cement and water loss
in the form of immature concrete. Immature concrete greatly affects the strength
of the concrete. It also affects the durability of it.
A good example of a separation membranes is polythene sheeting which is
commonly used.

20. In the roof of a pumping station explain briefly the

components of a waterproofing system.
The components of a typical waterproofing system on the roof of a pumping
station are as follows:
> Right above the structural finish level of the roof ( concrete ) a uniform
thickness screed is applied so as to facilitate the application of the waterproofing
membrane. The surface provide for the membrane should always possess good
cohesion properties and must be thin so as to prevent any un-uniformity. This
thin layer also acts as a layer of thermal insulation.
> Right above this layer the waterproofing membrane is deployed to secure the
water tightness of the roof.
> In order to enhance the thermal insulation of the roof an insulation board is
sometime placed right above the waterproof membrane. The insulation board
helps in the maintenance of a stable temperature in both weathers.

21. During reclamation how can the occurrence of mud

waves can be rectified?
There are several solution to the rectification of the problem of mud waves:
> Complete removal of all the disturbed mud: This method can be considered to
be one of the fastest methods. As soon as the disturbed mud is removed some
filling material is used to replace the disturbed mud. But economically this
method can be expensive as compared to others.
> Accelerated consolidation of disturbed mud: In this method surcharging loads
are placed on top of the mud waves. Along with this band drains are installed to
accelerate the consolidation process. This method is quite slow compared to the
other methods.
> Partial removal of the disturbed mud: This method is the hybrid of the above
two methods where the top layer is removed whereas the lower level is treated
with the surcharging process.

22. In reclamation works what are the importance of

geotextiles and sand?
The primary purposes of geotextiles and sand in reclamation works are as
follows:
> Geotextiles: They are used to separate the marine mud from the reclamation
fill. Also geotextiles are used as reinforcements in reclamation processes to
increase its stability. It is still debated as to whether the usage of geotextiles is
better or are the old processes followed are better as the performance has not
been comparable to the conventional methods.
> Sand: In reclamation process sand is used to spread the load of any future
public dumps placed on top of it. Sand also acts as a drainage for the excess pore
water pressure of band drain installations.

23. In block work seawalls what is the purpose of slip joints?

Joints which are formed from the cope level to the toe level of seawalls through a
complete vertical plane are known as slip joints. Such joints are designed so as to
handle the differential settlements between the seawalls adjacent panels. In the
slip joints the aggregates inside the half-rounds channels enables some vertical
movements. These vertical movements are induced by differential settlements.
This enables in the interlocking of the adjacent panels of the seawalls to link the
panels in one unit against the earth pressure ( lateral ) which is exerted on the
seawalls.

24. For a washout valve why are two gate valves required in
normal practice?
The washout valves are primarily used for normal maintenance works such as
that of water main. This can be like to allow water to flow out during the
cleaning of the water main. The junctions at which a pipe branches out to a
washout point usually a gate valve is installed so that the two pipelines are
separated. The gate valve installed above usually remains open during normal
operation. Another gate valve is installed further downstream and this remains
closed during normal operation of the washout valve. In case this valve is not
installed then the pipe section of the branched out pipe would remain dry during
normal operation and high chances of damage and leakage can take place. When
the downstream valve is installed the branched out water main contains water
under normal operation. With two gate valves installed a leakage can be detected
immediately.

25. What are the different approaches in designing the floors

of the service reservoirs?
In general there are two main approaches of designing the reservoir floors to
prevent leakage of water due to seasonal and shrinkage movements:
> In this approach the movement joints of the reservoir floor panels are such
that the free expansion and contraction of the panels takes place. Every panel is
isolated from the other panels and two panels have a sliding layer between them
to help in sliding.
> The second method does not provide any room for free movement. With
seasonal and shrinkage movements, some cracks are designed to voluntarily
occur on the floors of the service reservoirs. These tiny cracks are spread
throughout the floor and are simply too minute to cause any leakage or corrosion
of the floors. But the difference also in this method is that the amount of
reinforcement used is much more than the first approach.
1. How can you distinguish between sorption, absorption and adsorption?
2. What is modular elasticity?
3. Discuss some applications of modular elasticity.
4. What is difference between engineering stress and true stress?
5. What are some structures that are subjected to fatigue?
6. What is the tensile strength of wood?
7. Explain soil analysis?
8. What is soil enforcement?
9. How can you achieve soil enforcement?
10. What is a bearing capacity of soil?
11. Why does the pressure increase under soil?
12. How to increase a bearing capacity of soil?
13. What you understand by building codes?
14. Explain moment of inertia and its importance.
15. Which is the best book for building construction?
16. How do we determine the specific gravity of a cement?
17. What are the causes of building collapse?
18. Explain the latest method to detect a crack in a building?
19. How do we test on design and style in a software?
20. Explain different types of RCC pipes.
21. Explain the design for RCC multi-storied building?
22. What are the benefits of RCC pipes over steel designed pipes?
23. Elaborate advantages & disadvantages of using crusher dust instead of sand in RCC work.
24. How can you produce desired alloys and discuss their applications in daily life.
25. Can inverted beams used in pipes during construction? If yes, explain how it can be
implemented?
26. What is rigging?
27. What are the techniques to measure road difference?
28. Explain major differences between routing maintenance and major maintenance.
29. What you understand by Richter scale?
30. How do we calculate the power of centrifugal pump?
31. What is a tensile strength? What is the tensile strength of wood?
32. Difference between pre-tensioning and post-tensioning.
33. Explain the difference between shear and tensile strength.
34. Why the statue of liberty is made of Copper?
35. What is the difference between TOR steel and TMT steel?
36. Which code is used for TOR & TMT steel bar?
37. Explain major difference between auto level and dumpy level?
38. What is the L/D ratio of cantilever beam?
39. What is the ratio of steel and concrete to use in slabs , beams, columns ?
40. What is pre-stressed concrete?
41. What are the ingredients of pre-stressed concrete?
42. What do you mean by honeycomb in concrete?
43. Why is concrete cube test carried out?
44. How do you calculate the power of centrifugal pump?
45. What is aggregate?
46. What is absolute pressure? How absolute pressure is calculated?
47. What is the absolute pressure scale?
48. What is gravity flow?
49. What is a projection line?
50. What is horizon or horizontal mining?