GEOTECHNICAL
Definition of Terms ENGINEERING
1. It is the distribution in the particle size of the soil.
a. Separation
b. Erosion
c. Gradation
d. Compaction
2. It is used to determine the grain size distribution of coarse-grained
soil.
a. Hydrometer Analysis
c. Sieve Analysis
b. Size Particle Analysis
d. Soil Analysis
20. The capacity of soil to adhere to other objects. It is estimated at
moisture content that displays maximum adherence between thumb and
forefinger.
a. cohesion
b. adhesion
c. stickiness
d. plasticity
21. Degree a soil can be molded or reworked causing permanent
deformation without rupturing.
a. cohesion
b. adhesion
c. stickiness
d. plasticity
3. Is the test used to determine the grain size distribution of the soils
passing the No. 200 sieve.
a. Hydrometer Analysis
c. Sieve Analysis
b. Size Particle Analysis
d. Soil Analysis
22. Are the limits of water content used to define soil behavior.
a. Atterberg’s Limits
c. Liquid limits
b. Plastic limits
d. Shrinkage Limits
4. It is based on Stokes’ law, which relates the terminal velocity of a freefalling sphere in a liquid to its diameter.
a. Hydrometer Analysis
c. Sieve Analysis
b. Size Particle Analysis
d. Soil Analysis
23. Is defined as the moisture content at which soil begins to behave as a
liquid material and begins to flow.
a. Atterberg’s Limits
c. Liquid limit
b. Plastic limit
d. Shrinkage Limit
5. Is defined as the ratio between the grain diameter (in millimeters)
corresponding to 60 percent passing on the curve (D60) divided by the
diameter of the 10 percent (D10) passing.
a. Coefficient of Uniformity
c. Coefficient of Gradation
b. Coefficient of Curvature
d. Effective Coefficient
6. Is the grain size corresponding to 10 percent passing on a grain-size
distribution curve.
a. Terzaghi’s Effective Size
c. Hazen’s Effective Size
b. Atterberg’s Effective Size
d. Casagande’s Effective Size
7. It is defined as the ratio between the square of the grain diameter (in
millimeter) corresponding to 30 percent passing on the curve (D30)
divided by the product of the grain diameter of the 60 percent (D60)
passing and the grain diameter of the 10 percent (D10) passing.
a. Coefficient of Uniformity
c. Coefficient of Gradation
b. Coefficient of Fineness
d. Effective Coefficient
8. The ratio of the volume of void space to the volume of solid
substance.
a. Porosity
c. Void Ratio
b. Air Space
d. Degree of Saturation
9. The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of the soil sample or
specimen. It is simply the open space between the soil grains.
a. Porosity
c. Void Ratio
b. Air Space
d. Degree of Saturation
10. The ratio of the volume of water in the void spaces to the volume of
the voids. It is simply the measure of the void volume that is filled by
water, expressed as a percentage ranging from 0 to 100.
a. Porosity
c. Void Ratio
b. Air Space
d. Degree of Saturation
11. Is also known as total, wet or moist unit weight. It is the total weight
divided by the total volume
a. Saturated unit weight
c. Bulk unit weight
b. Submerged unit weight d. Effective unit weight
12. Is the bulk unit weight of a soil when it is 100 percent saturated.
a. Saturated unit weight c. Bulk unit weight
b. Submerged unit weight d. Effective unit weight
13. It tells us how many times the soil grain is heavier than water.
a. Density of soil
c. Specific gravity of soil
b. Unit weight of soil
d. Unit mass of soil
14. Is the ratio of the difference between the void ratios of a cohesionless
soil in its loosest state and existing natural state to the difference
between its void ratio in the loosest and densest states.
a. Relative density
c. Density index
b. a and b
d. none of these
15. Provides a means of describing the degree and kind of cohesion and
adhesion between the soil particles as related to the resistance of the soil
to deform or rupture.
a.Soil Consistence b. Soil Firmness c.Soil Stability
d.Soil index
16. Is a field measure of the ability of the soil to withstand an applied
stress or pressure as applied using the thumb and forefinger.
a. Rupture Resistance
c. Soil Resistance
b. Soil Stability
d. Soil Consistency
17. Is defined as the relative ease with which a soil can be deformed. use
the terms of soft, firm, or hard.
a. Rupture Resistance
c. Soil Resistance
b. Soil Stability
d. Soil Consistency
18. Is the attraction of one water molecule to another resulting from
hydrogen bonding (water-water bond).
a. cohesion
b. adhesion
c. stickiness
d. plasticity
19. It involves the attraction of a water molecule to a non-water molecule
(water-solid bond).
a. cohesion
b. adhesion
c. stickiness
d. plasticity
24. Is defined as the moisture content at which soil begins to behave as a
plastic material. It is also defined as the moisture content at which the soil
crumbles when rolled into a thread of 3.18 mm in diameter.
a. Atterberg’s Limits
b. Liquid limit
c. Plastic limit
d. Shrinkage Limit
25. Is defined as the moisture content at which no further volume change
occurs with further reduction in moisture content.
a. Atterberg’s Limits
c. Liquid limit
b. Plastic limit
d. Shrinkage Limit
26. Is the difference between the liquid limit and plastic limit of a soil.
a. Liquidity Index
c. Plasticity Index
b. Consistency Index
d. Shrinkage Index
27. Was originally proposed by the a Highway Research Board’s
Committee on Classification of Materials for Subgrades and Granular
Type Road. According to the present form of the system, soil can be
classified according to eight major groups, A-1 through A-8, based on the
grain size distribution, liquid limit and plasticity indices.
a. AASHTO System
c. USCS System
b. USDA System
d. MIT System
28. Is a soil classification system used in engineering and geology to
describe the texture and grain size of a soil. The classification system can
be applied to most unconsolidated materials, and is represented by a
two-letter symbol.
a. AASHTO System
c. USCS System
b. USDA System
d. MIT System
29. It is also called as Textural classification system
a. AASHTO System
c. USCS System
b. USDA System
d. MIT System
30. Is the densification of soil by removal of air, which requires
mechanical energy.
a. Cohesion b. Compression c. Consolidation
d. Compaction
31. The moisture content at which the maximum dry unit weight of soil is
attained.
a. maximum moisture content
c. optimum moisture content
c. minimum moisture content
d. average moisture content
32. It is a technique for in situ densification of thick layers of loose
granular soil deposits.
a. sand cone method
c. nuclear method
c. rubber balloon method
d. vibroflotation
33. It is also called coefficient of permeability.
a. hydraulic seepage
c. hydraulic conductivity
c. coefficient of flow
d. coefficient of percolation
34. The coefficient of permeability of soil depends on
a. fluid viscosity and pore size distribution
b. grain size distribution and degree of saturation
c. roughness of soil particles and degree of saturation
d. all of these
35. Is a line along which water particle will travel from upstream to the
downstream side in the permeable soil medium.
a. Flow line
c. Equipotential Line
b. Energy Line
d. Seepage Line
36. A line along which the potential head at all points are equal.
a. Equiflow line
c. Equipotential Line
b. Energy Line
d. Datum Line
37. Are constructed to calculate the groundwater flow in the media that
combine flow line and equipotential lines.
a. Flow Nets
b. Flow Media
c. Flow Indices d. Flow Curves
38. The sum of the vertical components of the forces developed at the
points of contact of the solid particles per unit cross sectional area of the
soil mass.
a. Total Stress
c. Partial Stress
b. Effective Stress
d. Maximum Stress
39. Caused by the elastic deformation of dry soil and of moist and
saturated soils without any change in the moisture content.
a. Immediate settlement
b. Primary consolidation settlement
c. Secondary consolidation settlement
d. Tertiary Consolidation settlement
40. The result of volume change in saturated cohesive soils because of
the expulsion of water that occupies the void spaces.
a. Immediate settlement
b. Primary consolidation settlement
c. Secondary consolidation settlement
d. Tertiary Consolidation settlement
41. The result of the plastic adjustment of soil fabrics.
a. Immediate settlement
b. Primary consolidation settlement
c. Secondary consolidation settlement
d. Tertiary Consolidation Settlement
42. Ratio of preconsolidation pressure to present effective overburden
pressure.
a. Overconsoldation ratio
c. Overburden ratio
b. Oversettlement ratio
d. Overstress ratio
43. The internal resistance per unit area of the soil mass to resist failure
and sliding along any plane.
a. Shear strength
c. Effective strength
c. Bearing strength
d. Normal strength
44. It is approximately a straight line on a semi logarithmic plot as shown
in a consolidation characteristics of normally consolidated clay of low to
medium sensitivity, it occurred when slope is equal to Cc.
a. Virgin Consolidation Curve
b.Consolidation Curve for Remolded Spqecimen
c. Laboratory Consolidation Curve
d. NOTA
a. Toe Circle
c. Mid-point Circle
b. Slope Circle
d. Concentric Circle
56. It is the failure circle in the case of base failure
a. Toe Circle
b. Slope Circle
c. Mid-point Circle
d. Concentric Circle
57. It is a method for analyzing the stability of a slope in two dimensions.
The sliding mass above the failure surface is divided into a number of
slices. The forces acting on each slice are obtained by considering the
mechanical equilibrium for the slices.
a. Method of Slices
b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
c. Sarma Method
d. Lorimer’s Method
58. It is a method for calculating the stability of slopes. It is an extension
of the Method of Slices. By making some simplifying assumptions, the
problem becomes statically determinate and suitable for hand
calculations where the forces on the sides of each slice are horizontal.
a. Darcy ‘s Method
b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
c. Sarma Method
d. Lorimer’s Method
59. It is a Limit equilibrium technique used to assess the stability of
slopes under seismic conditions. It may also be used for static conditions
if the value of the horizontal load is taken as zero. The method can
analyse a wide range of slope failures as it may accommodate a multiwedge failure mechanism and therefore it is not restricted to planar or
circular failure surfaces. It may provide information about the factor of
safety or about the critical acceleration required to cause collapse.
a. Method of Slices
b. Bishop’s Simplified Method of Slices
c. Sarma Method
d. Lorimer’s Method
60. It is a technique for evaluating slope stability in cohesive soils. It
differs from Bishop's Method in that it uses a clothoid slip surface in place
of a circle. This mode of failure was determined experimentally to account
for effects of particle cementation.
a. Method of Slices
b. Michalowki’s Solution
c. Sarma Method
d. Lorimer’s Method
45. Generally decreases as the liquid limit of soil increases and its range
of variation is rather wide.
a. Coefficient of Consolidation b. Coefficient of pre-consolidation
c. Secondary compression index d. Swell Index
61. It uses the kinematic approach of limit analysis similar to ordinary
methods of slices.
a. Method of Slices
b. Michalowki’s Solution
c. Sarma Method
d. Lorimer’s Method
46. It is another way to accelerate the consolidation settlement of soft,
normally consolidated clay layers and achieve precompression before
foundation construction. It is constructed by drilling holes through the clay
layers in the field at irregular intervals.
a. French Drain
b. Sand Drain c. American Drain
d. NOTA
62. The process of identifying the layers of deposits that underlie a
proposed structure and their physical characteristics.
a. Geological exploration
b. Subsurface Exploration
c. Surface Exploration
d. Geotechnical Exploration
47. It is also known as a sub-drain, a perforated pipe designed to pull
excessive water from soil and away from areas such as house
foundations.
a. French Drain
b. Sand Drain c. American Drain
d. NOTA
48. It is one of the most reliable methods available for determining the
shear strength parameters. It is used widely for both research and
conventional testing.
a. Direct Shear Test
b. Triaxial Shear Test
c. Consolidated-drained Test
d. Consolidated-undrained Test
49. It is the oldest and simplest form of shear test arrangement. The test
equipment consist of a metal shear box in which the soil specimen is
placed.
a. Direct Shear Test
b. Triaxial Shear Test
c. Consolidated-drained Test
d. Consolidated-undrained Test
50. An exposed ground surface that stands at an angle with the
horizontal. It is slope that can either be natural or constructed.
a. restrained slope
b. slope failure
c. unrestrained slope
d. infinite slope
63. It is the simplest method of making exploratory boreholes which can
use two hand tools.
a. Auger Boring
b. Wash Boring
c. Rotary Drilling
d. Percussion Drilling
64. It is another method of advancing boreholes which uses a casing
about 2-3m long driven into the ground. The soil inside the casing is then
removed using a chopping bit attached to a drilling rod.
a. Auger Boring
b. Wash Boring
c. Rotary Drilling
d. Percussion Drilling
65. It is a procedure by which rapidly rotating drilling bits attached to the
bottom of drilling rods cut and grind the soil and advance the borehole. It
can be used in clay, sand, and rocks.
a. Auger Boring
b. Wash Boring
c. Rotary Drilling
d. Percussion Drilling
66. it is an alternative method of advancing a borehole, particularly
through hard soil and rock. It also required casing.
a. Auger Boring
b. Wash Boring
c. Rotary Drilling
d. Percussion Drilling
51. It is an analysis which involves determining and comparing the shear
stress developed along the most likely rupture surface with shera
strength of the soil.
a. Slope Stability Analysis
b. Director Shear Analysis
c. Mohr Coulumb Theorem
d. NOTA
67. It can be used in the field to obtain soil samples that are generally
disturbed but still representative. It consists of a steel driving shoe, a
steel tube that is split longitudinally in half, and a coupling at the top..
a. Safety Hammer
b. Donut Hammer
c. spring Core Catcher
d. Split-Spoon Sampler
52. It is a type of failure occurs in a such a way that the surface of sliding
passes at a distance below the toe of the slope.
a. Slope failure
b. Base Failure
c. Circular Failure
d. critical Failure
68. It is device placed inside the split spoon to ease the sample recovery
when the material encountered in the field is fine sand below the water
surface.
a. Safety Hammer
b. Donut Hammer
c. Spring Core Catcher
d. Extensometer
53. It is a type of failure occurs in a such a way that the surface of sliding
intersects the slope or above its toe.
a. Slope failure
b. Base Failure
c. Circular Failure
d. critical Failure
54. It is the failure circle in the case of slope and occurred when it passes
through the toe of the slope.
a. Toe Circle
b. Slope Circle
c. Mid-point Circle
d. Concentric Circle
55. It is the failure circle in the case of slope circle and occurred when it
passes above the toe of the slope.
69. They are sometimes called as Shelby tubes. Which are made of
seamless steel tube and are commonly used to obtain undisturbed clayey
soil
a. Aluminium Tube b. Steel Tube c. Thin Wall Tubes d. Piezometer
70. It is a versatile sounding method that can be used to determine the
material in a soil profile and estimate their engineering properties.
a. Cone Penetration Test
b. Dutch Cone Penetration Test
c. Static Penetration Test
d. All of the Above
71. It is an in situ test conducted in a borehole. It was originally
developed by Menard to measure the strength and deformability of soil.
a. Pressuremeter Test (PMT) b. Dilatometer Test (DMT)
c. Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
d. NOTA
72. It is the ratio of effective horizontal stress to the vertical stress.
a. Coefficient of Earth Pressure at rest
b. Coefficient of Dynamic Earth Pressure.
c. Coefficient of Dynamic Viscosity
d. Coefficient of Rankine’s Active Pressure
73. It refers to the condition in which every point in a soil mass is on the
verge of failure.
a. Plastic Equilibrium
b. Elastic Equilibrium
c. Dynamic Equilibrium
d. Static Equilibrium
74. It is the pressure that soil exerts against a structure in a sideways,
mainly horizontal direction. The common applications of its theory are for
the design of ground engineering structures such as retaining
walls, basements, tunnels, and to determine the friction on the sides
of deep foundations.
a. Allowable pressure
b. Lateral Earth Presssure
c. Effective Pressure
d. Ultimate Pressure
75. The state occurs when a soil mass is allowed to relax or move
outward to the point of reaching the limiting strength of the soil; that is,
the soil is at the failure condition in extension. Thus it is the minimum
lateral soil pressure that may be exerted.
a. Active State
b. Passive State
c. Equilibrium State d. NOTA
76. The state occurs when a soil mass is externally forced to the limiting
strength (that is, failure) of the soil in compression. It is the maximum
lateral soil pressure that may be exerted.
a. Active State
b. Passive State c. Equilibrium State d. NOTA
77. It was developed in 1857, and is a stress field solution that predicts
active and passive earth pressure. It assumes that the soil is
cohesionless, the wall is frictionless, the soil-wall interface is vertical, the
failure surface on which the soil moves is planar, and the resultant force
is angled parallel to the backfill surface.
a. Rankine’s Theory
b. Coulumb’s Theory
c. Terzaghi’s Theory
d. Big Bang Theory
78. A theory for active and passive earth pressure against the nretaining
wall. The proponent assumed that the failure surface is plane. The wall
friction was taken into consideration. It was presented last 1776.
a. Rankine’s Theory
b. Coulumb’s Theory
c. Terzaghi’s Theory
d. Big Bang Theory
79.It is the lowest part of the structure and its function is to transfer the
load of the structure to the soil on which it is resting.
a. Excavation
b. Foundation
c. Column
d. basement
80. It is simply an enlargement of a load bearing wall or column that
makes it possible to spread the load of the structure over the large area
of the soil
a. Spread Footing
b. Mat Foundation
c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation
d. Deep Foundation
81. They are used for heavier structures when great depth is required for
supporting the loads.
a. Spread Footing
b. Mat Foundation
c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation d. NOTA
82. It is a structural member made of concrete, timber, or steel that
transmit the load of the superstructure to the lower layers of the soil.
a. Footing
b. anchorage
c. pile
d. column
83. He was the first to present a comprehensive theory for evaluating
the ultimate bearing capacity of rough shallow foundation. According to
his theory the depth of the foundation is shallow if the depth of the
foundation is less than or equal to the width of the foundation.
a. Rankine
b. Coulomb
c. Terzaghi
d. Meyorhof
84. He proposed a correlation for the net allowable bearing pressure for
foundationwith the standard penetration resistance.
a. Rankine
b. Coulomb
c. Terzaghi
d. Meyorhof
85. It is a type of foundation which is referred to as a raft foundation. It is
a combined footing that may cover entire area under structure supporting
several columns and walls.
a. Spread Footing
b. Mat Foundation
c. Pile and Drilled Shaft Foundation
d. Deep Foundation
86. A type of pile which are generally either pipe piles or Rolled steel HSection piles.
a. Steel Pile
b. Concrete Pile c. Timber Pile d. Composite Pile
87. A type of pile which are either precast pile or cast-in-situ piles.
a. Steel Pile
b. Concrete Pile c. Timber Pile d. Composite Pile
88. A type of pile which are tree trunks that have their branches and bark
carefully trimmed off. The maximum length of this type of pile is 10 to 20
m.
a. Steel Pile
c. Timber Pile
b. Concrete Pile
d. Composite Pile
89. It is type of retaining wall which are constructed with plain concrete
or stone masonry. They depend on their own weight and ay soil resting
on the masonry for stability and it is not economicsl for high walls.
a. Gravity Retaining Wall
b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall
c. Cantilever Retaining Wall d. Counterfort Retaining Wall
90. They are made up of reinforced concrete that consist of a thin stem
and a base slab. This type of wall is economical to a height about 8m.
a. Gravity Retaining Wall
b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall
c. Cantilever Retaining Wall
d. Counterfort Retaining Wall
91. It is similar to Cantilever Retaining Wall, its purpose is to reduce the
shear and the bending moments.
a. Gravity Retaining Wall
b. Semi-Gravity retaining Wall
c. Cantilever Retaining Wall
d. Counterfort Retaining Wall
92. They are called as geotextiles
a. Metal Strip
c. Non-Biodegradable Fabrics
b. Biodegardable Fabrics
d. Geogrids
93. They are high-modulus polymer material such as polypropylene and
polyethylene and are prepared by tensile drawing.
a. Metal Strip
b. Biodegardable Fabrics
c. Non-Biodegradable Fabrics
d. Geogrids
94. It is defined as the ratio of the unconfined compression strength in
undisturbed state to that in a remolded state.
a. degree of saturation
b. degree of freedom
c. degree of sensitivity
d. degree of compressibility
95. Which of the following are the solutions developed in the past for
stability analysis of simple slope with steady state seepage.
I. Bishop and Mongensterns’s Solution
II. Spencer’s Solution
III. Cousin’s Solution
IV. Michalowki’s Solution
a. I only
c. II and III only
b. I and II only
d. All of the Above
96. It is another method of determining liquid limit that is popular in
Europe and in Asia. In this test the liquid limit is defined as the moisture
content at which a standard cone of apex angle 300 and weigh 0.78 N
will penetrate a distance d=20 mm in 5 seconds when allowed to drop
from a position of point contact with the soil surface.
a. Fall Cone Test
b. Standard Cone Test
c. British Standard Test
d. Europe Cone Test
97. Which of the following are the typical properties of sand.
I. The grain-size distribution of the sand at any particular
location is surprisingly uniform.
II. The general grain size decreases with distance from the
source, because the wind carries the small characteristics
small particles farther than the large one.
III. The relative density of sand deposited on the windward
side of dunes amy be as high as 50 to 65 %, decreasing to
about 0 to 15 % on the leeward side.
a.
b.
I only
II and III only
c. I and II Only
d. All of the Above
98. These are the common types of rollers that are used for Field
Compaction.
I. Smooth-wheel roller
II. Pneumatic rubber-tired roller
III. Sheepfoot Roller
IV. Vibartory Roller
a.
b.
I, II, and III only
I, II, and IV only
c. II, III, and IV only
d. All of the Above
99. Which of the following are the standard procedures used for
determining the field unit weight of compaction.
I. Sand Cone Method
II. Rubber Balloon Method
III. Nuclear Method
IV. Falling Head Test
a.
b.
I only
I, II, and III only
c. I and II only
d. All of the Above
100. These are the regions found on the analysis of the variation
hydraulic gradient.
I. Laminar Flow Zone
II. Transition Zone
III. Turbulent Flow Zone
IV. undisturbed flow zone
a.
b.
I only
I, II, and III only
c. I and II only
d. All of the Above