Bachelor of Civil Engineering Flashcards

Which type of footing is most suitable when the soil bearing capacity is very low and individual footings would overlap?

Answer: Raft foundation

A raft (mat) foundation spreads the load over the entire building footprint, reducing bearing pressure when soil capacity is low.

In fluid mechanics, the Reynolds number is used to determine:

Answer: Whether flow is laminar or turbulent

The Reynolds number is a dimensionless ratio of inertial to viscous forces that predicts flow regime (laminar vs. turbulent).

What does the term 'degree of consolidation' express in geotechnical engineering?

Answer: The ratio of current settlement to total expected settlement

Degree of consolidation (U) indicates how much of the ultimate consolidation settlement has occurred at a given time.

In structural analysis, an 'indeterminate' structure is one where:

Answer: Equilibrium equations alone are insufficient to find all forces

Statically indeterminate structures have more unknowns than available equilibrium equations, requiring compatibility conditions to solve.

Which water treatment process removes dissolved salts from brackish water or seawater?

Answer: Reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis forces water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure, rejecting dissolved salts and ions.

The Marshall test in pavement engineering is primarily used to determine:

Answer: Optimum asphalt content and mix stability

The Marshall test evaluates the stability and flow of asphalt concrete mixes to determine the optimal binder content.

In highway design, superelevation is applied to a horizontal curve primarily to:

Answer: Counteract centrifugal force on vehicles

Superelevation tilts the roadway cross-section so that a component of gravity helps counteract the outward centrifugal force acting on vehicles.