Civil Engineering Interview Questions and Answers

A civil engineer is responsible for using their civil engineering background to plan and oversee various construction efforts in many different areas of this field. They will apply civil engineering principles to ensure that structures are constructed in the safest, sturdiest manner. Civil engineering is someone who designs and supervises large construction projects, roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. A subset of civil engineering is geotechnical engineering, and it is one of the specializations within civil engineering that involves investigating and understanding what lies beneath the ground’s surface.

• The most important responsibility is to analyze the site location and the surrounding area. This includes a search and investigation, verifying its feasibility for construction purposes.
• Design a plan, outlining the key variables and what needs to be changed prior to the construction.
• The role and responsibility of civil engineer is to develop a detailed design layout, keeping the requirements of the client in mind. The design and any subsequent reports need to be reviewed and approved, and any potential risks and challenges of the project identified. The civil engineer must inspect the product to ensure that all rules, regulations and guidelines have been explicitly followed.
• A civil engineer must use many different equations, applications and figures to ensure the proper procedure application.
• The civil engineer must also be certain to follow land use laws and regulations every step of the way.
• The civil engineer will follow the project from start to finish and make any necessary changes along the way. They will ensure that procedure is being followed and check on safety features of the project during the time it is being completed.

• Coordinate with project manager and administer efficient working of construction process and monitor lifecycle of all projects and prepare all project controls and update as per requirement and document all processes.
• Manage and plan a construction project.
• Design the hydraulic systems and project structures.
• Survey a construction site, give a description about how would like to complete the project and its consequences.
• Liaise with federal entities, environmental agencies and local authorities on the implications of the construction.
• Ensure the site sanitation and cleanliness.
• Juniors are helped with appropriate information related to construction.
• Address the concerns of the workers and advise them on the subject of the construction process.
• Solve the construction problems efficiently.
• Inform their employer about the progress in construction.
• Conduct a study on the site of construction.
• Provide quality control and quality assurance to make sure that the purposes of the project are achieved.
• Make sure that the entire safety rules related to construction work are observed.
• Obtain the materials required for construction and check them.
• Manage and ensure all materials in compliance with required quality for all projects and prepare reports for all final project turn over and maintain records of all construction procedures and prepare progress reports for same. 

Concrete is a composite material or the building material. Concrete is a composed of coarse and fine aggregate bonded with the cement paste that hardens over time. And the process of manufacturing concrete are batching, mixing, transporting, placing, compacting, curing and finishing.

Soil reinforcement is used to improve the soil strength by adding some ingredients to the soil. And it improves the loading capacity of soil.

 For example:

• For the weak clayey soil to add the lime to this soil it improves the soil bearing capacity. This type of adding lime in to soil is mainly used in the road base in highway construction.
• By adding the composite webbing layer or installing plastic to soil it also improves soil strength. This type of method is used in steep roadway embankments.

Concrete is measured in cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic meter.

1kip = 1000 lbs

Where kip = kilo pound

Ibs = pound – mass (or) pound

The distance between the railway tracks is 4 feet8 ½ inches or 1435 mm in standard gauge.

Moment of inertia is also known as rotational inertia or angular mass. The moment of inertia is defined as the product of area and the square of the distance of the center of gravity of the area from an axis.

It is denoted by “I”.

To maintain the water pressure it is not effect due to the flow in line. To reduce the pressure by using the friction it controls the water pressure. To increase the water pressure, reduce friction by increase line size it eliminate other restrictions.

Concrete takes 28 days to curing.

For the normal cement consumption for M₂₅ grade concrete is 570 kg per cum. And for the M₂₀grade of concrete cement consumption is optimized to 510 kg per cum.

Columns are used to support weight of the upper part or slab. Column is a vertical member which takes the total load of the beam and slab.

Alloy is a metal which is combined of melting two or more metals. The examples of alloys are stainless steel, brass, duralumin, pewter, tools, jewelleries and bronze. Alloys give the properties of good conductivity and high strength. Every metal we used in our daily life is an alloy.

Absorption is the surface phenomenon. Absorption is a fast process. It attains equilibrium easily. Absorption depends on surface area of the adsorbent.

Adsorption is the bulk phenomenon. Adsorption is a slow process. Absorption Attains equilibrium take time. Adsorption is not depends on the surface area of the adsorbent.

Sometimes the adsorbate dissolves into adsorbent. Initially the adsorbate appears on the surface of adsorbent and later passes into the body of adsorbent. Thus, adsorption changes into absorption. Simultaneous occurrence of absorption and adsorption is called sorption.

Soil analysis is nothing but a testing of soil. And this testing of soil is used to determine the nutrition and the elements present in that soil. This soil testing generally knows the contents of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

Curing is the process of maintaining the moisture and the temperature conditions for the freshly mixed concrete. The process will be done in a small duration of time for the hardening of concrete. Curing methods are:

• Water curing
• Membrane curing
• Application of heat
• Wet covering of surface.

Initial setting time is the time at which the cement starts its setting. The initial setting time should not be more than 30 minutes as per the IS code, so within that time concrete will be mixed, transported and placed our required place.

Final setting time is the time at which cement start gaining its strength. After this final setting time the farm work can be removed. The final setting time should not be more than 10 hours s per the IS code.

The ratio of grades:

• M₅  – 1:5:10
• M₅ – 1:4:8
• M₁₀ –    1:3:6
• M₁₅ –    1:2:4
• M₂₀ –    1:1.5:3
• M₂₅ –    1:1:2

The minimum size of particles of silt soil is 0.002mm

There are several solution to the rectification of the problem of mud waves:

Complete removal of all the disturbed mud: This method can be considered to be one of the fastest methods. As soon as the disturbed mud is removed some filling material is used to replace the disturbed mud. But economically this method can be expensive as compared to others.

Accelerated consolidation of disturbed mud: In this method surcharging loads are placed on top of the mud waves. Along with this band drains are installed to accelerate the consolidation process. This method is quite slow compared to the other methods.

Partial removal of the disturbed mud: This method is the hybrid of the above two methods where the top layer is removed whereas the lower level is treated with the surcharging process.

Slump test is the most commonly used method of measuring consistency of concrete. And slump test is not suitable method for very wet or very dry concrete.

The different types of slump test are:

• True slump
• Shear slump
• Collapse slump

If the concrete slump is evenly is called true slump.

If one half of the cone slides down it is called shear slump.

If the total slump is collapsed due to the mix of the concrete is too wet is called collapse slump.

The buildings are collapse due to the weak foundation, and natural disaster such as earthquakes, hurricanes. Sometimes building collapse due to workers mistakes also. And sometimes the load is more than the expecting load and the weak soil.

The modulus of Elasticity defined as the ratio of pressure applied to the body to the resistance produced by the body. And it also defined as the ratio of stress to the resisting strain. The modulus of Elasticity is denoted by “M”

The worlds tallest man made structure is Burj khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai reached 828.1 meter tall. It is designed by Adrian Smith who worked with the buildings architecture.

Rigging is the system of ropes, cables, and chains, which support a sailing ship or sail boats masts so the boat will move in right direction the wind blows.

Absolute pressure is the pressure measured above the absolute zero or complete vacuum. Absolute pressure requires pressure and temperature to be in absolute units. Absolute uses absolute zero as its zero point. It uses the terms of `abs’. Sometimes absolute pressure is referred to as total system pressure.

Honeycomb in concrete is a air pocket in the concrete or avoid.

The strength of the wood increases then increases its density. The tensile strength is also depending up on the density of the wood. For example the tensile strength of the spring wood in the line is only 1/6 of that of summer wood. The compressive strength of the air dry wood is about half of its tensile strength.

The pound (lb) is the measurement of the weight and yard is the measurement for distance. One cubic yard is equal to the27 cubic feet. Since dirt weights about 110 pounds per cubic feet, a cubic yard of dirt weights about 2970Lbs. Since concrete is heavier (150PCF), a cubic yard of concrete weights about 4050Lbs.

The projected length and inclination of a line can be different compared to its true length and inclination on the site. When a line is parallel to a plane, the projection of the line on that plane will be its true length.

Specific gravity of cement is the ratio of mass of the cement to the mass of the reference substances. Generally the specific gravity of cement is in between the 3.1-3.16 gram per cubic centimetre.

The blue land surveyor’s flag is used to indicate the buried water line and The standard color code used by the all utility companies for painting and flags are:

• Blue indicates the water line.
• Red indicates the electricity.
• Yellow indicates the natural gas.
• Green indicates sewer.
• Orange indicates telephone or fibbers optic line.

Diversion tunnels are the temporary or the permanent tunnels, which can be built for diverting the way of water or something else. These diversion tunnels are used to transfer the water to irrigation purpose or the river flows. These diversion tunnels are mainly used in the underground passageway.

Concrete is the primary material for the many builders. By spraying the water to the concrete then concrete get harden. Concrete plays a main role in your life because without concrete there wouldn’t be in comfortable homes, safe roads, safe travelling.

The unit weight of normal concrete is 145 or 150PCF.

Where PCF: pounds per cubic foot.

Shear strength is determined by applying a force across its diameter, as it would be loaded in a lug joint.

Tensile strength is determined by applying force along its long axis.

Gravity flow is fluid flowing due to the forces of gravity alone and not to an applied pressure head. In the Bernoulli equation, the pressure term is omitted, and the height and velocity terms are the only ones included.

The materials used in the building a gravity dams are concrete or stone masonry. And the gravity dams are designed to hold back the large volume of water. Sometimes they are also constructed in compacted earth.

The average density of soil is 100 to 110 pounds per cubic foot.

The density can vary depending upon the how well compacted the soil.

Groynes are wooden or concrete barriers designed in a right angle to slow down longshore drift and build up the beach. Which are more resistance to marine voters and erosion. Groynes are having a lifespan of 15-20 years. Groynes are a form of a coastal protection.

CPM (critical path method) is a activity oriented. Only one time estimate is used for the activity.CPM is used in a projects involving activities of repetitive nature. In the CPM the circle represent the event and the line connecting circles represented activities in the construction through a symbolic diagram.

PERT (program evaluation and review technique) is a event oriented. Three types of estimates optimistic time, prismatic time and most likely time are used. PERT is used in projects involving activities that are non-repetitive in nature. In the PERT the circle represent the activity sand the line joining them indicates the event in the construction through a symbolic diagram.

CPM and PERT are the project management activities or tools.

The software programs that used in the architect are:

• AutoCAD
• 3DS max
• Revit
• Microsoft office
• Digital media
• Pro
• Primavera
• SAP 2000
• ETABS
• MATHCAD

Apps for using civil engineering works:

• AutoCAD app
• Steel profiles
• Concrete mix design
• Frame design
• Autodesk force effect

A structure is a combined of number of components like slabs, beams, columns and foundations, which remain in equilibrium.

Soil means upper layer of the earth that may be dug that is the loose surface material of the earth in stitch plants growth. The top soil contains Algarve quantity of organic matter and it is not suitable for the foundation of structure and the construction material. Before construction of structure the top soil is removed from the earth surface. Soil is as in consolidated materials with composed of solid particles produced by the disintegration of rocks.

Soil pressure increases with depth due to the overburden or self-weight of the soil and due to loads imposed upon the soil. For example, the pressure variation below the depth of soil is linear and the relation is given by pressure = unit wt * depth. As depth increases, there will be a linear increase in the soil pressure.

Sulphate resisting cement is design to improve the strength of the concrete where the sulphate is attacked to the concrete. Ordinary Portland cement does not resist the sulphate attack. Sulphate resisting cement is mainly used in under water construction these cement improves the strength and durability of construction.

• For secure landfill, there are four critical elements
• The bottom liner
• A leachate collection system
• A cover
• Natural hydrogeological settings

Critical Path Method is strategy and method of representing the respective tasks and activities involved in the construction through a symbolic diagram.

Foundation is a part of structure which transmits the total weight of structure to the ground. Foundation requires for distributing the loads of the superstructure on a large area. Foundations are classified in to two types:

• Shallow foundation
• Deep foundation

 Shallow foundation transmits the loads to the strata at a shallow depth.

 Deep foundation transmits the load at considerable depth below the ground surface.

The aggregates are used primarily for the purpose of providing bulk to the concrete. It increases the density of resulting mixture. And the aggregate is frequently used in two or more sizes.

The aggregate provide the 75% of the body at the concrete and its influence is more important in the mixing. To adding the aggregates to the concrete it increases the workable, strong, durable and economical.

The responsibilities of a construction manager are:

• Planning and organizing project details.
• Budget of construction, and the budget time.
• Development to completion.
• Materials required for the construction.
• Take the safety precautions.
• Project review and the guide lines to the workers.
• Labor requirements.
• Responsible for work delay and responsible for complete the work with in time.
• Building safety codes etc.

When the 1000kg at rest on earth with gravitational acceleration is 9.81m/s². Then 1000KG EQUAL TO 9.81KN.

The strongest shapes in building are pillars.

The unit weight of normal concrete is 145PCF

Architect- Prepared Contract is an agreement prepared in-house by the architect between owner and architect, and often reviewed by an attorney, before its execution. It is a legal contract, and it includes all terms and conditions including adequate legal protection for both the parties.

There are two main approaches of designing the reservoir floors to prevent leakage of water due to seasonal and shrinkage movements:

In this approach the movement joints of the reservoir floor panels are such that the free expansion and contraction of the panels takes place. Every panel is isolated from the other panels and two panels have a sliding layer between them to help in sliding.

The second method does not provide any room for free movement. With seasonal and shrinkage movements, some cracks are designed to voluntarily occur on the floors of the service reservoirs. These tiny cracks are spread throughout the floor and are simply too minute to cause any leakage or corrosion of the floors. But the difference also in this method is that the amount of reinforcement used is much more than the first approach.

When a dam is to be built, a diversion tunnel is usually bored through solid rock next to the dam site to byPAss the dam construction site. The dam is built while the river flows through the diversion tunnel.

The washout valves are primarily used for normal maintenance works such as that of water main. This can be like to allow water to flow out during the cleaning of the water main. The junctions at which a pipe branches out to a washout point usually a gate valve is installed so that the two pipelines are separated. The gate valve installed above usually remains open during normal operation. Another gate valve is installed further downstream and this remains closed during normal operation of the washout valve. In case this valve is not installed then the pipe section of the branched out pipe would remain dry during normal operation and high chances of damage and leakage can take place. When the downstream valve is installed the branched out water main contains water under normal operation. With two gate valves installed a leakage can be detected immediately.

• Half hipped roof
• Monitor roof
• Dutch gable roof
• Skillion roof
• Gull wind roof
• Gambrel roof
• Mansard roof
• Bell cast roof
• Sawtooth roof
• Monitor roof

What are the different dimension tools in CAD?

• Auto interior dimensions
• Auto exterior dimensions
• Interior dimensions
• Manual dimensions
• End to end dimensions
• Point to point dimensions
• Angular dimensions
• Moving objects using dimensions
• Display temporary dimensions

• AutoCAD 360
• Civil Sutra
• Civil Quantity Estimator
• Frame
• Autodesk Force Effect
• AndTruss2D
• Reinforced Concrete
• Civil Engineering Dictionary
• Civil Calculator
• EpicFEM
• Bearing Capacity
• Steel Profiles
• Concrete Mix design