30 real Geotechnical Engineering questions from the Civil Core bank, as asked in Indian campus drives and tech interviews. Every question has a verified answer and an AI-tutor explanation on placd — free to start.
1. What is Atterberg limits?
Junior
A.loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
B.upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
C.split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
D.water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
2. Which term means: "water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit"?
A.Atterberg limits — laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers
B.Atterberg limits — Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ) for cohesionless soil when the wall yields away from the backfill, the minimum lateral pressure
C.Atterberg limits — water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
D.Atterberg limits — upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
A.Void ratio vs porosity — Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ) for cohesionless soil when the wall yields away from the backfill, the minimum lateral pressure
B.Void ratio vs porosity — void ratio compares void volume to solid volume, porosity compares void volume to total volume, and e = n/(1−n)
C.Void ratio vs porosity — time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
D.Void ratio vs porosity — laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers
A.loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
B.time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
C.split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
D.total stress minus pore water pressure is the stress carried by the soil skeleton, and it alone controls strength and compression
8. Which term means: "total stress minus pore water pressure is the stress carried by the soil skeleton, and it alone controls strength and compression"?
A.Effective stress principle — loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
B.Effective stress principle — total stress minus pore water pressure is the stress carried by the soil skeleton, and it alone controls strength and compression
C.Effective stress principle — shear strength on a plane equals cohesion plus effective normal stress multiplied by the tangent of the friction angle
D.Effective stress principle — water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
A.Rankine active earth pressure — upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
B.Rankine active earth pressure — shear strength on a plane equals cohesion plus effective normal stress multiplied by the tangent of the friction angle
C.Rankine active earth pressure — Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ) for cohesionless soil when the wall yields away from the backfill, the minimum lateral pressure
D.Rankine active earth pressure — void ratio compares void volume to solid volume, porosity compares void volume to total volume, and e = n/(1−n)
A.Mohr–Coulomb strength — shear strength on a plane equals cohesion plus effective normal stress multiplied by the tangent of the friction angle
B.Mohr–Coulomb strength — void ratio compares void volume to solid volume, porosity compares void volume to total volume, and e = n/(1−n)
C.Mohr–Coulomb strength — laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers
D.Mohr–Coulomb strength — split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
A.water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
B.time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
C.total stress minus pore water pressure is the stress carried by the soil skeleton, and it alone controls strength and compression
D.split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
17. Which term means: "time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer"?
A.Consolidation — water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
B.Consolidation — split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
C.Consolidation — upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
D.Consolidation — time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
20. Which term means: "split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay"?
A.Standard Penetration Test — split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
B.Standard Penetration Test — water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
C.Standard Penetration Test — laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers
D.Standard Penetration Test — time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
23. Which term means: "laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers"?
A.Proctor compaction test — upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
B.Proctor compaction test — loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
C.Proctor compaction test — laboratory test giving optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, standard version using a 2.6 kg rammer, 310 mm drop and three layers
D.Proctor compaction test — split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
A.water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
B.time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
C.upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
D.loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
26. Which term means: "upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand"?
A.Critical hydraulic gradient — water contents at which fine soil passes between solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid states; plasticity index is liquid limit minus plastic limit
B.Critical hydraulic gradient — time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
C.Critical hydraulic gradient — shear strength on a plane equals cohesion plus effective normal stress multiplied by the tangent of the friction angle
D.Critical hydraulic gradient — upward seepage gradient (G−1)/(1+e), about 1.0, at which seepage force equals submerged weight and sand loses all strength as quicksand
A.time-dependent squeezing of pore water out of saturated clay under load, producing settlement whose rate is set by the coefficient Cv from the oedometer
B.Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ) for cohesionless soil when the wall yields away from the backfill, the minimum lateral pressure
C.loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
D.split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
29. Which term means: "loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio"?
A.Liquefaction — Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ) for cohesionless soil when the wall yields away from the backfill, the minimum lateral pressure
B.Liquefaction — total stress minus pore water pressure is the stress carried by the soil skeleton, and it alone controls strength and compression
C.Liquefaction — loss of strength in loose saturated sand during earthquake shaking as pore pressure rises to total stress, assessed from SPT N-value and cyclic stress ratio
D.Liquefaction — split-spoon sampler driven 300 mm by a 63.5 kg hammer falling 750 mm; the blow count N indicates relative density of sand or consistency of clay
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