1. What Do You Understand by M25 Concrete?

According to IS 456 : 2000, M refers Mix and 25 refers the characteristic compressive.
Strength of concrete cube of 150mmX150mmX150 mm tested at the end of 28 days
should be minimum 25 N/Sq.mm
2. What is the maximum allowable fresh concrete temperature until used as per
ASTM ?
32 C
O

3. what are the skills required to become an architect ?

1. Conceptual understanding of designing models
2. Basic knowledge of computer and architect related software programs
3. Designing 3D models
4. Engineering ability
5. Business aptitude
6. Legal knowledge
4. What is guniting ?
It is a process in which mixture of cement & sand in proportion of 1:3 is shooted on
concrete surface with the help of cement gun under pressure of 2 to 3 kg/cm . It is a
2

highly effective process for repairing concrete walls or damaged surfaces.

5. For filling cracks in masonry structures, the type of bitumen used, is
Plastic bitumen
6. What is the bending moment (BM) & Shear force (SF) – Explain.

A bending moment is the reaction induced in a structural element when an

external force or moment is applied to the element causing the element to bend. The
most common or simplest structural element subjected to bending moments is the beam.
Shear force is the force in the beam acting perpendicular to its longitudinal (x) axis. For
design purposes, the beam’s ability to resist shear force is more important than its
ability to resist an axial force. Axial force is the force in the beam acting parallel to the
longitudinal axis.
7. For filling cracks in masonry structures, the type of bitumen used, is
Plastic bitumen
8. What is the process of covering of concrete placed on the exposed top of an external
wall ?
Coping
9. A wall constructed to resist the pressure of an earth filling, is known as
Retaining wall
10. What is the minimum curing period?

IS 456 – 2000 recommends that curing duration of concrete must be at least 7 days in
case of Ordinary Portland Cement, at least 10 days for concrete with Mineral
admixtures. It also recommends that the curing duration should not be less than 10 days
for concrete of OPC exposed to dry and hot weather conditions and 14 days for concrete
with mineral admixtures in hot and dry weather.
11. What is the minimum weight of fine aggregate for sieve analysis as per ASTM
C136 ?
300 g
12. How many hours should CBR samples be soaked ?
96 Hrs
13. What is a bearing capacity of soil?

Bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to support the loads applied to the ground by the
foundation of the structure.
14. What do you mean by honeycomb in concrete?
Honeycomb, also known as air pocket, is nothing but the air voids in concrete. It is
usually formed during concrete casting.
15. What field tests are required for quality check of cement?
Quality of cement can be checked with color, physical properties, etc. Cement should
have grey color with light greenish shade. It should feel smooth when rubbed between
fingers. If hand is inserted in a heap of cement or its bags, it should feel cool. When
pinch of cement is thrown in Water then cement should float for some time before it
sink. Also, it should be lump free.
16. What are the types of cement?
There are various types of cement which are: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), White
Portland Cement (WPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Low Heat Portland
Cement, Coloured Portland Cement, Hydrophobic cement, Rapid Hardening Cement,
Portland Slag Cement, Sulphate resisting Portland Cement, etc.
17. what is the difference between built area and super built up area?
• Built up area: It includes your carpet area plus area covered by walls, pillars and
ducts. It is usually 10% more from the carpet area
• Super built up area: It includes your built up area plus the area that you use as
building amenities like passage to lift, stairs and lifts, gym, club, etc.
18. What is Water-Cement Ratio and How it is related to the strength of concrete?

The water-cement ratio is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of cement used
in a concrete mix. A lower ratio leads to higher strength and durability, but may make
the mix difficult to work i.e. low workability of Concrete Mix. Workability can be
increased with the use of admixtures.
19. Explain what is Hybrid Foundation?
Hybrid Foundation is usually used for high rise building, it contains both soil supported
mat and piles. This type of foundation is helpful in reducing the amount of the
settlement.
20 . What are the steps involved in the concreting process, explain?
Steps In Concreting:
1. Batching: The process of measuring different concrete materials such as cement,
coarse aggregate, sand, water for the making of concrete is known as batching.
2. Mixing.
3. Transportation:
4. Compaction.
5. Curing.
21. Explain what is flashing?
Flashing is an extended construction that is done to seal and protects joints in a building
from water penetration. Flashing is installed at the intersecting roofs, walls and
parapets.
22. What is Bursting Reinforcement ?
Tensile stresses are induced during prestressing operation and the maximum bursting
stress occurs where the stress trajectories are concave towards the line of action of the
load. Reinforcement is needed to resist these lateral tensile forces.
23. What are the major problems in using pumping for concreting works?
In pumping operation, the force exerted by pumps must overcome the friction between
concrete and the pumping pipes, the weight of concrete and the pressure head when
placing concrete above the pumps. In fact, as only water is pump-able, it is the water in
the concrete that transfers the pressure.
The main problems associated with pumping are the effect of segregation and bleeding.
To rectify these adverse effects, the proportion of cement is increased to enhance the
cohesion in order to reduce segregation and bleeding. On the other hand, a proper
selection of aggregate grading helps to improve the pump-ability of concrete.
24. What are the responsibilities of a construction manager?
The responsibilities of a construction manager are
• Cost Estimates
• Pre-purchase of selected materials
• Selection of bidders for bidding phase
• Analysis of proposals
• Construction contract negotiations
• Construction Scheduling and Monitoring
• Cost control of construction
• Construction supervision
25. What is Shear slump ?
Shear slump implies that the concrete mix is deficient in cohesion. Consequently, it may
undergo segregation and bleeding and thus is undesirable for durability of concrete.
26. Why is concrete weak in tension?
Concrete is made up of collection of materials (several aggregate types, cement,
pozzolans, water, air…), which are stick together with a cement paste. The “interface”
zone is the weakest link in the structure. When compressing, that interface only serves
to transfer compressive stresses from one aggregate to the next. That does not require
exceptional strength.
Under tension, the aggregates are trying to pull away from each other, and the glue is
what holds the whole system together. Since it is significantly weaker than the
aggregates, it is where the failure starts at much lower stresses.
27. What is grouting?
Grout is a fluid form of concrete which is used to fill the voids.
28. What is the recommended slump for column ?
75 to 125 mm
29. The bearing capacity of granite is generally ?
30 to 35 kg/cm 2

30. What are the specifications of tamping rod used in cube filling for cube test ?
Ans :- According to the IS code 2386, a 16 mm steel rod with rounded edge
31 .What is the minimum curing period ?
IS 456 – 2000 recommends that curing duration of concrete must be at least 7 days in
case of Ordinary Portland Cement, at least 10 days for concrete with Mineral
admixtures.
It also recommends that the curing duration should not be less than 10 days for
concrete of OPC exposed to dry and hot weather conditions and 14 days for concrete
with mineral admixtures in hot and dry weather.
32. What are the functions of column in a building ?
Column is a vertical member in building whose Primary function is to support
structural load and transfer it through beams. Upper columns transfers the load to the
lower columns and finally to the ground through footings.
33. What are the uses of Groynes ?
They prevent, or slow down erosion, and stop the longshore drift. This, however, can
have bad knock-on effects somewhere near.
34. What is the initial and final setting time of ideal cement mix?
Initial setting time for ideal cement mix is around 30 minutes for almost all kind of
cements. For masonry cement it can be 90minutes. Final setting time of ideal cement
mix should be 10 hours at max. For masonry cement it shouldn’t exceed 24hours
35. The portion of a brick cut across the width is called
Bat
36. 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 are required.
37. What are the common ways of demolition?
• Hydro-demolition
• Pressure Bursting
• Dismantling
38. What are the main reasons for conducting pull-out tests for soil nails?
There are mainly four reasons for this test:
1. To check and verify the bond strength between soil and grout adopted during the
design of soil nails. This is the main objective of conducting soil nail pull-out test.
2. To determine the bond strength between soil and grout for future design purpose.
However, if this target is to be achieved, the test nails should be loaded to determine
the ultimate soil/grout bond with an upper limit of 80% of the ultimate tensile
strength of steel bars.
3. To check if there is any slippage or creep occurrence.
4. To check the elastic and plastic deformations of test nails. This is observed during
the repeated loading and unloading cycles of soil nails.
39. Explain QA&QC ?
Quality Assurance (QA): Quality Assurance is a set of activities for ensuring quality in
the processes by which works are done. Quality Assurance is the process of managing
for quality.
Quality Control (QC): Quality Control is a set of activities for ensuring quality in
works. The activities focus on identifying defects in the actual products produced.
Quality Control is used to verify the quality of the output.
40. What Is The Ratio Of Grades M5, M7.5, M10, M15, M20, M25, M30, M35, M40?
M5 – 1:5:10
M7.5 – 1:4:8
M10 – 1:3:6
M15 – 1:2:4
M20 – 1:1.5:3
M25 – 1:1:2
M30, M35, M40 – Design Mix Followed
41. The length of each fish plate is
457.2mm
42. Rail chairs are used to fix
Double head rails
43. What is guniting ?
It is a process in which mixture of cement & sand in proportion of 1:3 is shooted on
concrete surface with the help of cement gun under pressure of 2 to 3 kg/cm2
44. It is a highly effective process for repairing concrete walls or damaged surfaces
Flat bearing
The main purpose of using bearing plate is to
Distribute the pressure over wider area,eliminate the adzing of wooden
sleepers,preventing the widening of gauge of curves
45. How would you describe the soundness of cement?
Cement soundness can be described as a property which ensures that the cement does
not go through any appreciable expansion pr experience any chance in volume once it
has been set. This process helps get rid of any possibilities of the mortar or concrete
from getting disrupted.
46. Creeping of rails can be checked by using
Anchors
47. What Is Rigging ?
In sailing, the ropes used to move the sails around so the boat will move in the right
direction when the wind blows.
48. What Are The Materials Used In Building A Gravity Dam?
There are many gravity dams constructed of compacted earth. High dams are generally
concrete. All dams require a spillway to be safe. The spillway must be armored.
49. What made you decide to become a civil engineer?
I Decided to become a civil engineer because of my father who is a Math teacher. As a
child he shared his great love for solving mathematical equations and other types of
puzzles with me. He was always asking me to look outside the box to solve each
dilemma. He encouraged me to have a quizzical mind and to always explore not only
how something was built but also how it worked. He inspired me to figure out if the
design could be improved upon by utilizing a different means.”
50. what The Purpose Of The Gap In The Road On This Bridge?
Purpose of the gap in the road is to allow the road to expand and contract with
temperature changes without causing damage or deformation to the road
51. On Indian railways , minimum formation width in embankment for a single line of
board gauge ,is
6.1m
53. The device used for changing the direction of the engines is called
Turn table
54. The device provided to prevent the vehicles from moving beyond the end of rail at
terminals is called
Buffer stops
55. What Are Moment Of Inertia And Its Importance In Civil Engineering?
The moment of inertia measures the opposition any kind of body will have against a
certain momentum (along that same axis) trying to rotate that body.
56. The distance between the running edge of the stock and switch rails at the switch
heel ,is called
Heel clearance
57. What are various tests for checking brick quality?
We can use water absorption test, hardness test, shape & size, crushing strength test,
soundness test, etc. to check the brick quality. In water absorption test, we dip the brick
for 16 hours in water. If weight of brick after dipping in water doesn’t exceed by 20%,
it can be considered as first class brick, if below 22.5% it can be considered as second
class brick, if below 25% it can be considered as third class brick. In crushing test, it
crushing strength should be minimum of 10 N/mm2 for first class brick, 7.5 N/mm2
for second class bricks. In hardness test, we scratch the brick with nails. It should be
scratch free. In soundness test we check the metallic sound by striking two bricks with
each other
58.The distance between the adjacent faces of the stock rail and the check rail , is called
Flange way clearance
59. What is void ratio?
Void ratio is the ratio of volume of voids to volume of solids.
60 .Stock rails are fitted
Against tongue clearance
61.The switch angle is the angle subtended between the gauge faces of the
Stock rail and check
62. Explain what is Critical Path Method (C.P.M)?
Critical Path Method is strategy and method of representing the respective tasks and
activities involved in the construction through a symbolic diagram.
63. How Do You Determine Specific Gravity Of Cement?
Cement is usually purchased as a powdery substance that is mixed with sand, aggregate,
gravel, and water to form concrete. Since the cement itself is usually a powder, it is hard
to measure a standard value for its specific gravity. In addition, since cement is usually
not used by itself, knowing its specific gravity is not Particularly useful.
A more useful question is “What is the typical density of concrete?” A rule of thumb
answer is that normal cured concrete has a density of about 150 pounds per cubic foot.
This includes the weight of the cement, sand, aggregate, and that PArt of the water that
chemically binds with the cement to form the concrete. Since water weighs about 62.4
pounds per cubic feet, concrete is about 2.4 times as heavy. Thus, the specific gravity of
concrete is about 2.4. If you took cement and mixed it with water, you would eventually
have a hard lump of useless cement and it would also have a specific gravity of between
2 and 2.4.
64. The distance between the running face of the stock rail and toe of the tongue rail is
known as
Throw of switch
65. The maximum value of throw of switch for a broad gauge track is
95mm
66 . In INDIA , the crossing number for passenger turnout is taken as
12
67 .A warner signal ,which is first seen by the driver , is known as
Outer signal
68.

69. The reception signal is

Outer signal ,home signal
70 .In a shunting signal , if the red band is horizontal , it indicates
Proceed
What the steps involved in Building Construction?
71. There are different steps involved in Building construction like,
 Concreting
 Masonry work
 Plastering work
 Flooring work
 Formwork
 Steel cutting and Bending
72. How do you measure the volume of concrete?
The volume of concrete is calculated by Multiplying its Length, Width, and Thickness
together. For Example – 1m x1m x1m = 1 m³ of volume of concrete.
73. Why Concrete Cover is provided to reinforcement?
Concrete cover for reinforcement is required to protect the rebar against corrosion and
to provide resistance against fire.
74. How to do check level on construction site?
I will check the level on construction site by Spirit level, Dumpy Level and Leveling
Pipe.
75. What is the accuracy of the dumpy level or minimum reading we can take?
With the help of a dumpy level we can take up 5mm accurate reading or minimum
reading.
76. How do you calculate the weight of 12m long and 10mm dia. Steel on-site?
By multiplying the length of steel bar with its unit weight
(unit wt of 10mm = 0.60 kg/m)
Weight of steel = 0.60x 12
= 7.2 kg
77. Which is the equation used for calculating unit weight of steel bar?
(D²/162)
78. What is the size of a concrete cube?
15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm
79. What do you do if any concrete cube fails in 28 days compressive strength test?
If the concrete cube fails in strength test, I will conduct a core cutter test on concrete
and send a report to higher authorities.
80. What is the mix ratio for M – 20 Grade of concrete?
1: 1.5: 3
81. What is the Unit weight of 12 mm Steel Bars.
0.89 kg/m
82. Explain what is floating slab foundation?
A floating concrete foundation is a type of mat foundation that consists of the hollow
mat formed by a grid of thick reinforced concrete walls between two thick reinforced
concrete slabs.
83. What is the Density of Steel?
7850 kg/m³
84. In Fe – 415 Steel Grade, 415 indicates of Steel.
Tensile Strength
85. The height of low kerb ?
A kerb is a structure used to separate pavement and median, pavement and shoulder,
pavement and footpath. In low kerb height is restricted to 100mm only.
86. What is the Volume of 50 kg bag of cement?
0.035 m³
87. What are the functions of grout inside tendon ducts?
Grout in prestressing works serves the following purposes:
1. Protect the tendon against corrosion.
2. Improve the ultimate capacity of tendon.
3. Provide a bond between the structural member and the tendon.
4. In case of failure, the anchorage is not subject to all strain energy.
88. In Residential Building, Average Value of Stair Width?
900 mm
89. What is the function of shear keys in the design of retaining walls?
In determining the external stability of retaining walls, failure modes like bearing
failure,
sliding and overturning are normally considered in design. In considering the criterion
of
sliding, the sliding resistance of retaining walls is derived from the base friction between
the wall base and the foundation soils. To increase the sliding resistance of retaining
walls,
other than providing a large self-weight or a large retained soil mass, shear keys are to
be
installed at the wall base.
90. he Slope of Stair Should not Exceed.
25- 40º
91. What are the major problems in using pumping for concreting works?
In pumping operation, the force exerted by pumps must overcome the friction between
concrete and the pumping pipes, the weight of concrete and the pressure head when
placing
concrete above the pumps. In fact, as only water is pumpable, it is the water in the
concrete
that transfers the pressure.
The main problems associated with pumping are the effect of segregation and bleeding.
To
rectify these adverse effects, the proportion of cement is increased to enhance the
cohesion
in order to reduce segregation and bleeding. On the other hand, a proper selection of
aggregate grading helps to improve the pumpability of concrete.
92. Minimum diameter of steel in Column.
12 mm
93. What are the disadvantages of curing by ponding and polythene sheets?
The purpose of curing is to reduce the rate of heat loss of freshly placed concrete to the
atmosphere and to minimize the temperature gradient across concrete cross section.
Moreover, curing serves to reduce of the loss water from freshly placed concrete to the
atmosphere.
Ponding: This method of thermal curing is readily affected by weather condition (cold
wind). Moreover, a large amount of water used has to be disposed off the construction
sites
after curing.
Polythene sheet: This method of curing is based on the principle that there is no flow of
air
over the concrete surface and thereby no evaporation can take place on top of the
freshly
concreted surface by provision of polythene sheets. However, it suffers from the demerit
that polythene sheets can be easily blown off in windy condition and the performance of
curing would be affected. Moreover, for water lost due to self-desiccation, this method
cannot replenish these losses.
94. Standard Size of Brick?
19 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm
95. What is Unit Weight of RCC?
2500 kg/ m³
96. Explain what are the problems one might face while having a Cantilever balcony?
Cantilever balcony are usually unsupported and extend outwards, so the problem with
Cantilever balconies are
• Excess deflection or bounce
• Weakness of the deck structure
• Rot and water damage to the interior of the house
• Unevenness inside the house
• Can’t use the balcony for gardening or other purposes as it is not designed to lift
excess amount of weight
97. One Acre = Sq. ft.
43560 Sq. ft.
98. What is the Full Form of UTM?
Universal Testing Machine
99. What do you understand by segregation?
Segregation is defined as a process of filtering cement & sand separately from
the concrete mixture. In other words, segregation is caused due to vibration
between materials forming a concrete.
One material being high in weight & one being less tend to be uneven while in
a liquid state. The heavier material gets settled at the bottom of the concrete
& lighter material moves on top.
100. Cement Expire After?
3 month
101. What is the IS code for Plain and Reinforced Concrete
IS :456

102. One square meter = Sq. ft?

10.76 Sq. ft

103. What are the standard American codes for steel and concrete
ACI and AISC
104. What is the code of practice for General Construction in steel
IS :800
105. What is unit weight of 25 mm Steel Bars
3.85 kg/m
106 . One Hectare = _______Acres
2.47 Acres
107. One Gallon = Liters 3.78Liters
108 . Which type of cement is used is construction of massive Dam structures
Low heat cement
109. One kilonewton is equal to kilograms
101.97 KG
110. For Steel structures what is permissible vertical deflection
Span / 325
111. One Tonne is equal to kilograms
1000 KG
112. Maximum Free fall of concrete allowed is ?
1.5 m
113. Instrument used for level work on a construction site?
Dumpy Level
114. What is the minimum reinforcement in beams
Ast/b*d = 0.85/ fy
115. What is the maximum reinforcement in beams
0.04*b*d
116. What is the minimum reinforcement in slabs
0.12 % of gross area
117. What is the minimum reinforcement in columns
0. 8% of area
118. What is the maximum reinforcement in columns
4%
119. Minimum Bars in Circular Column Should be_______
6 Nos.
120. What is the Full Form of AAC?
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
121. What is the Full Form of NDT?
Non – Destructive Test
122. What is the Full Form of JCB?
Joseph Cyril Bamford
123. Which Test is conducted to determine the bearing capacity of Soil?
Plate Load Test
124. Ring and ball test is conducted on which construction material?
Bitumen
125. Where is the section for bending considered
At the face of column
126. What is the maximum no of steps in a flight
12
127. What are various limit states of strength
Flexure, Compression, shear and torsion
128. Minimum hook length as per IS Code?
75 mm
129. What is the extra length in Bent up bars?
0.45 X D
130. What is Least Count of Dumpy?
5mm
131. What is Full of EGL?
Existing ground level.
132. A First Class Brick Should Absorb Water More than?
20 %
133. What are the minimum no of bars to be provided in rectangular column
4
134 .What are minimum no of bars to be provided in circular column
6
135. What are various losses in prestressing
1 Elastic deformation of concrete
2 Shrinkage of concrete
3 Creep of concrete
4 Relaxation of stress in steel

136. Vicats apparatus is used for

Consistency test
137. Le chatliers apparatus is used for
Soundness test
138. Number of Bricks used in 1 Cubic meter of Brickwork?
500 Nos.
139. The Normal Consistency of Portland Cement?
25 %
140. The Expansion in Portland cement is tested by…
Soundness Test
141. What is shear center in steel beam
It is point or axis through which load acts
142. What is Strut
Struct is a compression member
143. What is Modular ratio
It is the ratio of Modulus of elasticity of steel to Modulus of elasticity of concrete
144. What is the minimum diameter of bar used in column
12
145. What are bearing piles
Bearing piles transfer the loads to the hard strata
146. What are friction Piles
Friction piles transfer the loads by friction between surface of pile and soil.
147. According to IS Code, Full Strength of Concrete is achieved after?
28 Days
148. What is the Volume of 1 bag of cement?
0.035 m³
149. Minimum Grade of Concrete Used For RCC?
M – 20
149. What is the slenderness limit for column
Less than 12 , it is short column
More than 12 , it is Long column
150. What is the initial and final setting time for cement?
Initial: Less than 30 min and 600 min.
150. Le chatliers apparatus is used for
Soundness test

Most Asked Civil Engineering

Interview Questions
1) What is civil engineering?
Civil engineering is a professional discipline of engineering that works in the field of
the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built
environment, including public works such as roads, canals, bridges, dams, airports,
sewerage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways etc.

2) Which are the different sub-disciplines of civil

engineering?
Civil engineering is considered the second-oldest engineering discipline after military
engineering. It is traditionally categorized into several sub-disciplines such as
following:

o Coastal engineering
o Construction engineering
o Earthquake engineering
o Environmental engineering
o Forensic engineering
o Geotechnical engineering
o Materials science and engineering
 o Site development and planning
o Structural engineering
o Transportation engineering
o Municipal or urban engineering
o Water resources engineering etc.

3) Who is known as the father of civil engineering?

George John Smeaton is known as the father of civil engineering. In the era of the
industrial revolution in England, civil engineering emerged as one of the most
prominent engineering disciplines because of many scientific inventions.

4) How should I introduce myself in civil

engineering interview?
You should follow the tips given below for going to a civil engineering interview.

o Go to the interview room with a smile on your face.

o After greeting the interview panel, give details about your name and place. Tell about
your family details only if you asked so.
o Tell about your educational details.
o Explain why you want to do this job and about your project in brief.
o Tell about the person who inspired you the most.
o Tell about your interests/hobbies. You can also tell how you spend your time when
you are free.
o Tell about your skills and explain why you are best for this job.
o Thanks to the interview panel.

A sample answer:

Good morning sir/madam,

My name is Vivek. I am from Indore. I have completed B.tech in civil engineering

from Jaypee College, Indore, with an aggregate of 75%. I have completed HSC from
MP College with an aggregate of 70% and SSC from Boys High school, with 72%.
There are five members in my family. My father is a teacher, and my mother is a
homemaker. I have two siblings.

About my achievements, I got a certificate in a singing level competition in my

school. I got an NSS certificate in my college, which I participated in as a volunteer in
my 1st year of engineering.

If I talk about my strengths, I am hardworking, self-motivated and dedicated to my

work. I believe in working as a team. I am also a good learner.

My hobbies are making crafts, painting, surfing the net.

As a fresher, I don't have any working experience, but I will prove once I get the
opportunity.

5) What is Cement, and what are the different

types of cement?
Cement is a fine gray powder mixed with water and other substances to make mortar
or concrete. This is one of the most important building materials used in both
residential and commercial construction work.

There are many cement types such as Portland cement, high alumina cement, white
cement, sulfate resisting cement etc. But, generally, cement can be categorized into
the mainly following two types:

o Ordinary Portland cement: This is available in 33, 43 & 53 grades.

o Blended cement: This is available as PPC or slag cement.

6) What is the role of cement in construction?

In any construction, we have to use sand, bricks, jelly, water, steel and many other
raw materials. Cement is used to bind these elements together to provide strength
and durability to the construction.
7) Which is the best cement for house
construction?
There are many types of cement used in house construction. Cement is mainly
classified according to their grades. The cement grades determine the compression
strength (Mpa) of the concrete that will attain after 28 days of setting.

There are about 13 types of cement used for construction purposes. These cement
are:

o Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)

o Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)
o Rapid Hardening Cement
o Quick setting cement
o Low Heat Cement
o Sulfates resisting cement
o Blast Furnace Slag Cement
o High Alumina Cement
o White Cement
o Colored cement
o Air Entraining Cement
o Expansive cement
o Hydrographic cement

For house construction purpose, the following five types of cement are mainly used:

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) 43 Grade Cement: This cement is mainly used
for wall plastering works, Non-RCC structures, pathways etc. It gets a compression
strength of 43 Mpa (megapascals) in 28 days of setting.

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), 53 Grade Cement: This cement is mainly used in
RCC and pre-stressed concrete of higher grades, cement grouts, instant plugging
mortars etc. This cement is best for fast-paced construction, where the initial strength
is to be achieved quickly. It gets a compression strength of 53 Mpa (megapascals) in
28 days of setting. It attains 27 Mpa in 7days compared to 23 Mpa by 43-grade
cement.

Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC): This cement has a higher degree of fineness,
impermeable and corrosion-resistant quality that makes the concrete denser in large
structures. The initial setting time of this cement is low, but it gains more strength
with time. It is used in mass concreting work as well as RCC work.

Portland Slag Cement (PSC): This type of cement is preferred over OPC grade in
constructions where the structures are more liable to sulfate and chloride attack. This
has an excellent corrosion resistance quality, particularly from saltwater so, it is
widely used in coastal regions, sewage disposal, and water treatment plants.

White Cement: This cement is mainly used in decorative designs. It is also used to fill
gaps in wall tiles, ceramic bathroom fixtures. The manufacturing process of white
cement is different and more complicated when compared to ordinary Portland
cement. This is costly than other cement.

8) What is the meaning of grade in cement?

A grade is a number used to indicate the minimum compressive strength gained by
the cement-sand mortar mix in 28 days of time. For example, OPC 43 grade cement,
OPC 53 grade cement etc. The maximum number of grades shows the cement's
maximum compression strength after the 28 days of setting.

9) What is the chemical composition of the

Portland cement?
There are four main compounds in Portland cement. They are:

o Tricalcium Silicate (3CaO · SiO2)

o Dicalcium Silicate (2CaO · SiO2)
o Tricalcium Aluminate (3CaO · Al2O3)
o Tetra-calcium Aluminoferrite (4CaO · Al2O3Fe2 O3)

10) What is the blended cement, and what are the

advantages of using blended cement?
Blended cement is obtained by mixing OPC (Ordinary Portland cement) with mineral
admixtures or additives like fly ash, slag or silica fumes. These mineral admixtures
make the blended cement superior as compared to the conventional OPC category
of cement.
The advantages of using blended cement can be categorized into two types:

o Technical advantages
o Environmental advantages

Technical Advantages of using Blended Cement

o Blended cement is smoother than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). It provides a finer
texture than OPC when mixed.
o It provides more strength than OPC because fly ash and slag cement are significantly
stronger than OPC after full setting (more than 28 days) in compressive and flexural
stress. It depends on the proportion and quality of the admixture. Silica fume cement
sets in even less time, usually 3 to 28 days.
o The permeability is lower in blended cement. It extends its useful life and hardness by
reducing the penetration of aggressive water run-off compounds such as sulfates and
chlorides, which have increased impact as ordinary cement ages. Silica fume cement
allows only 20 percent of the permeability of OPC.
o When we use OPC, if the temperature differences between the concrete surface and
its interior are high, it may get weaker, and cracking can occur. So, OPC is not a good
choice for the areas where temperatures fall below 40 degrees. Blended cement can
reduce peak temperatures and reduce the risk of thermal stress.

Environmental Advantages of using Blended Cement

o Blended cement requires less water in construction.

o Blended cement saves energy because it uses admixtures such as slag, fly ash, which
is produced as a byproduct of other industrial processes.
o Blended cement is a good example of the conservation of resources. It uses waste
products of steel plants and coal power plants, among others. Using this waste in
cement lowers the demand for other components like limestone, silica, and clay,
helping to preserve these natural resources.

11) What is the requirement of curves on the road?

What are the different types of curves?
Curves are very important in road design. Civil engineers know how to use the right
equations to design a road with each of these curves. It is very important to calculate
the exact degree of the slope the road needs to be in the curve to keep cars from
sliding off the road. There are mainly four types of road curves:

o A simple road curve

o Compound road curve
o Reverse road curve
o Deviation road curve

12) What is concrete?

Concrete is a mixture of cement, sand, stone aggregates (jelly) and water. The
proportions of the ingredients are mixed according to the type of construction.

13) What is compacting, and why is it used?

Compacting is the process of making the cement mixture denser by releasing the air
from it. When we mix various materials, there will be air which is entrapped between
them. We have to remove these air bubbles to make concrete impervious and attain
maximum strength. Otherwise, there will be voids in the concrete, which reduce the
strength substantially.

14) What is the best way of compacting?

In small construction works, generally, steel rods or paddling sticks are used for
compacting, but mechanical vibrators are best for this task. Any compacting device
has to reach the bottom of the form and should be small enough to pass between
reinforcement rods.

15) What do you understand by reinforced

concrete?
Reinforced concrete is a form of concrete where we use steel bars or mesh along
with cement, sand, stone aggregates and water to give extra strength to the
construction.
16) What are the main responsibilities of a
construction manager?
A construction manager has to face the following responsibilities:

o Estimate the total cost of the project.

o Purchase of selected materials.
o Cost control of construction.
o Supervision of the construction.
o Selection of bidders for bidding phase.
o Analysis of proposals.
o Construction contract negotiations.
o Construction Scheduling and Monitoring.

17) What are the potential risk factors a worker

can face on the construction site?
There are many potential risk factors a worker can face on the construction site, such
as fall from heights, electric shock, scaffold and trench collapse, injuries due to not
using personal protective equipment correctly, repetitive motion injuries etc.

18) What is the unit weight of concrete?

The unit weight of concrete can vary depending on the type of aggregates and the
number of voids. According to the IS, the unit weight of concrete is 2406.53 kg/m 3 or
25KN/m3, and the unit weight of RCC is 2500 kg/m3 or 25KN/m3.

19) What is the unit weight of steel?

The unit weight of steel is 7850 Kg/m3. It is also known as the density of steel.

20) What do you understand by ductility?

Ductility is the ability to deform under tensile stress.
21) How can you describe the projection line is the
construction?
We can describe the projection line in the same way as we display the earth on a flat
piece of paper.

22) What are the various steps involved in the

concreting process?
The main steps involved in the concreting process are as follows:

o Batching
o Mixing
o Transporting and placement of concrete
o Compacting

23) What are the reinforcements that are used in

the process of prestressing?
There are mainly three types of reinforcements used in the prestressing process. They
are:

o Spalling Reinforcements.
o Equilibrium Reinforcements.
o Bursting Reinforcements.

24) How can you find the weight of the steel bar
used in reinforcement?
We can find the weight of the steel bar used in reinforcement by using the following
formula:

Weight of Bar in kg/m = Dsquare/162.2

Here, D is the diameter of the bar in mm.

25) What is a flat slab?
The slab which is supported on columns is only called a flat slab. The flat slab doesn't
have any beams.

26) What is the difference between a one-way slab

and a two-way slab?
If the longer span ratio is more than two times of shorter span, it is known as the
one-way slab.

o One way slab: Ratio of Longer Span / Shorter span > 2

o If the longer span ratio is less than or equal to two times of shorter span, it is known
as the two-way slab.
o Two way slab: Ratio of Longer span/ shorter span <= 2

27) What is the soundness of cement?

The soundness of cement is a property that ensures that the cement does not go
through any appreciable expansion or experience any change in volume once it has
been set. This process is used to avoid any possibilities of the mortar or concrete
from getting disrupted.

28) What is fatigue in construction? Give some

examples of structures that may be subjected to
fatigue?
Fatigue is a process of gradual damage to a structure that occurs when subjected to
cyclic loading (repetitive loading and unloading process). Following are some
example of structures that may be subjected to fatigue:

o Heavily loaded bridges

o Hydraulic Presses
o Aircrafts
o Concrete Reservoirs
 o Pylons
o Turbines
o Overhead cranes
o Transmission towers
o Offshore platforms
o Burners, trains etc.

29) What are the different types of slump test

indications?
A slump test is used to check the quality of the concrete mixture. It measures the
consistency of the fresh concrete before it sets. It is also used to check if the batch of
concrete is properly mixed or not. There are three different types of slumps that are
used in slump testing:

o True Slump
o Shear Slump
o Collapse Slump

30) What is built-up area and super built-up area?

The built-up area consists of the carpet area and space occupied by walls, pillars, and
ducts. In most cases, the built-up area is considered as 10% more of the carpet area.

The super built-up area includes the built-up area and any areas that are used by
building amenities such as life passages, lobby, stairs, gym, clubhouse, etc.

31) What are some common types of roofs used in

construction?
The most common types of roofs used in house construction are:

o Gable roof
o Shed roof
o Gambrel roof
 o Skillion roof
o Folded Plate roof
o Half-hipped roof
o Dutch Hip roof
o A-Frame roof
o Gull wind roof
o Bell cast roof
o Sawtooth roof etc.

32) What is the difference between one-story and

two-story buildings?
The building which has only one floor and a roof are called a one-story building. On
the other hand, the building which has two floors is called a two-story building.

33) What is a crank length in the slab?

The crank length in a slab is 0.42 D. Here, D is Depth of Slab, specified as top cover -
bottom cover.

34) What is the standard height of each floor of the

multi-story building?
The standard height of each floor of the multi-story building is 3 meters or 10 feet.

35) What is the length of rising and tread in the

staircase?
In a staircase, the length of the rise is generally 150mm to 200mm, and the length of
the tread is 250mm to 300mm.
36) What is the standard slope of a staircase?
According to the international standard, the slope or pitch of the stair should be
between 25 degrees to 40 degrees.

37) What is the OSHA compliance?

OSHA is an international standard for health and safety followed by every industrial
segment and corporate office throughout the U.S.A.

The full form of OSHA is Occupational Safety and Health Act. The main motive of this
act is to fulfill the health and safety requirement of employees and workers.

38) What is the considerable capital cost for a

construction project?
Following is the list of some possible capital cost for a construction project:

o Land acquisition cost( Assembly, holding and improvement)

o Planning and feasibility studies cost
o Construction material, equipment, and labor cost
o Construction financing cost ( Bank loan)
o Insurance and taxes during construction
o Owner's general office overhead charges
o Inspection and testing cost
o Equipment and furnishing not included in the construction
o Field supervision, architectural and engineering design

39) What is the composition of a landfill in a

construction?
Following are the four critical elements for a secure landfill:

o The bottom liner

o A leachate collection system
 o A cover
o Natural hydrogeologic settings

40) Which software is used in the construction

sector to estimate the cost and monitoring
expenses?
The following software is used to estimate the cost and monitoring expenses in the
construction sector:

o Construction partner
o Premier construction software
o Tally System
o Sage
o Maxwell System
o eTakeoff etc.

41) What are the different types of foundations

used in construction?
There are mainly three types of foundation used in construction:

o Basement foundation: In this type of foundation, first, a basement is prepared, and

then on top of it, the building is constructed.
o Crawl space foundation: It is a type of raised foundation. It is built above the
ground and provides enough space to crawl underneath.
o Slab foundation: In this foundation, concrete is directly poured into the pit made in
the ground.

42) What do you understand by the hybrid

foundation?
Hybrid foundation is generally used for high rise buildings. It contains both soils
supported mat and piles. This type of foundation helps reduce the amount of the
settlement.
43) What are the common ways of demolition?
There are mainly three types of demolition used to demolish a construction:

o Hydro-demolition
o Pressure Bursting
o Dismantling

44) What is the tallest human-made structure in

the world?
The world's tallest human-made structure is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (of the United
Arab Emirates). It is 829.8-metre-tall (2,722 ft).

This residential building gained the official title of "tallest building in the world" and
the tallest self-supported structure at its opening on January 9, 2010.

45) Which is a stronger solid steel rod or hollow

steel pipe?
As we take them based on weight, steel pipe is stronger in bending and is less likely
to buckle in axial compression.

46) What are the main reasons for a building

collapse?
There should be several reasons for building collapse. For example,

o Passage of time
o Weak foundations
o Natural calamities like earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.
o Other reasons such as bombing or war destruction also responsible for building
collapse.
47) What do you understand by flashing?
Flashing is a type of extended construction done to save the building from water
leakage. Flashing is done to seal and protect joints in a building from water
penetration at the intersecting roofs, walls and parapets.

48) What are the different types of a slump?

There are mainly three types of a slump:

o True Slump: If the general drop of the concrete mass is evenly distributed all over
the surface without disintegration after testing, it is called a true slump.
o Shear Slump: When one-half of the concrete mass slides down, the other is called
the shear slump. This type of slump is obtained in a lean concrete mix. Shear slump
specifies that the concrete has poor cohesion, and it may get segregation and
bleeding. That's why it is not preferred for the durability of concrete.
o Collapse Slump: If the concrete sample has excessive water added and the sample is
collapsed, it is known as collapse slump.

There is another type of slump known as Zero Slump. It is used for very stiff or dry
mixes. It does not show any changes in the slump after removing the slump cone.

49) What is grout, and why is it used?

The fluid form of concrete is called grout. It is used to fill the voids in construction.
50) What do you understand by alternate bid?
Alternate bid is the amount stated to be deducted or added from the base bid
amount. The alternate bid is used when there is a use of alternate materials or
methods of construction.

51) What is the acceptable moisture content in fine

aggregate for the concrete mix?
If the moisture content is more than 5% in the aggregate, it is not preferred to use.

52) What is the change order request?

The change order request is a written document issued or given by the owner,
requesting an adjustment to the contract sum or an extension of the contract time.
Usually, it is issued by the architect or owner's representative.

53) What is segregation of concrete?

Segregation of concrete is the separation of cement, sand and aggregates of
concrete from each other during handling and placement. This is mainly caused due
to uneven water-cement ratio or over-vibration or compaction of concrete. Cement
paste comes to the top, and aggregates settle at the bottom. It also occurs when
concrete is poured about more than 1.5m.

54) What does a construction cost covers and what

does not?
A construction cost covers the following things:

o Material
o Labor
o Equipment and services
o Contractor's overhead and profit
o Other direct construction costs etc.
A construction cost does not cover the following things:

o The compensation paid to the architect, consultant or engineers

o Cost of the land
o Other possible costs related to the owner's responsibility

55) What is the meaning of the term seepage in

construction?
The slow percolation of water through soil is called seepage.

56) What is the compressive strength of a brick

used in house construction?
There are three types of bricks used in house construction, which have different

Types of Bricks Compressive Strength

Second class bricks 70kg/cm2

First-class bricks 105kg/cm2

Fire bricks 125kg/cm2

57) What is the Critical Path Method (C.P.M) in

construction?
The critical path method is a strategy and method used to represent the respective
tasks and activities involved in the construction through a symbolic diagram.

58) What is the procedure to check the quality of

the cement on the construction site?
There are a few ways to check if the cement is good or not. See the following tips:
 o Date of manufacture: The strength of cement decreases with its age. So, it would be
best if you chose the cement which is produced as soon as possible.
o Color: The cement color should be grey with a light greenish shade, and it should be
uniform. The color indicates the excess of lime or clay in the cement.
o Float test: Good cement doesn't float if you throw the cement in water.
o Temperature: When you put your hand in a cement bag, it should feel cool.

59) What is the initial and final setting time of the

concrete?
The concrete's initial setting time is 30 minutes, and the final setting time is 10 hours.
The strength checking of concrete is generally done after 28 days of setting.

60) What do you understand by durability?

Durability is the ability to withstand under the pressure of a certain strength.

61) What do you understand by bleeding of

concrete?
Bleeding of concrete is a form of segregation, where water is separated and comes
out from the cement, sand and aggregates of concrete to the surface. This is mainly
caused due to uneven water-cement ratio or over-vibration or compaction of
concrete. There is also a reason as water has the lowest specific gravity among all the
ingredients of concrete.

62) What is the use of a zoning permit in

construction?
A zoning permit is a document issued by governing urban authority to the
contractors permitting that the land is used for a particular purpose.
63) What is soil analysis?
Soil analysis is a process of testing soil to determine its nutritional and elemental
composition. This testing is done to know the contents of nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorous in the soil.

64) Why is soil analysis required for construction?

When the construction company starts the construction, they assign soil engineers to
test the soil's composition to determine if it is strong soil or weak soil. Only the
strong soil is used for building construction. Strong soil is the type of soil that does
not expand or contract when exposing to moisture, and it has a good density. This is
essential for long-lasting construction.

65) What is the difference between a total station

and a theodolite?
A total station uses a GPS, lasers, and leveling sensors to measure precise elevations
and distances to develop point clouds. On the other hand, the theodolites or auto
levels can detect the change in elevation between two points without distance
measurements.

66) Why the leaning tower of Pisa has not fallen

over yet?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a beautiful piece of geotechnical engineering. This
tower is not collapsed yet because the engineers who made this tower have placed
weights on the north end of the foundation to balance the structure. Now, it is
believed that the structure will survive for hundreds of more years.

67) What are some common issues of the clients

that an architect has to face?
There are some common problems of the client that an architect has to face:
 o When the clients are unsure what they want, their confusion may create a problem
for the architect.
o When the client has a tight and limited budget
o When the client asks for a custom design at a standard design cost
o When an architect has to work with limited space

68) What are the different types of roofs?

Following are the different types of roofs used in house construction:

o Half hipped roof

o Mansard roof
o Dutch gable roof
o Bell cast roof
o Skillion roof
o Gambrel roof
o Gull wind roof
o Sawtooth roof
o Monitor roof, etc.

69) What is the difference between absorption,

adsorption, and sorption?
Absorption is when an atom, molecule or ions enter any bulk phase like gas, solid or
liquid. In this process, the energy of a photon is transferred to another entity. On the
other hand, adsorption occurs when the gas or liquid solute accumulates on the
solid's surface. So, adsorption is also similar to absorption, but it refers to the surface
rather than a volume.

The main difference between absorption and adsorption is that one is a bulk process,
and the other is a surface process. Sorption describes the actions of absorption and
adsorption both.
70) What is the role of compacting in concrete?
The role of compacting in concrete is very important. When we mix various materials
with cement, some air bubbles are entrapped between them. We have to remove
these air bubbles to make concrete impervious and attain maximum strength.
Otherwise, these air bubbles would form voids in the concrete, which reduce the
strength substantially. That is why compacting important.

71) What is the best way of compacting?

There are several ways which we can do for compacting. For example, we can use
steel rods or paddling sticks, but mechanical vibrators are best for compacting. A
compacting device is considered the best device which reaches the bottom of the
form and should be small enough to pass between reinforcement rods.

72) What is curing, and how is it done?

Curing is a process of maintaining a favorable environment for moisture retention in
concrete or supplying of water shower to the concrete from an external source. We
have to sprinkle water from the top to curing the newly constructed walls and kept
them wet. It is good for the slab or roof to make ponds of 1m x 1m and gently pour
sufficient water. Beams and columns should be kept wet by covering a wet sack over
them.

73) How many days should the curing is done

normally?
We should start curing just after the surface becomes dry, and we should do it for at
least 21 days.

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