Explore topic-wise MCQs in Surveying.

This section includes 372 Mcqs, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your Surveying knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.

301.

The ultimate consolidation settlement of a soil is

A. directly proportional to the voids ratio
B. directly proportional to the compression index
C. inversely proportional to the compression index
D. none of the above
Answer» C. inversely proportional to the compression index
302.

Coefficient of permeability of soil

A. does not depend upon temperature
B. increases with the increase in temperature
C. increases with the decrease in temperature
D. none of the above
Answer» C. increases with the decrease in temperature
303.

The admixture of coarser particles like sand or silt to clay causes

A. decrease in liquid limit and increase in plasticity index
B. decrease in liquid limit and no change in plasticity index
C. decrease in both liquid limit and plasticity index
D. increase in both liquid limit and plasticity index
Answer» D. increase in both liquid limit and plasticity index
304.

Which of the following soils has more plasticity index ?

A. sand
B. silt
C. clay
D. gravel
Answer» D. gravel
305.

Which one of the following clays behaves like a dense sand ?

A. over-consolidated ciay with a high over-consolidation ratio
B. over-consolidated clay with a low over-consolidation ratio
C. normally consolidated clay
D. under-consolidated clay
Answer» B. over-consolidated clay with a low over-consolidation ratio
306.

The angle that Coulomb’s failure envelope makes with the horizontal is called

A. cohesion
B. angle of internal friction
C. angle of repose
D. none of the above
Answer» C. angle of repose
307.

A 300 mm square bearing plate settles by 15 mm in a plate load test on a cohesive soil when the intensity of loading is 0.2 N/mm². The settlement of a prototype shallow footing 1 m square under the same intensity of loading is

A. 15 mm
B. 30 mm
C. 50 mm
D. 167 mm
Answer» D. 167 mm
308.

A 600 mm square bearing plate settles by 15 mm in plate load test on a cohesionless soil under an intensity of loading of 0.2 N/ram2. The settlement of a prototype shallow footing 1 m square under the same intensity of loading is

A. 15 mm
B. between 15 mm and 25 mm
C. 25 mm
D. greater than 25 mm
Answer» C. 25 mm
309.

Residual soils are formed by

A. glaciers
B. wind
C. water
D. none of the above
Answer» E.
310.

A grillage foundation

A. Is provided for heavily loaded isolated columns
B. Is treated as spread foundation
C. Consists of two sets of perpendicularly placed steel beams
D. All the above
Answer» E.
311.

The ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of soil mass is called

A. air content
B. porosity
C. percentage air voids
D. voids ratio
Answer» C. percentage air voids
312.

Coefficient of consolidation of a soil is affected by

A. compressibility
B. permeability
C. both compressibility and permeability
D. none of the above
Answer» D. none of the above
313.

Uniformity coefficient of a soil is

A. always less than 1
B. always equal to 1
C. equal to or less than 1
D. equal to or gi eater than 1
Answer» E.
314.

Sand particles are made of

A. rock minerals
B. kaolinite
C. illite
D. montmorillonite
Answer» B. kaolinite
315.

Which of the following is a measure of particle size range ?

A. effective size
B. uniformity coefficient
C. coefficient of curvature
D. none of the above
Answer» C. coefficient of curvature
316.

According to Atterberg, the soil is said to be of medium plasticity if the plasticity index PI is

A. 0 < PI < 7
B. 7<pi< 17<="" label=""></pi<>
C. 17<pi<27< label=""></pi<27<>
D. PI>27
Answer» C. 17<pi<27< label=""></pi<27<>
317.

If the material of the base of the Casagrande liquid limit device on which the cup containing soil paste drops is softer than the standard hard rubber, then

A. The liquid limit of soil always increases
B. The liquid limit of soil always decreases
C. The liquid limit of soil may increase
D. The liquid limit of soil may decrease
Answer» B. The liquid limit of soil always decreases
318.

The clay mineral with the largest swelling and shrinkage characteristics is

A. kaolinite
B. illite
C. montmorillonite
D. none of the above
Answer» D. none of the above
319.

In the plate loading test for determining the bearing capacity of soil, the size of square bearing plate should be

A. less than 300 mm
B. between 300 mm and 750 mm
C. between 750 mm and 1 m
D. greater than 1 m
Answer» C. between 750 mm and 1 m
320.

Effective stress is

A. the stress at particles contact
B. a physical parameter that can be measured
C. important because it is a function of engineering properties of soil
D. all of the above
Answer» D. all of the above
321.

Voids ratio of a soil mass can

A. never be greater than unity
B. be zero
C. take any value greater than zero
D. take values between 0 and 1 only
Answer» D. take values between 0 and 1 only
322.

When the plastic limit of a soil is greater than the liquid limit, then the plasticity index is reported as

A. negative
B. zero
C. non-plastic (NP)
D. 1
Answer» C. non-plastic (NP)
323.

Coefficient of earth pressure at rest is

A. less than active earth pressure but greater than passive earth pressure
B. greater than active earth pressure but less than passive earth pressure
C. greater than both the active earth pressure and passive earth pressure
D. less than both the active and passive earth pressures
Answer» C. greater than both the active earth pressure and passive earth pressure
324.

A soil has a bulk density of 22 kN/m3 and water content 10 %. The dry density of soil is

A. 18.6 kN/m3
B. 20.0 kN/m3
C. 22.0 kN/m3
D. 23.2 kN/m3
Answer» C. 22.0 kN/m3
325.

If the sand in-situ is in its densest state, then the relative density of sand is

A. zero
B. 1
C. between 0 and 1
D. greater than 1
Answer» C. between 0 and 1
326.

For a loose sand sample and a dense sand sample consolidated to the same effective stress

A. ultimate strength is same and also peak strength is same
B. ultimate strength is different but peak strength is same
C. ultimate strength is same but peak strength of dense sand is greater than that of loose sand
D. ultimate strength is same but peak
Answer» D. ultimate strength is same but peak
327.

Select the correct range of density index,1D

A. 1D > 0
B. ID > 0
C. 0 < 1D < 1
D. 0 ≤ 1D ≤ 1
Answer» E.
328.

Degree of consolidation is

A. directly proportional to time and inversely proportional to drainage path
B. directly proportional to time and inversely proportional to square of drainage path
C. directly proportional to drainage path and inversely proportional to time
D. directly proportional to square of drainage path and inversely proportional to time
Answer» C. directly proportional to drainage path and inversely proportional to time
329.

Clay layer A with single drainage and coefficient of consolidation Cv takes 6 months to achieve 50% consolidation. The time taken by clay layer B of the same thickness with double drainage and coefficient of consolidation Cv/2 to achieve the same degree of consolidation is

A. 3 months
B. 6 months
C. 12 months
D. 24 months
Answer» B. 6 months
330.

The hydraulic head that would produce a quick condition in a sand stratum of thickness 1.5 m, specific gravity 2.67 and voids ratio 0.67 is equal to

A. 1.0m
B. 1.5m
C. 2.0m
D. 3m
Answer» C. 2.0m
331.

Cohesionless soil is

A. sand
B. silt
C. clay
D. clay and silt.
Answer» B. silt
332.

Failure of a slope occurs only when total shear force is

A. equal to total shearing strength
B. greater than total shearing strength
C. less than total shearing strength
D. none of these.
Answer» C. less than total shearing strength
333.

Loess' is silty clay formed by the action of

A. water
B. glacier
C. wind
D. gravitational force.
Answer» D. gravitational force.
334.

The ratio of the weight of water to the weight of solids in a given mass of soil, is known

A. porosity
B. specific gravity
C. void ratio
D. water content.
Answer» E.
335.

A soil sample of mass specific gravity 1.92, has a moisture content 30%. If the specific gravity of solids is 2.75, the void ratio, is

A. 0.858
B. 0.860
C. 0.862
D. 0.864
Answer» D. 0.864
336.

A soil mass is said to be in plastic equilibrium if

A. it is stressed to maximum
B. it is on the verge of failure
C. it is in plastic stage
D. it starts flowing.
Answer» C. it is in plastic stage
337.

An unsaturated 100 cm 3 sample of soil weighs 190 g. If its dried weight is 160 g, water content of the soil, is

A. 0.188
B. 0.288
C. 0.388
D. 0.488
Answer» B. 0.288
338.

Talus' is the soil transported by

A. wind
B. water
C. glacier
D. gravitational force.
Answer» E.
339.

The intensity of active earth pressure at a depth of 10 metres in dry cohesionless sand with an angle of internal friction of 30° and with a weight of 1.8 t/m 3 , is

A. 4 t/m 2
B. 5 t/m 2
C. 6 t/m 2
D. 7 t/m 2
Answer» D. 7 t/m 2
340.

A structure is erected on an impervious clay whose thickness is 12 m. Drainage is possible both at upper and lower surfaces. Coefficient of consolidation is 0.015 cm 2 per minute. For attaining 50% consolidation with a time factor 0.20, the number of days required

A. 3233
B. 3123
C. 33331
D. 3313
Answer» D. 3313
341.

If water content of a soil is 40%, G is 2.70 and void ratio is 1.35, the degree of saturation is

A. 70%
B. 75%
C. 80%
D. 85%
Answer» D. 85%
342.

The ratio of e max and e min of silty sand, is

A. 2.0
B. 5
C. 3.0
D. 3.5
Answer» D. 3.5
343.

A suspended particle falls through a height H cm in water in t minutes. If the viscosity of water is ? and specific gravity of the particle is G , the diameter of the particle is (where M is a constant factor)

A. 10 3 M
B. 10 4 M
C. 10 5 M
D. 10 2 M
Answer» D. 10 2 M
344.

Drift' is the material picked up, mixed, disintegrated, transported and redeposited by

A. wind
B. gravitational force
C. glaciated water
D. all the above.
Answer» D. all the above.
345.

In active state of plastic equilibrium in a non cohesive soil with horizontal ground surface

A. major principal stress is horizontal
B. minor principal stress is vertical
C. major principal stress is vertical
D. minor and major principal stresses are equally inclined to horizontal.
Answer» D. minor and major principal stresses are equally inclined to horizontal.
346.

The plasticity index is the numerical difference between

A. liquid limit and plastic limit
B. plastic limit and shrinkage limit
C. liquid limit and shrinkage limit
D. none of these.
Answer» B. plastic limit and shrinkage limit
347.

In non-cohesive soil in passive state of plastic equilibrium

A. major principal stress is horizontal
B. minor principal stress is vertical
C. major principal stress is vertical
D. minor and major principal stresses are equally inclined to the horizontal.
Answer» C. major principal stress is vertical
348.

In a purely cohesive soil, the critical centre lies at the intersection of

A. perpendicular bisector of slope and the locus of the centre
B. perpendicular drawn at l/3rd slope from toe and the locus of the centre
C. perpendicular drawn at 2/3rd slope from toe and the locus of the centre
D. directional angles
Answer» E.
349.

Stoke's law does not hold good if the size of particle is smaller than

A. 0.0002 mm
B. 0.002 mm
C. 0.02 mm
D. 0.2 mm
Answer» B. 0.002 mm
350.

The total weight of a pycnometer with water and oven dried soil 20 ( g ) is 1600 g. The pycnometer filled with water alone weighs 1500 g. The specific gravity of the soil, is

A. 1.0
B. 1.5
C. 2.0
D. 2.5
Answer» D. 2.5