Explore topic-wise MCQs in Geotechnical Engineering.

This section includes 193 Mcqs, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your Geotechnical Engineering knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.

101.

Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equation is not applicable for ____________

A. Depth effect and Inclination factor
B. Narrow slope
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Narrow slope
102.

For purely cohesive soil, Nc has a maximum value of ___________ for square footing.

A. 5
B. 7.5
C. 9
D. 10
Answer» D. 10
103.

The term ‘i’ in Hansen equation represents ___________

A. Depth factor
B. Shape factor
C. Ground factor
D. Inclination factor
Answer» E.
104.

Bowel suggested that the increase in φ in plane-strain case can be computed only for φ greater than ____________

A. 30
B. 25
C. 60
D. 90
Answer» C. 60
105.

Which of the following equation has been recommended by Indian standard for finding reduction factor in water table?

A. R w = 0.5 (1 + z w2/B)
B. R w = (1 + z w2/B)
C. R w = c Nc + σ̅. Nq + 0.5γBNγ
D. R w = z w2 / B
Answer» B. R w = (1 + z w2/B)
106.

The factor N γ(M) identifies which of the following author?

A. Vesic
B. Meyerhof
C. Hansen
D. Terzaghi
Answer» C. Hansen
107.

Vesic observed _____________ types of bearing capacity failures.

A. 2
B. 4
C. 3
D. 5
Answer» D. 5
108.

When a footing fails due to insufficient bearing capacity, distinct failure patterns are developed depending upon _________

A. Failure mechanism
B. Plastic equilibrium
C. Shear strength
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Plastic equilibrium
109.

In local shear failure, the development of plastic equilibrium is ______________

A. Full
B. Partial
C. Zero
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» B. Partial
110.

The parameters Nc, Nq, Nγ in the equations of bearing capacity failure are known as _________

A. Constant head
B. Bearing capacity factors
C. Effective pressure
D. Load intensity
Answer» C. Effective pressure
111.

According to the assumptions in Terzaghi’s analysis, the soil is _______________

A. Homogeneous and Isotropic
B. Non Homogeneous
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Non Homogeneous
112.

For simple spread footing on clayey soil, the differential settlement should not exceed __________

A. 1/ 400
B. 1/300
C. 1/100
D. 1/3
Answer» C. 1/100
113.

The rate of differential settlement is defined by which of the following equation?

A. H/L
B. L/H
C. H/H c
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» C. H/H c
114.

The recommendation of American code, for a differential settlement depends upon __________

A. Type of structure and Pattern of loading
B. Settlement depth
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Settlement depth
115.

The value of c in the equation, q nf = c Nc.sc.dc.ic used for finding bearing capacity of cohesive soil can be calculated by ___________

A. Unconfined compression strength test
B. Static cone penetration test
C. Relative density test
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Static cone penetration test
116.

If the water table is located at the depth D, then the value of W’ is taken as ___________

A. 1
B. 0.5
C. 2
D. 0
Answer» C. 2
117.

An analysis of the condition of complete bearing capacity failure is usually termed as ___________

A. General shear failure
B. Terzaghi’s analysis
C. Bearing failure
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Terzaghi’s analysis
118.

IS code recommends a bearing capacity equation, which is similar to __________

A. Vesic
B. Meyerhof and Brinch Hansen
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» C. None of the mentioned
119.

The values derived from penetration tests can be used for finding ____________

A. Depth of hard stratum and Strength of soil
B. Soil saturation
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Soil saturation
120.

When a state of equilibrium is reached under the footing?

A. Load on footing increase
B. Load on footing decreases
C. Safe bearing capacity of the soil is reached
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» B. Load on footing decreases
121.

During the state of shear failure, which of the following principal stress relationship exist?

A. σ1 = σ tan α + 2c tan α
B. σ1 = σ3 tan2 α + 2c tan α
C. σ1 = 2c tan α
D. σ1 = σ3 tan α
Answer» C. σ1 = 2c tan α
122.

According to National building code of India, the differential settlement can be kept within limits by __________

A. Suitably designing the foundation
B. Decreasing the total settlements
C. Increasing the allowable pressure.
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» B. Decreasing the total settlements
123.

The standard penetration resistance is determined at a number of selected points at intervals of __________

A. 80 cm
B. 75 cm
C. 100 cm
D. 10 cm
Answer» C. 100 cm
124.

In the Bowl’s method for finding the effect of water table, which of the following factor is used for soil in the wedge zone?

A. Water reduction factor
B. Effective unit weight
C. Overburden pressure
D. Average unit weight
Answer» C. Overburden pressure
125.

The value of factor of safety used, for finding safe bearing capacity is __________

A. 2.5
B. 2
C. 4
D. 3
Answer» C. 4
126.

The expression for C n as given by Lio and Whitman is _____________

A. C n = √(σ’)
B. C n = √(100/σ’)
C. C n = 0.77log10(2000/σ’)
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» C. C n = 0.77log10(2000/σ’)
127.

Which of the following value can be taken [Nc] surface for surface footing?

A. 6
B. 5
C. 2.1
D. 9
Answer» B. 5
128.

The ultimate bearing capacity for cohesive soil can be calculated using the equation __________

A. q nf = c Nc.sc
B. q nf = c Nc.sc.dc.ic
C. q nf = Nc.sc.dc
D. q nf = sc.dc.ic
Answer» C. q nf = Nc.sc.dc
129.

Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of a local shear failure?

A. Failure is defined by large settlements
B. Failure surface do not reach the ground surface
C. Failure is sudden
D. Ultimate bearing capacity is not well defined
Answer» D. Ultimate bearing capacity is not well defined
130.

The bearing capacity equation for strip footing as given IS standard, can be modified on the basis of ___________

A. Shape of the footing
B. Type of soil
C. Bearing capacity
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Type of soil
131.

Hansen considered the bearing capacity as a ____________

A. Tri axial problem
B. Base factor
C. Plane-strain problem
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» D. All of the mentioned
132.

Which of the following is an essential difference between Vesic’s and Hansen’s procedure?

A. Different values of Nγ and Variation on some of Hansen inclination
B. Different value of Nq and Nc
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Different value of Nq and Nc
133.

The settlement of the plate in a load test is measured with the help of _________

A. Sensitive dial gauges
B. Test plate
C. Measuring unit
D. Datum bar
Answer» B. Test plate
134.

The maximum allowable settlement for warehouses are _________

A. 25
B. 38
C. 50
D. Less than 0.5
Answer» D. Less than 0.5
135.

According to Indian standard method, the loading of the plate should be borne with either by ___________

A. Gravity loading platform and Reaction truss
B. Concrete blocks
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Concrete blocks
136.

The curve for Nq and Nγ for the transition state from φ = 28° and φ = 38° was given by __________

A. Peck
B. Hanson
C. Thorn burn
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» E.
137.

Local shear failure generally occurs in ___________

A. Dense sand
B. Non-cohesive soil
C. Loose sand
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» D. All of the mentioned
138.

When D=0, the value of Nc for strip footing will be ____________

A. 6.20
B. 2.5
C. 5.14
D. 7.5
Answer» B. 2.5
139.

When the water table is above the base of the footing, the submerged weight ‘γ’ can be used to compute __________

A. Effective pressure and Surcharge
B. Pore pressure
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Pore pressure
140.

The plate load test is essentially a ___________

A. Laboratory test
B. Field test
C. Graphical method analysis
D. None of the mentioned
Answer» C. Graphical method analysis
141.

The symbol σ̅, represent which of the following term?

A. Ultimate bearing capacity
B. Effective surcharge
C. Gross pressure intensity
D. Bearing capacity
Answer» C. Gross pressure intensity
142.

The value of shape factor S c, S q and S γ for circular base is _________

A. 1.3, 1.2, 0.8
B. 1.3, 1.2, 0.6
C. 1.0, 1.0, 1.0
D. 1.2, 1.0 and 1.3
Answer» C. 1.0, 1.0, 1.0
143.

The effect of the water table is taken into account for bearing capacity in the form of ___________

A. Depth factor
B. Inclination factor
C. Correction factor
D. Shape factor
Answer» D. Shape factor
144.

For clay soil the value of n can be taken as _____________ in the absence of test data.

A. 0. 4 to 0.5
B. 0.20 to 0.25
C. 0.003 to 0.05
D. 0.08 to 0.10
Answer» D. 0.08 to 0.10
145.

Meyerhof’s extended the analysis of plastic equilibrium of a surface footing to __________

A. Shallow foundation and Deep foundation
B. Inclined foundation
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Inclined foundation
146.

According to Polish and Tokar brick masonry will crack, when the unit elongation amounts to ___________

A. 0.5
B. 0.005
C. 1.0
D. 0.05
Answer» C. 1.0
147.

Skempton observed that the factor Nc increases with the ratio ___________

A. D/B
B. B/D
C. H/Hc
D. c/cm
Answer» B. B/D
148.

Which of the following are original Terzaghi values for Nγ?

A. 34° and 48°
B. 60°
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. 60°
149.

The cone test is useful in determining the bearing capacity of ___________

A. Cohesion less soil and Fine sand
B. Clay soil
C. None of the mentioned
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» B. Clay soil
150.

Which of the following type of loading method is popular now-a-days?

A. Gravity loading platform
B. Reaction truss
C. Concrete blocks
D. All of the mentioned
Answer» C. Concrete blocks