← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2015
The scale on which three dimensions can be measured is known as
A)
Diagonal scale
B)
Plain scale
C)
Chord scale
D)
Vernier scale
A diagonal scale is used to measure three dimensions, i.e., units, tenths, and hundredths of a unit. It is therefore called the scale on which three dimensions can be measured. A plain scale measures only two dimensions, a chord scale is used in angular measurement, and a vernier scale is used for precise reading of small lengths, not three-dimensional measurement.
The application of surcharges in a sand drain
A)
Squeezes out water in the radial directions to the nearest sand drain
B)
Squeezes out water horizontally to the nearest sand drain
C)
Squeezes out water downward from the sand blanket
D)
Non of these
In sand drain (vertical drain) consolidation, a surcharge is applied to increase the effective stress and accelerate settlement. The excess pore water is expelled mainly in the horizontal/radial direction toward the nearest sand drain, because the drains provide a short drainage path. Hence option (b) is correct. Option (a) is less precise in wording, while (c) refers to vertical drainage through a sand blanket, not the main function of sand drains.
If the plasticity index of a soil sample is less than 7, the soil may be classified as
A)
Highly plastic
B)
Medium plastic
C)
Low plastic
D)
Non-plastic
Plasticity index (PI) indicates the range of water content over which a soil remains plastic. If PI is less than 7, the soil has very little plasticity and is generally classified as non-plastic or nearly non-plastic. Higher PI values correspond to greater plasticity, so options like highly plastic or medium plastic are incorrect.
If the chain is too long in surveying work, the measured length is
A)
Less than its true length
B)
Greater than its true length
C)
Negligibly greater than its true length
D)
None of these
In chain surveying, if the chain is too long, each measured chain length covers a distance greater than the standard length. Therefore, the number of chain lengths counted becomes fewer, and the computed measured distance is less than the actual true distance. Hence, the measured length is less than its true length.
Mountainous terrains are hilly zones with cross slope of hill face
A)
Greater than 60 %
B)
Below 10%
C)
Between 25% to 10%
D)
Between 60% to 25%
Mountainous terrain is generally classified as a hilly zone with a very steep cross slope. In standard transportation engineering classification, mountainous terrains have hill-face cross slopes between 60% and 25%. Options (b) and (c) are too gentle, while (a) is steeper than the usual upper limit for this classification.
The lines connecting points at which the declination is zero is
A)
Agonic lines
B)
Isogonic lines
C)
Dip
D)
Alidade
Magnetic declination is the angle between the geographic meridian and the magnetic meridian. A line joining points where declination is zero is called an agonic line. Isogonic lines join points of equal declination, while dip is the angle of magnetic inclination and alidade is a surveying instrument.
The minimum design speed of hair-pin bend is
A)
15 km/hr
B)
20 km/hr
C)
25 km/hr
D)
30km/hr
Hair-pin bends on hill roads are designed for very low speeds due to sharp curvature and restricted geometry. The standard minimum design speed commonly adopted is 15 km/hr. Hence, option (a) is correct. The higher values 20, 25, and 30 km/hr are generally not used as the minimum design speed for hair-pin bends.
Bearing capacity failure of soil which consist of a continuous slip surface from one edge of the footing to the ground surface is
A)
General shear failure
B)
Local shear failure
C)
Punching shear failure
D)
Principal shear failure
In soil mechanics, **general shear failure** occurs when a **continuous, well-defined slip surface** develops from one edge of the footing and extends up to the ground surface. This is typical of dense sands and stiff clays.
- **General shear failure**: continuous failure surface reaches the ground surface. ✅
- **Local shear failure**: failure surface is not fully developed; soil bulges and the slip surface does not clearly reach the ground surface. ❌
- **Punching shear failure**: footing punches downward with little lateral soil movement, common in very loose soils. ❌
- **Principal shear failure**: not a standard bearing capacity failure mode in this context. ❌
Therefore, the correct answer is **(a) General shear failure**.
Earthwork in plinth feeling in building is calculated by taking
A)
Centre to centre distance of the walls
B)
Internal dimensions in between plinth walls
C)
Internal dimensions of the room
D)
External dimensions of the room
Earthwork in plinth filling is measured using the internal dimensions between the plinth walls, because the filling is done inside the enclosed plinth area. The wall thickness is not included in this measurement. Hence, option (b) is correct. Option (a) is used in some centerline methods for wall quantities, while (c) and (d) do not correctly represent the plinth filling area.
The foundation of a structure can settle due to
A)
Inclined movement
B)
Vertical movement
C)
Swinging movement
D)
None of these
Settlement of a foundation means downward displacement of the structure due to compression or consolidation of the supporting soil. This is a vertical movement. Inclined movement refers to tilting, and swinging movement is not a standard term for foundation settlement.
The test of soil to distinguish silt from clay is called
A)
Dispersion test
B)
Plasticity test
C)
Dilatancy test
D)
Silt test
The test used to distinguish silt from clay is the dilatancy test. In this test, a moist soil pat is shaken in the hand; silt shows a quick reaction with water appearing on the surface, while clay does not. Plasticity test is used to assess plastic behavior, dispersion test is not the standard test for this purpose, and 'silt test' is not the correct technical name.
Travelling expenses for the sake of analysis of rates would be under the category
A)
Job overhead
B)
General overhead
C)
Miscellaneous overhead
D)
Contingency overhead
Travelling expenses incurred specifically for the purpose of site inspection, collection of data, or analysis of rates are directly connected with a particular job or work. Hence, they are treated as job overhead. General overhead relates to office administration, miscellaneous overhead is for small indirect expenses, and contingency overhead is for unforeseen items.
Water retentivity for brick masonry should not be less than
A)
50%
B)
60%
C)
70%
D)
80%
Water retentivity is the ability of bricks to retain water so that the mortar does not dry out too quickly and proper bond develops in masonry. For good brick masonry, the water retentivity of bricks should not be less than 70%. Hence option (c) is correct. Options 50%, 60%, and 80% are not the standard minimum requirement for brick masonry.
The yard where trains and other loads are received, sorted out, trains formed and dispatched onwards are known as
A)
Station yard
B)
Marshalling yard
C)
Locomotive yard
D)
Goods yard
A marshalling yard is the railway yard where wagons/trains are received, sorted according to destination, formed into new trains, and dispatched onward. A station yard is a general yard at a station, a locomotive yard is for engine maintenance/servicing, and a goods yard is mainly for loading and unloading goods.
The length of an Engineer’s chain should be
A)
100 ft
B)
66 ft
C)
30m
D)
20m
An Engineer’s chain is the standard surveying chain used in engineering surveys, and its length is 100 ft. The other options are incorrect because 66 ft is the length of a Gunter’s chain, while 30 m and 20 m are not the standard length of an Engineer’s chain.
Metallic tape are made of
A)
Steel
B)
Invar
C)
Cloth and wires
D)
Nickel
Metallic tapes used in surveying are generally made of steel, often with a brass or bronze coating to prevent rusting. Invar is a special low-expansion alloy used for precise measurement tapes, but the standard metallic tape is steel. Cloth and wires describe other types of tapes, and nickel is not used as the main material for metallic tapes.
The equilibrium cant in railway track is provided on the basis of
A)
Maximum speed
B)
Minimum speed
C)
Average speed
D)
Normal speed
Equilibrium cant is the cant provided on a curve so that the resultant of centrifugal force and weight acts perpendicular to the plane of the rails at a particular speed. In practice, it is generally designed on the basis of the average speed of trains on that track, because trains do not run at only one fixed speed. Maximum speed is used for cant deficiency considerations, while minimum speed is relevant for cant excess, not for determining equilibrium cant.
A wall constructed to retain the earth from slippage on the hill side of a roadway is called
A)
Breast wall
B)
Retaining wall
C)
Parapet wall
D)
None of these
A wall built on the hill side of a roadway to hold back earth and prevent slipping is called a breast wall. A retaining wall is a broader term for any wall that retains soil, but in road hill-side construction the specific term used is breast wall. A parapet wall is a low protective wall along the edge of a bridge, roof, or road, not for retaining earth.
In hill roads, minimum sight distance required is
A)
Stopping sight distance
B)
Passing sight distance
C)
Breaking distance
D)
None of these
In hill roads, the available sight distance is often restricted due to curves, gradients, and obstructions. Therefore, the minimum sight distance required is the stopping sight distance, so that a vehicle can be safely stopped within the visible road length. Passing sight distance is desirable on straight and wider roads, but it is not the minimum requirement for hill roads. 'Breaking distance' is only a component of stopping sight distance, not the full requirement.
Most important factor for a foundation engineer is to know
A)
Bearing capacity of soil
B)
Stability of soil
C)
Seepage through soil
D)
Structure of soil
A foundation engineer’s primary concern is whether the soil can safely support the load of the structure without shear failure or excessive settlement. That is the bearing capacity of soil. Stability, seepage, and soil structure are important in geotechnical engineering, but for foundation design the most critical factor is bearing capacity.
The relationship between void ratio(e) and porosity ratio(n) is given by:
A)
n= 1+e/1-e
B)
e=1+n/1-e
C)
n =e/1+e
D)
e =n(1+e)
In soil mechanics, void ratio is defined as e = Vv / Vs and porosity as n = Vv / Vt. Since total volume Vt = Vv + Vs, substituting gives n = Vv / (Vv + Vs) = e / (1 + e). Hence option (c) is correct. The other options do not match the standard relationship.
If a cement concrete road is properly constructed and maintained, then its expected life will be
A)
One year
B)
10 years
C)
20 years
D)
30 to 40 years
A properly constructed and well-maintained cement concrete road has a very long service life compared to flexible pavements. In standard highway engineering practice, its expected life is about 30 to 40 years. The other options are too short for a concrete pavement.
Generally, the premix carpet laid in India is of thickness
A)
5 to 7.5cm
B)
10cm
C)
15cm
D)
2cm
Premix carpet is a thin bituminous surfacing layer used on roads in India, and its usual thickness is about 20 mm, i.e. 2 cm. The other options are much thicker and correspond to base or pavement layers, not a premix carpet.
A triaxial shear test is preferred to direct shear test because
A)
It can be performed under all the three drainage conditions with complete control
B)
Precise measurement of the pore pressure and change in volume during test is not possible
C)
Stress distribution on the failure plane is non-uniform
D)
None of these
A triaxial shear test is preferred over a direct shear test because it allows better control of test conditions, especially drainage and pore pressure. It can be conducted under three drainage conditions: unconsolidated undrained (UU), consolidated undrained (CU), and consolidated drained (CD). In contrast, the direct shear test has non-uniform stress distribution on the failure plane and does not give complete control over pore pressure and drainage. Hence, option (a) is correct. Option (b) is incorrect because it states a limitation, not a reason for preference. Option (c) is true for direct shear test, but the statement is not the best reason asked here. Option (d) is incorrect.
Pile foundations are generally preferred for
A)
Bridge foundation
B)
Skyscraper buildings
C)
Residential buildings
D)
Runways
Pile foundations are used where loads must be transferred to deeper, stronger strata or where surface soil is weak. They are commonly preferred for bridge foundations because bridge piers often carry heavy concentrated loads and may be founded in riverbeds or soft alluvial soils. Skyscrapers may also use piles, but among the given options, bridge foundation is the most typical and correct choice. Residential buildings usually do not require piles unless soil conditions are poor, and runways generally use shallow pavement foundations rather than pile foundations.