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Top 150 Building Materials Interview questions

Ashwini Kumar

Given below are the top 150 building materials civil interview questions which can increase the knowledge level of site, awareness of quality and decision making skills.

Building materials civil interview questions

  1. What are building materials?

Building materials are components of buildings and infrastructure which are used to construct structural, finishing and protective parts of the building and infrastructure.

Examples: cement, sand, steel, bricks, concrete, timber, glass.

  1. Why should building materials be chosen?

Efficient choice of material will guarantee:

  1. Which are the characteristics of good building materials?

The characteristics of good building materials are:

  1. What is cement?

Cement is a binding material that solidifies with the mixture of water and holds aggregates.

  1. What are the cement types that can be used in construction?

Given below are the different types of cement used in construction filed.

  1. What is the difference between OPC and PPC?

OPC becomes strong in a short time, PPC becomes strong in a long time but more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

  1. Early and late setting time of cement?

Initial: ≥ 30 minutes ,Final: ≤ 10 hours

  1. What is fine aggregate?

Sand to fill the voids through 4.75 mm sieve.

  1. What are the types of sand that are used in building works?
  1. What is the reason why M-sand is always preferred today?

Also check:

Questions related to building materials AGGREGATES & CONCRETE

  1. What is coarse aggregate?

Solid left on 4.75 mm sieve e.g., crushed stone.

  1. Significance of aggregates in concrete?
  1. What is water-cement ratio?

Weight of water to cement ratio.Reduction in ratio means increase in strength (to limit).

  1. What is concrete?

Concrete is composite material comprising of cement + aggregates + water.

  1. Types of concrete?

PCC, RCC, prestressed, RMC.

  1. What is M20 concrete?

Concrete with a characteristic strength of 20 N/mm 2 at 28 days.

  1. What is workability of concrete?

Quick installation, laying, compacting, and finishing of concrete.

  1. What is slump test?

Measure the workability of fresh concrete.

  1. What is segregation?

Separating cement paste aggregates.

  1. What is bleeding?

Rising of surplus water in concrete.

  1. What is compaction?

Vibration to remove entrapped air in concrete.

  1. What will occur when there is a poor compaction?
  1. What is curing?

Keeping the moisture and heat to enable hydration.

  1. Minimum curing period?

OPC: 7 days, PPC: 10 days

  1. What is honeycombing?

Poorly compacted voids in the concrete.

  1. What are the reason why concrete cracks?
  1. What is the durability of concrete?

Resistance to weathering, chemical attack and abrasion.

  1. What is RMC?

Ready Mix Concrete that has been made in batching plant.

  1. Advantages of RMC?
  1. What is design mix concrete?

Concrete that is mixed by laboratory tests to attain the desired strength.

Questions related to building materials BRICKS, BLOCKS & MASONRY

  1. What is brick?

Precast stone, burnt clay masonry unit.

  1. Types of bricks?

First, second, third class red brick , fly ash bricks, Concrete bricks, AAC blocks

  1. Standard brick size in India?

190 × 90 × 90 mm (without mortar)

  1. What is the reason why bricks are soaked?

To avoid mortar absorption of water.

  1. How about water absorption of bricks?

Should not exceed 20% by weight.

  1. What is the compressive strength of bricks?

Compressive resistance ability.

  1. What is efflorescence?

Brick surface is covered with white salt.

  1. What can be done to avoid efflorescence?
  1. What is mortar?

Masonry unit binding material.

  1. Types of mortar?

Cement-sand mortar, cement-lime mortar.

  1. Why should mortar be inferior to bricks?

To enable cracking of the bricks to be avoided and easily repaired.

  1. What is brick bonding?

Organization of bricks to make it strong and look.

  1. Common brick bonds?

Flemish bond, English bond, stretcher bond.

  1. What is AAC block?

Lightweight aerated concrete block which is autoclaved.

  1. Advantages of AAC blocks?
  1. Comparison of AAC and red bricks?

AAC blocks are less energy consuming and light.

  1. What is hollow block building materials?

Block of concrete filled with cores.

  1. Uses of hollow blocks?

Divisive walls and weight loss.

  1. What is masonry curing?

Retaining brickwork wet to enhance strength.

  1. Common masonry defects?

Cracks, efflorescence, dampness.

Also Read:

Questions related to building materials STEEL, TIMBER & FINISHING

  1. What is steel?

Brass of iron and carbon of high tensile strength.

  1. Why steel is used in RCC?

The concrete is poor in tension, steel is tension resistant.

  1. What are HYSD bars?

Ribbed High Yield Strength Deformed bars.

  1. Common steel grades?

Fe 415, Fe 500.

  1. What is concrete cover?

Separation of distance between the surface and reinforcement.

  1. Why cover is important?

Corrosion and fire protection.

  1. What is corrosion?

Corrosion in steel.

  1. How to prevent corrosion?

Sufficient cover, good compaction, low permeability concrete.

  1. What is formwork?

Scaffolding to hold fresh concrete.

  1. Formwork materials?

Aluminium, timber, plywood, steel.

  1. What is stripping time?

Time during which formwork may be taken off.

  1. What is timber?

Timber doors, windows, formwork.

  1. What is seasoning of timber?

To increase strength, moisture is removed.

  1. What is plywood?

Wood created with thin layers.

  1. What is the difference between plywood and solid wood?

Plywood is more stable and has crack-resistance.

  1. What is plaster?

On Walls and ceilings, a protective coating exists.

  1. Types of plaster?

Cement plaster, gypsum plaster.

  1. Cement and gypsum plaster: difference?

Gypsum provides a smooth finish, and it does not require curing.

  1. What is paint?

Coating that is decorative and protective.

  1. What is primer?

Improves adhesion of paint.

  1. What is waterproofing?

Water penetration protection.

  1. Waterproofing materials?

Membranes, chemicals, bitumen.

  1. What is damp proofing?

Eliminating the possibility of moisture build-up in walls.

  1. What is glass used for?

Windows, facades, lighting.

  1. Types of glass?

Float glass, toughened glass, laminated glass.

  1. What are green building materials?

Green materials that are less harmful to the environment.

  1. Examples of green materials?

Fly ash bricks, recycled steel.

  1. What is fly ash?

Thermal power plant industrial wastes.

  1. Advantages of fly ash bricks?

Standardized form, environmentally-aware, reduced hydro-uptake.

  1. What is insulation material?

Heat- Sound damping material.

Practical-oriented and interview-oriented

  1. Why is material testing important?

Ensures quality and safety.

  1. Common material tests?

Sieve analysis, compression test, slump test.

  1. What does quality control in construction mean?

The adherence to materials and workmanship standards.

  1. What is site material inspection?

Inspection of materials to be used.

  1. What do you inspect prior to concreting?

Reinforcement, cleanliness, cover, formwork, slump.

  1. What is shrinkage?

Drying caused a decrease in volume.

  1. What is thermal expansion?

Increasing of materials with temperature.

  1. The reason why expansion joints are available.

To prevent cracks as a result of changes in temperature.

  1. What is fire resistance?

Capacity not to collapse due to fire.

  1. What material is the most fire resistant?

Concrete.

  1. What does sustainability in construction mean?

Leveraging resources in the most efficient ways possible, that cause minimal environmental effects.

  1. So what is low-cost housing material?

Precast elements, hollow blocks, fly ash bricks.

  1. What is precast concrete?

Poured concrete that is casted and placed after installation.

  1. Merits of precast concrete?

Speed, quality, less labor.

  1. What is the lightweight concrete?

The use of less dense concrete.

  1. What is sound insulation material?

Sound absorbing material.

  1. The importance of material knowledge to site engineers?

Has a direct impact on quality, safety as well as cost.

  1. What do freshers get wrong in the choice of materials?

Disregard of duration and location conditions.

  1. Confidence in answering material questions?

Concept + example of site.

  1. Last interview question: What is your reason why we should hire you?

Since I know not only design but also materials and site execution.

ADVANCED Concrete and building materials behavior

  1. What does shrinkage mean in concrete?

Shrinkage is the loss of volume of concrete caused by loss of moisture.

Types:

  1. What are the origins of the cracks in plastic shrinkage?
  1. What is creep in concrete?

Creep refers to the delayed deformation (slowly) of concrete when it is placed under continuous load.

  1. What is the significance of creep in design?

Because it affects:

  1. What is the modulus elasticity of concrete?

It is the ratio of stress to strain of concrete in elastic limit.

  1. What is wet permeability of concrete?

Capacity of concrete to permit passage through of water or chemicals. Poor permeability = high durability.

  1. What can be done to decrease the permeability of concrete?
  1. What are admixtures?

Substances that are introduced in concrete to alter properties such as workability or setting time.

  1. Types of admixtures?
  1. What is superplasticizer?

Waterless chemical admixture that enhances workability.

  1. What is air-entraining admixture?

Frost resistance is enhanced by introducing tiny air bubbles during admixture.

  1. What is the lightweight concrete?

Reduced density concrete that was produced with lightweight aggregates.

  1. In which applications is the lightweight concrete applicable?
  1. What is mass concrete?

Heat of hydration is essential in concrete that is poured in hefty quantities.

  1. What is the issue in mass concrete?

Cracking as a result of variation in temperature.

STEEL, CORROSION, and REINFORCEment PRACTice (Q116130).

  1. What is ductility of steel?

Deformation capacity of steel, warning signs.

  1. What is the significance of ductility in earthquakes?

It enables structures to take up energy without imminent collapse.

  1. What is yield point of steel?

Steel begins to permanently deform at this level of stress.

  1. And what is the ultimate strength of steel?

Maximum stress steel has the ability to be under stress up to the fracture.

  1. What is lap length?

Lengthen, which is given between two reinforcing bars.

  1. Why lap length is provided?

To facilitate appropriate transfer of force among bars.

  1. What would the result be in the case of inadequate lap length?

Slippage of bars, Structural weakness

  1. What is anchorage length?

Time taken to build up to full strength of reinforcement.

  1. What is the difference between Lap length and anchorage length?

Lap is joined together; transfer of load is guaranteed through anchorage.

  1. What is corrosion in RCC?

Drying out of reinforcement as a result of moisture and oxygen.

  1. What does corrosion of concrete look like?

Cracks, Spalling, Rust stains

  1. What can be done to inhibit corrosion in RCC?
  1. What is the epoxy coated reinforcement?

Corrosion resistant coated steel bars.

  1. What is TMT bar?

High strength and ductile Thermo-Mechanically Treated bar.

  1. Why TMT bars are preferred?

Building materials Masonry, Finishes, and Site Defects

  1. What does dampness in buildings mean?

Existence of undesirable moisture in the walls and floors.

  1. Causes of dampness?
  1. What is DPC (Damp Proof Course)?

Barrier given to avoid moisture rising on the ground.

  1. Common DPC materials?
  1. What is spalling of concrete?

Cracking of or peeling concrete surface through corrosion or fire.

  1. What does carbonation of concrete mean?

Combination of CO 2 and concrete, alkalinity is degraded.

  1. Why carbonation is harmful?

It increases the speed of steel corrosion.

  1. What is plaster cracking?

Shrinkage cracks, curing cracks, or weak substrate.

  1. What is tile adhesive?

Mortar of tiles made of polymer as an alternative to cement.

  1. Advantages of tile adhesive?
  1. What is the false ceiling material?

Gypsum boards, POP, metal panels.

  1. What is the reason why gypsum board is preferred?
  1. What is sound insulation?

Minimizing inter-space sound transmission.

  1. Sound insulation materials?

Rock wool, acoustic panels, glass wool.

  1. What is thermal insulation?

Minimizing the heat loss using the building components.

Modern, green and interview trap questions

  1. What is sustainable building materials?

Eco-friendly and high-life cycle materials.

  1. Examples of sustainable material?
  1. What is precast construction?

Structural components that are manufactured in off-site and installed on site.

  1. The benefits of precast materials?

150.Which one is more valuable: strength or durability?

Best Answer: Both of them are significant, but durability is a guarantee of the long-term functioning of the structure.

Conclusion:

The above 150 Building materials civil interview questions are very helpful for cracking the Civil engineering interview.

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