UNIT I

PART A
1. Define Civil Engineering?
Civil Engineering is a branch of engineering which aims to provide a
comfortable and safe living for people by providing shelters by Civil Engineers.
2. Mention the important functions of civil engineer?
i) Feasibility studies, Site investigation and design before the construction starts.
ii) Dealing with contractors and clients during construction.
iii) Maintenance and Research after the construction completed.
3. Mention the main branches of Civil Engineering?
i) Structural Engineering
ii) Geotechnical Engineering
iii) Transportation Engineering
iv) Irrigation Engineering
v) Water supply, Sanitary and Environmental Engineering vi) Fluid
Mechanics
4. What are the important construction materials?
i) Bricks ii) Stones iii) Sand iv) Cement v) Cement Concrete vi) Steel
Sections vii) Industrial timbers viii) Plastics and Composite materials.
5. Define Bulk density & Porosity.
Bulk density is the ratio of mass to the volume of the material in its natural state i.e.
including pores and voids.
Porosity is used to indicate the degree by which the volume of a material is
occupied by pores.
It is the ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of the specimen.
6. Define Thermal conductivity & Thermal capacity.
Thermal conductivity of the material is defined as the amount of heat in
kilocalories that will flow through unit area of the material with unit thickness in
unit time when difference of temperature on its faces is also unity.
Thermal capacity is defined as the property of the material to absorb heat
7. Differentiate Elasticity & Plasticity.
Elasticity: When an external force is acting on a body, it undergoes some
deformation.
The property by which a body returns to its original shape after the removal of
external load
Plasticity: It is the converse of elasticity. This is the property of material by
which no deformation disappears when it is relieved from the external load.
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8. Define Abrasion & Hardness.

Abrasion: The resistance to abrasion of a material is found out by dividing the
difference in weights of specimens prior to and after abrasion with the area of
abrasion.
Hardness: The ability of a material to resist penetration by a harder body is
known as its hardness. To find hardness of a material, a load through a
penetrator is applied on the surface of a specimen and the surface area of the
impression is found out.
9. Mention the classification of soil.
There are mainly two types of soil classification
a) Particle size classification
b) Unified soil classification and I.S classification.
10. How do you classify rocks geologically and based on chemical composition?

Geological classification: i) Igneous rocks

iii) Metamorphic rocks.
Chemical classification: i) Silicious rocks
iii) Calcareous rocks.

ii)

Sedimentary

rocks

ii)

Argillaceous

rocks

11. List out the requirements or qualities of a good building Stone.

i) The colour of the stone should not be easily attacked by weathering
agents.
ii) A good building stone should be durable.
iii) Co-efficient of hardness should not be below 14.
12. What are the uses of stones in building construction?
i) Stones are used to cover floor of buildings of various types such as residential,
commercial, industrial etc.
ii) Stones are also used as ballast for railway track
iii) Stones are used as flux in blast furnace.
13. Mention some important building stones in India?
i) Granite
ii) Sand stoneiii) Lime stone
iv) Laterite
v) Gnisses
vi)Marble
14. What are the four distinct operations of brick manufacturing?
i) Preparation of brick earth ii) Moulding of bricks iii)
Drying of bricks iv) Burning of bricks

15. How are bricks classified?

Bricks are classified on the basis of method of manufacturing as
i) Unburnt or sun dried bricks
ii) Burnt bricks
a) First class bricks
b) Second class bricks
c) Third class bricks
d) Fourth class bricks
16. List out the uses of bricks.
i) Bricks are mainly used for the construction of walls in residential and industrial
structures
ii) Bricks when moulded in the shape of gutter can be used as drains. iii) Sand
lime bricks are used for ornamental works.
17. State the characteristics of good bricks.
i) Bricks should have uniform copper colour.
ii) Bricks should not absorb water more than 20% by weight when immersed
in water for 24 hours.
iii) Bricks should have even surface with sharp and square edges
18. What is frog in bricks?
A Frog is a mark of about 10 mm to 20 mm which is placed on the raw
brick during moulding. This serves two
purposes as i) Indicates the trade name of the
manufacturer.
ii) It affords a key for mortar when the next brick is placed over it.
19. What are the raw materials used for the manufacturing of cement?
Lime (CaO) 62%
Silica (SiO2) 22% Alumina
5% Calcium Sulphate
4%
Iron Oxide
- 3% Magnesia2% Sulphar 1% Alkalies 1%
20. List the uses of cement.
i) Cement is used for preparation of foundations, foot paths etc.
ii) Cement is used for manufacture of precast pipes, piles, fencing posts
etc.
iii) Cement mortar is used for masonry work, plastering, pointing etc..
21. State the various types of cement.
i) Quick setting cement ii) Low heat cement
iii) High alumina cement iv) Acid resistant cement
22. State the various properties of good cement.
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i) The colour of cement should be uniform ii) Cement should be free from lumps
iii) If a small quantity of cement is thrown in to a bucket of water , it should
sink
23. State the various types of steel.
i) Mild steel or Low carbon steel carbon content from 0.10 to 0.25 percent ii) Medium
hard steel or medium carbon steel Carbon content 0.25 to 0.6 percent
iii) Hard steel or High carbon steel Carbon content from 0.60 to 1.5 percent
24. List down the commercial forms of steel sections used in the construction.
i) Round bars ii) Square bars iii) Torsteel iv) Plates v) Flat bars vi) Angle
sections vii) Channel sections viii) I-sections
25. List out the properties of mild steel.
i) It is fibrous in structure ii) It is malleable and ductile iii) It is
tougher and more elastic than wrought iron
26. List out the properties of hard steel
i) It is granular in structure ii) Its specific gravity is 7.90 iii) It can
be magnetized permanently
27. Distinguish between ordinary steel rods and torsteel.
Ordinary steel rods are round, plain bars made of mild steel, medium tensile steel, high
tensile steel etc. Torsteel rods are twisted or torsioned deformed bars. Torsteel bars
have longitudinal and transverse ribs. Both the plain and torsteel rods are used as
reinforcement in concrete for roof slabs, beams, columns etc. Torsteel has higher yield
strength compared with mild steel bars.
28. What is cement concrete.
Concrete is defined as a building material obtained by mixing cement, fine and course
aggregates and water in suitable proportions. The resultant plastic mixture after curing
becomes hard mass. The course aggregates are broken stone, broken bricks or gravel.
The fine aggregate is sand or surki and the binding material is lime or cement
29. List out the properties of cement concrete.
i) It is plastic when freshly prepared and can be moulded to any shape.
ii) Concrete does not lose its strength with age and does not require
maintenance. iii) It is durable and not affected by weather.
30. State the various uses of cement concrete.
i) Concrete is mainly used in the construction of foundations, columns, floors, roof
slabs, beams, lintels, water tanks, sumps etc
ii) Concrete is used in massive structures such as dams and bridges. iii)
Concrete is used in the construction of bunkers, silos etc..
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31. List out the few types of special Cement concrete.

i) No- fines concreteii) Pre-cast concrete iii) Fibre reinforced concrete iv)
Prestresses concrete
32. What is meant by water cement ratio?
The ration of weight of water used to that of cement is termed as water cement
ratio.
Water cement ratio depends upon the strength and workability desired and method of
compaction.
33. Why are steel rods used in Reinforced Cement Concrete?
Concrete is good in compression and weak in tension.
To take all the tension forces steel rods are used in concrete.
34. Define curing of concrete.
The finished concrete surface should be kept wet for at least 7 days to promote
continued hydration of cement. This is called curing of concrete.
35. What is meant by 1:2:4 concrete mixes?
In 1:2:4 concrete mix, the materials are measured by the mass like 1 part of cement, 2
parts of fine aggregate 9 sand and 4 parts of course aggregate.
36. How to select the site for foundation?
i) Soil at the building site should not be of artificially made- up type.
ii) Site should not be undulating since this leads to increase in cost for leveling
the ground.
iii) The site should have its general slope and the ground water table in the site should
not be high.
37. What is workability of cement concrete
* Ease to mix, transport and place the concrete mix in position
* Wet Concrete has More Wokability
* Dry Concrete has less workability

PART B
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1. Explain briefly the various important varieties of stones.(4)

2. What are the uses of bricks? (4)
3. Explain briefly the various important varieties of bricks.(4)
4. Draw the layout of Portland cement and its operation in detail(8).
5. Discus briefly various types of steels in engineering applications.(8)
6. Explain the principle and divisions of chain surveying(8)
7. The following perpendicular offset was taken at 10m intervals from a survey line to an
irregular boundary line.
1.01,.2.20,3.30,4.40,5.50,6.60,7.70,8.80,9.90,10.10 all are in m. Calculate the area
enclosed between the survey line. The irregular boundary line, and first and last offset, by the
following (i) Average, (ii) Trapezoidal, (iii0 Simpsons rule. (16)
8. Convert WBC to QBV:
(4)
2552, 4334, 56 67, 49 86.
9. Convert QBV to WBC.
(4)
N23 32E, S 56 32W
10. The following staff readings were taken with a level, the instrument having
been moved second and eight readings: 1.23, 2.34, 3.45, 4.56, 5.67, 6.78, and 7.89
8.90, 10.23, 13.45, 45.56, 56.67 Enter the above readings in a page of level book and calculate
the reduced level reading. Take 100.00m as base reduced level.(16)
11. Explain with neat sketch prismatic compass and principles of compass
surveying. (16)
12. Explain the instruments used in chain surveying and principles of chain surveying. (16)
13. What are the different types of steel? Explain the properties and uses? (8)
14. What are the different types of cement? Explain the properties and uses? (16)
15. What are the requirements of good building stone & state important
varieties of Building stones (16)
16.Explain physical and mechanical properties of materials(8)
17.Explain Theodelite surveying in detail(16)
18. . Convert FB to BB.
N33 32E, S 76 32W