50 basic civil engineering questions asked in interview

Here are the 50 basic civil engineering questions asked in interview with sample answers for them which will be helpful for all civil engineers.

Table of Contents

Basic Civil Engineering questions asked in interview

1. What is meant by civil engineering?

Civil engineering is about planning, building and managing roadways, bridges, buildings, dams, canals and similar physical environments.

2. Explain the various areas and subjects under civil engineering?

There are major branches called Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering and Construction Management.

3. Can you tell me the unit weight of concrete?

The typical unit weight for concrete is about 24 kN/m³ or 2400 kg/m³.

4. How are working stress and limit state method different from one another?

According to the definition, the working stress method determines stress using a factor of safety, whereas the limit state method looks at the ultimate and service conditions before design.

5. What size are standard bricks?

In India, a standard brick that does not have mortar measures 190 mm x 90 mm x 90 mm, while with mortar the measurements are 200 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm.

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civil engineering Interview questions on Construction Materials

6. The initial setting time and the final setting time for cement are what?

The concrete should take 30 minutes to begin setting and it should have fully set after 10 hours (600 minutes) according to IS 4031.

7. How many types of cement are there?

Here are the few types of cement: OPC, PPC, PSC, Rapid Hardening Cement, Low Heat Cement, Sulphate Resisting Cement and White Cement.

8. What is curing? Why is such a thing required?

Curing is done to obtain strength and durability, curing maintains proper moisture, temperature and time for concrete.

9. What is the grade of concrete?

Concrete Grade means the compressive strength of the concrete. E.g., For M20 grade ,the strength is 20 MPa after 28 days of curing.

10. What is meant by water-cement ratio?

The proportion of water weight to cement weight in a concrete mix. Lower ratios give higher strength.

Interview questions on Surveying & Leveling

11. What is the purpose of Surveying has what purpose?

The purpose of surveying is to find out how far apart points are and what their relative angles are, especially on or by the Earth’s surface.

12. What is a benchmark used for in surveying?

Benchmarks are specific places of known elevation which are used to find the heights of other points.

13. Is there a definition for contour line?

It is a line on a map that goes through points with the same height.

14. What kinds of leveling can be found?

The record listed these measurements as Simple Leveling, Differential Leveling, Profile Leveling, Cross-sectioning and Reciprocal Leveling.

15. What kinds of work can theodolite be applied to?

The instrument is used to find the angle of the land from side to side and up and down in surveying.

civil engineering Interview questions on Structural Engineering

16. Identify what bending moment and shear force are.

If a force is applied that causes an element of a structure to bend, the reaction is called bending moment. When shear force acts, parts of a material will start to slide over one another.

17. What does simply supported beam mean?

The beam is supported at each end and the moment at the supports is zero.

18. Distinguish one-way and two-way slabs from each other.

Load in a one-way slab is carried along only one axis. In a two-way slab, load is transmitted from the slab to the beams in both directions. When the longer span exceeds the shorter span by more than two (times the short span), it is a one-way track (all other spans are two-ways).

19. What is the meaning of prestressed concrete?

In this system, a force is put on the concrete to produce internal stresses before any loads are placed which help counteract the tension in the concrete.

20. What is the meaning of modulus of elasticity?

The ratio formed by stress divided by strain when the material is not stretched. It tells how much strain is required to deform the material.

civil engineering Interview questions on Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering

21. What load can soil handle?

The answer is the ability of soil to keep from collapsing under external pressures.

22. What are the types of foundations ?

The answers are shallow (footing designs like isolated and combined footing, raft) and deep (pile, caisson).

23. What happens in the soil when it consolidates?

It happens when soils decrease in volume over the years as water drains out under constant pressure.

24. What is the meaning of soil compaction?

Increasing the density and strength of soil by filling the empty spaces in the ground with mechanical help.

25. What do you mean by a retaining wall?

A structure used to hold soil or rock from a building, structure or area in place.

Interview questions on Concrete Technology

26. What do admixtures refer to in concrete?

Chemicals are mixed into concrete to alter its characteristics (such as plasticizers, retarders and accelerators).

27. What is meant by a slump test?

A test done to check workability of fresh concrete on how it will work.

28. What does segregation and bleeding mean in concrete?

Segregation: The separation of concrete components. Bleeding happens when you see water on the surface after pouring the concrete.

29. What is meant by honeycombing in concrete?

Voids appear in the concrete because concrete was not placed properly.

30. What are the common types of cracks that happen in concrete?

Structural cracks, shrinkage cracks, thermal cracks, settlement cracks are all types of cracks.

Interview questions on Highways and Transportation

31. What is the term camber referring to on roads?

The angle of a roadway is set to help rainwater drain away from the roadway.

32. What are pavements made of that is rigid and those that are flexible?

Flexible because it is made with bituminous material. Made from cement concrete which is a rigid material.

33. What is the meaning of super elevation?

The roadway is slanted at curves to fight against centrifugal force.

34. How can we understand a traffic survey?

Collecting information about road traffic, how much there is, who is using the roads and how it’s flowing to build road plans.

35. What is meant by alignment of road?

The position of the centerline for the road is located on the ground.

Interview questions on Water Resources & Environmental Engineering

36. Which is the difference between sewage and sullage?

There are fecal contents(human waste) in sewage, but sullage doesn’t have them and is the wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms without fecal contents.

37. BOD and COD or biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand, are terms used in wastewater management.

BOD or Biochemical Oxygen Demand, is the measure, while COD or Chemical Oxygen Demand, is measured as the amount of oxygen consumed when oxygen demand is high. They show how water is polluted.

38. What makes up a water supply system?

System consists of sources, intake works, pumping, a treatment plant, storage and distribution.

39. What exactly does a septic tank mean?

A tank used to process domestic wastewater in which sediments settle and undergo decomposition.

40. What are the multiple ways to remove impurities from water?

The answers are: 1. Sedimentation, 2. Filtration, 3. Disinfection (choose chloro and UV from the options) and 4. Aeration.

Interview questions on Estimating, Costing & Project Management

41. What is a Bill of Quantities?

Bill of Quantities – it lists the materials, parts and workforce for the construction project.

42. What is the meaning of a bar bending schedule (BBS)?

The details of reinforcement bars are usually recorded in a table format, showing various parameters like shape, size, length, weight.

43. For what reason is a Gantt chart used?

You can use it to set up and monitor how a project is moving forward.

44. What is meant by CPM and PERT?

The method is known as Critical Path Method (CPM) and relies on predictable time. In PERT, Program Evaluation Review Technique, probablilities of finishing certain tasks within varying periods are considered.

45. Explain what is meant by escalation in construction cost.

Because the price of materials or labor rises after the project process begins.

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Miscellaneous Questions

46. How can safety be ensured at the construction sites?

One should use personal protective equipment, set up scaffoldings securely, have up-to-date safety signs, educate staff and inspect the site frequently.

47. Why should compaction be done when constructing roads?

It makes the concrete stronger, prevents too much movement in the structure and raises its durability.

48. What is meant by a plinth level?

It is the level immediately under the foundation of the building.

49. What is meant by formwork?

Temporary molds used to pour and shape concrete are known as forms.

50. What software do civil engineers use?
Civil engineers use AutoCAD, STAAD Pro, Revit, ETABS, MS Project, Primavera, SAP2000 softwares.

Conclusion:

Above given are the 50 basic civil engineering questions asked in interview with sample answers which will be helpful for all civil engineers