Unit 1

1. A soil mass in a three-phase system consists of ______

a) solids, water and air
b) sand, gravel and air
c) solids and water only
d) solids and air only
2. When the soil is fully saturated, then there are no air voids present in it.
a) True
b) False
3. The volume of voids Vv is equal to the sum of ______
a) the volume of air and volume of solids
b) the volume of air and volume of water
c) the volume of water and volume of solids
d) the volume of water and the weight of water
4. A soil sample weighs 190kN. After oven drying it weighs 150kN. What will be the weight of
Water before oven drying?
a) 35 kN
b) 40 kN
c) 30 kN
d) 45 kN
5. A soil has a dry unit weight of 17 kN/m3 and water content of 20%, then what will be its bulk
unit weight?
a) 19.3 kN/m3
b) 20.4 kN/m3
c) 22.6 kN/m3
d) 24.4 kN/m3
6. Sieve analysis is meant for______
a) coarse-grained soils
b) fine-grained soils
c) coarse-grained gravel
d) silt
7. The portion retained on______ IS sieve is termed as gravel fraction.
a) 4.75mm
b) 2mm
c) 425micron
d) 75micron
8. The plastic index is calculated from the relation ____________
a) IP = WP-WL
b) IP = WL-WP
c) IP= IL-IS
 d) IP=IW-IS
9. The filed density of a natural soil deposit cannot be determined by_____ method.
a) sand replacement
b) oven-dry
c) core cutter
d) water displacement
10. The principle of submerged mass density method is_______
a) Equilibrium of floating bodies
b) Stroke’s law
c) Archimedes’ principle
d) Darcy’s law
11. The property of a soil which allows it to be deformed rapidly, without rupture is _________
a) Elasticity
b) Plasticity
c) Tenacity
d) None of the mentioned
12. Which of the following is not useful for engineer purpose, as proposed by Atterberg?
a) Plastic limit
b) Liquid limit
c) Solid limit
d) Shrinkage limit
13. The ISCS classifies the soil in to __________
a) 12 groups
b) 15 groups
c) 18 groups
d) 16 groups
14. In oven drying method, the soil sample is kept for about ______ hours in the oven.
a) 1
b) 2
c) 24
d) 48
15. The A-line, in unified classification system table has the equation of __________
a) IP=WL-20
b) IP=0.73(WL-20)
c) IP=0.73(20-WL)
d) IP=20-WL
Unit 2
1. Gravels are __________ permeable.
a) Highly
b) Least
c) Partially
d) All of the mentioned
2. The law of flow of water through the soil was first studied by ___________
a) Taylor
b) Darcy
c) Lambe
d) Khosla
3. Which of the following equation defines Darcy’s law?
a) q=KA
b) q=K/A
c) q=K i A
d) q=K i/A
4. Coefficient of permeability or simple permeability is expressed in terms of
____________
a) cm/sec
b) m/day
c) feet/day
d) all of the mentioned
5. The study of seepage of water through soil is important for, which of the following
purpose?
a) Drainage of soils
b) Stability of slopes
c) Ground water flow towards well
d) All of the mentioned
6. The relation between discharge velocity and seepage velocity is ________
a) Vs=Ve
b) Vs=Vn
c) Vs=V/e
d) Vs=V/n
7. The coefficient of transmissibility is defined as the rate of flow of water through a
horizontal strip of unit width and full saturation height under unit hydraulic gradient.
a) True
b) False
8. The drawdown, corresponding to a steady discharge, are observed at a number of wells in
_______
a) pumping out test
b) pumping in test
c) constant head permeability test
d) falling head permeability test
9. The hydraulic gradient is equal to the __________
a) hydraulic head
b) velocity head
c) hydraulic head per unit distance
d) pressure head
10. Falling head permeability test can be used for ___________
a) Coarse-grained soil
b) Less permeable soil
c) Clayey soil
d) All of the mentioned
11. In constant permeability test, the length of specimen is measured by ___________
a) Calculating the difference in water level
b) Using Piezometric tube
c) Using measuring scale
d) None of the mentioned
12. At any plane, pore pressure is equal to ___________
a) Ratio of Piezometric head to weight of water
b) Equal to piezometric head times the unit weight of water
c) Ratio of weight of water to the piezometric head
d) None of the mentioned
13. Pressure transmitted from particles to the soil mass is called ___________
a) Neutral pressure
b) Effective pressure
c) Pore pressure
d) Capillary pressure
14. Fine grained cohesive soil can be drained or stabilized by __________
a) Vacuum method
b) Electro-osmosis method
c) Shallow well system
d) Well point system
15. Discharge for an unconfined aquifer can be found from the expression developed by
__________
a) Dupuit
b) Darcy
c) Chapman
d) Baron
Unit 3
1. The problems due to stress distribution in soils due to a concentrated load was studied by
_____________
a) G.B Airy
b) Terzaghi
c) Darcy
d) Boussinesq
2. The assumption made by Boussinesq in the solutions is by the ____________
a) theory of plasticity
b) theory of elasticity
c) yield point
d) failure point
3. The assumption of Boussinesq equation is that the soil is ______________
a) non-homogeneous
b) homogeneous
c) plastic
d) semi-plastic
4. The assumption of Boussinesq equation is that the soil is ______________
a) semi-infinite
b) infinite
c) finite
d) semi- finite
5. The Newmark’s influence chart consists of _________
a) a single circle only
b) a number of circles and radiating lines
c) bar diagram
d) small rectangular unit areas
6. In Newmark’s influence chart method, the point below which pressure is required should
lie within the loaded area.
a) True
b) False
7. The vertical stress at a point within soil mass at a depth z is ____________
a) σz=γ+z
b) σz=γ-z
c) σz=γ/z
d) σz=γz
8. Dry density of soil is increased by _________
a) compaction
b) swelling
c) bulking
d) addition of excess of water
9. Which of the following does not causes compaction?
a) vibration
b) tamping
c) rolling
d) adding excess water
10. At Optimum water content, soil has _____
a) minimum density
b) maximum density
c) no weight
d) no density
11. In Standard Proctor test, the weight of rammer is ________
a) 4.5 kg
b) 18 lb
c) 2.5kg
d) 20 lb
12. The void ratio is increased by compaction.
a) True
b) False
13. _______ is a process in which soil particles are artificially rearrange into a close state.
a) Tension
b) Compaction
c) Sway mechanism
d) Consolidation
14. Sheep-foot-rollers is most suitable for compacting ____________
a) Fine-grained soil
b) Cohesive soil
c) Cohesion-less soil
d) Clay soil
15. The performance of a compaction equipment depends on _____________
a) Soil type
b) Water type
c) Particle size distribution
d) All of the mentioned
16. In standard compactor test, soil is compacted into _____________ layers.
a) 2
b) 4
c) 3
d) 5
17. The air voids line contains ___________
a) constant percentage air voids
b) water voids
c) varying percentage air voids
d) specific gravity of solids
Unit 4
1. The compression resulting from a long term static load and consequent escape of pore
water is _____________
a) compression
b) compressibility
c) tension
d) consolidation
2. Compression of soil, under short duration of moving or vibratory loads is _________
a) saturation
b) compressibility
c) swelling
d) compaction
3. The mechanics of consolidation was demonstrated by ___________
a) Taylor
b) Skempton
c) Terzaghi
d) Darcy
4. In fluid flow calculations, water is considered as incompressible.
a) True
b) False
5. In Terzaghi’s Theory of one dimensional consolidation, soil is considered to be
__________
a) homogenous
b) non-homogenous
c) anisotropic
d) heterogeneous
6. In Terzaghi’s Theory of one dimensional consolidation, soil particles are ____________
and water is ______________
a) compressible, incompressible
b) both are compressible
c) both are incompressible
d) incompressible, compressible
7. In Terzaghi’s Theory of one dimensional consolidation, coefficient of permeability is
______
a) zero
b) variable
c) constant
d) unity
8. The distribution of excess hydrostatic pressure is represented by ___________
a) straight line
b) curve
c) helical curve
d) closed curve
9. Porous stones are kept at the top and bottom of specimen in consolidation test.
a) True
b) False
10. The laboratory consolidation test is conducted with an apparatus called ___________
a) Oedometer test
b) impact testing machine
 c) compression testing machine
d) flexural testing machine
11. The vertical compression of the specimen is measured by means of _________
a) base plate
b) load frame
c) dial gauge
d) pressure ball
12. The reference of consolidation test is in ____________
a) IS 800: 2007
b) IS 456: 2000
c) IS 2762
d) IS 2720 (Part 15): 1986
13. A clay sample in laboratory test has 24mm thickness. It is tested with double drainage and
consolidated 50%. The clay layer from which sample was obtained is 4m thick. Find the
time to consolidate 50% with single drainage.
a) 1544 days
b) 1455 days
c) 1322 days
d) 1799 days
14. For a dry soil mass of 180.4 g, specific gravity 2.68 and cross-sectional area of specimen
as 50 cm2, find the height of solids Hs.
a) 13.45 mm
b) 14 mm
c) 17 mm
d) 19.5 mm
15. If the final height of specimen Hf is 13.45mm and final voids is 0.864, then the change of
voids ratio ∆e with respect to ∆H is ____________
a) ∆e=0.139∆H
b) ∆e=0.123∆H
c) ∆e=0.178∆H
d) ∆e=0.148∆H
Unit 5
1. The shear strength in cohesion less soil is due to ___________
a) Internal friction
b) Cohesion
c) Inter granular friction
d) Inter particle force
2. The circle obtained from two dimensional stress system is known as ________
a) Principal stress circle
b) Mohr circle
c) Shearing stress circle
d) None of the mentioned
3. The maximum shear stress τmax, for a soil mass is equal to ___________
a) (σ1 – σ3 )/2
b) (σ1 + σ3 )/2
c) (σ1×σ3 )/2
d) (σ3 – σ1 )/2
4. 2. Which of the following is coulomb’s strength equation?
a) S = c + tan φ
b) C = s + c tan φ
c) S = c + σ tan φ
d) S = tan φ
5. The drained test is also known as ___________
a) Direct shear test
b) Slow test
c) Vane shear test
d) Quick test
6. A major difference between the direct shear test and tri axial shear test is
_____________
a) Control on the drainage level
b) Stress condition
c) None of the mentioned
d) All of the mentioned
7. In direct shear test, the soil load is subjected to more stress at _____________
a) Centre
b) Edges
c) Top and bottom
d) All of the mentioned
8. The change in the pore pressure during an un-drained shear can be explained by
___________
a) Lateral pressure
b) Effective stress
c) Pore pressure parameter
d) Mohr’s circle
9. The Triaxial compression test was introduced by __________
a) A. casagrande and Karl Terzaghi
b) Mohr
c) None of the mentioned
d) All of the mentioned
10. Which of the following outlet is provided at the base of the tri axial test apparatus?
a) Cell fluid inlet
b) Pore water outlet
c) Drainage outlet
d) All of the mention
11. The deviator stress developed in the proving ring, through the applied pressure is
equal to are____________
a) σ1 + σ3
b) σ1 – σ3
c) σ2 – σ3
d) σ2 + σ1
12. In unconfined compression test the value of σ2 and σ3 is equal to ____________
a) 1
b) 0
c) 0.5
d) Data Insufficient
13. The unconfined compression test is derived from _____________
a) Direct shear test
b) Vane shear test
c) Tri axial compression tests
d) Drained test