27 real Pavement & Highway Design questions from the Civil Design & Codes 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 Flexible vs rigid pavement?
Junior
A.larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
B.flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
C.geometric standards for urban roads with design speeds of 80 km/h for arterials, 60 sub-arterial, 50 collector and 30 for local streets
D.design traffic in repetitions of an 80 kN axle over the design life, N = 365 A [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r × VDF × lane factor
2. Which term means: "flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action"?
A.Flexible vs rigid pavement — design traffic in repetitions of an 80 kN axle over the design life, N = 365 A [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r × VDF × lane factor
B.Flexible vs rigid pavement — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
C.Flexible vs rigid pavement — cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
D.Flexible vs rigid pavement — IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
A.Million standard axles — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
B.Million standard axles — 7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections
C.Million standard axles — design traffic in repetitions of an 80 kN axle over the design life, N = 365 A [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r × VDF × lane factor
D.Million standard axles — larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
A.IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways
B.cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
C.flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
D.linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
8. Which term means: "IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways"?
A.Design speed by terrain — 7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections
B.Design speed by terrain — cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
C.Design speed by terrain — IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways
D.Design speed by terrain — design traffic in repetitions of an 80 kN axle over the design life, N = 365 A [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r × VDF × lane factor
11. Which term means: "IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent"?
A.Subgrade resilient modulus — larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
B.Subgrade resilient modulus — IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
C.Subgrade resilient modulus — IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways
D.Subgrade resilient modulus — linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
A.larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
B.IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
C.geometric standards for urban roads with design speeds of 80 km/h for arterials, 60 sub-arterial, 50 collector and 30 for local streets
D.linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
14. Which term means: "linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting"?
A.IITPAVE analysis — linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
B.IITPAVE analysis — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
C.IITPAVE analysis — cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
D.IITPAVE analysis — IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways
A.flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
B.larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
C.cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
D.IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
17. Which term means: "cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa"?
A.IRC 58 rigid pavement design — IRC 73 gives 100 km/h ruling for NH and SH in plains, 80 in rolling, 50 in mountainous and 40 in steep terrain, with 120 for expressways
B.IRC 58 rigid pavement design — cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
C.IRC 58 rigid pavement design — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
D.IRC 58 rigid pavement design — larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
20. Which term means: "7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections"?
A.Maximum superelevation — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
B.Maximum superelevation — design traffic in repetitions of an 80 kN axle over the design life, N = 365 A [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r × VDF × lane factor
C.Maximum superelevation — linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
D.Maximum superelevation — 7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections
A.larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
B.flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
C.cumulative fatigue damage from bottom-up cracking under daytime curling and top-down cracking at night, using 28-day flexural strength of 4.5 MPa
D.IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
23. Which term means: "larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains"?
A.Transition curve length — geometric standards for urban roads with design speeds of 80 km/h for arterials, 60 sub-arterial, 50 collector and 30 for local streets
B.Transition curve length — linear elastic multilayer program in IRC 37 checking tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer for fatigue and compressive strain on subgrade for rutting
C.Transition curve length — 7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections
D.Transition curve length — larger of 0.0215 V³/(C R) from rate of change of radial acceleration and the length needed to attain superelevation at 1 in 150 in plains
26. Which term means: "geometric standards for urban roads with design speeds of 80 km/h for arterials, 60 sub-arterial, 50 collector and 30 for local streets"?
A.IRC 86 urban road standards — 7 percent on plain and rolling terrain, 10 percent in hilly terrain not bound by snow and 4 percent on urban roads with frequent intersections
B.IRC 86 urban road standards — IRC 37:2018 takes MR as 10 times CBR up to 5 percent and 17.6 CBR^0.64 above, and requires an effective design CBR of at least 5 percent
C.IRC 86 urban road standards — flexible pavement spreads load through layered granular material with stress falling with depth, while a rigid slab spreads it widely through flexural action
D.IRC 86 urban road standards — geometric standards for urban roads with design speeds of 80 km/h for arterials, 60 sub-arterial, 50 collector and 30 for local streets
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