← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2015
If the quantity of earth filling is 250 cum. Height of earth filling in plinth is 30cm and the height of sand filling is 15cm. Then, the quantity of sand filling in plinth is
A)
100cum
B)
120cum
C)
125 cum
D)
130cum
In plinth filling, quantities are proportional to the thickness of each layer. Total filling thickness = 30 cm earth + 15 cm sand = 45 cm. If total earth filling quantity for 30 cm is 250 cum, then sand filling for 15 cm is:
Sand quantity = 250 × (15/30) = 125 cum.
So the correct answer is 125 cum. The other options do not match the proportional calculation.
Compaction piles for ground improvement technique are found to be more effective in densifying
A)
Partially saturated granular soils
B)
Saturated granular soils
C)
Partially saturated cohesive soils
D)
Saturated cohesive soils
Compaction piles work by driving a pile into the ground, which displaces and densifies the surrounding soil. This technique is most effective in granular soils that are not fully saturated, because the soil particles can rearrange into a denser state. In saturated soils, especially cohesive soils, the presence of water and low permeability reduces the immediate densification effect. Therefore, compaction piles are more effective in partially saturated granular soils.
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.
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.
Spacing of sleepers is kept
A)
Same throughout the length of rail
B)
Closer near the joints
C)
Closer at the middle of rails
D)
None of these
In railway track design, sleepers are spaced closer near the rail joints because joints are weaker points and experience higher impact and dynamic loads from passing wheels. Closer spacing provides better support and reduces stress concentration. The spacing is generally wider at the middle portion of the rail where the load effect is comparatively less. Hence, option (b) is correct.
The property of a soil which permits water to percolate through it is called
A)
Moisture content
B)
Permeability
C)
Capillarity
D)
None of these
The property of soil that allows water to pass or percolate through its voids is called permeability. Moisture content is the amount of water present in soil, and capillarity is the rise of water in fine pores due to surface tension. Hence, the correct answer is permeability.
An access from a road to private property is known as
A)
Bypass road
B)
Fly over
C)
Drive way
D)
Loop road
An access from a public road to private property is called a driveway. A bypass road diverts traffic around a place, a flyover is an overpass structure, and a loop road is a connecting curved road, not direct property access.
Geodetic survey is different from plane surveying because
A)
Very large area is covered
B)
The topography is bad
C)
The curvature of the earth is considered
D)
Of the large difference of elevations
Geodetic surveying deals with large areas where the earth cannot be assumed flat, so the curvature of the earth must be taken into account. In plane surveying, the earth’s surface is assumed to be a plane for small areas. Option (a) is not the defining reason by itself, (b) is irrelevant, and (d) is not the main distinction.
The exterior angle or corner of a wall in Masonry work is called
A)
Quoins
B)
Hearting
C)
Closer
D)
Bed
In masonry, the exterior angle or corner of a wall is called a quoin. Hearting refers to the inner portion of a wall, a closer is a cut brick used to maintain bond, and a bed is the horizontal layer on which masonry units are laid.
The difference between the total rainfall and that which is intercepted is called
A)
Rainfall interception
B)
Residual rain
C)
Net rainfall
D)
Ground rainfall
Interception is the portion of rainfall caught by vegetation, roofs, etc., and does not reach the ground. The rainfall remaining after subtracting interception from total rainfall is called net rainfall.
So:
- Total rainfall - intercepted rainfall = net rainfall
- Option (a) is the process itself, not the remainder.
- Option (b) is not the standard hydrology term here.
- Option (d) ground rainfall is not the accepted term for this definition.
Intensity of rainfall is
A)
Total rainfall ina period
B)
Rainfall per unit area
C)
Volume of water collected per unit time
D)
Depth of rainfall per unit time during which it fell
Rainfall intensity is defined as the rate of rainfall, i.e., the depth of rain falling in a given unit time, usually expressed in mm/h. Option (d) matches this definition exactly. Option (a) is total rainfall over a period, not intensity. Option (b) refers to rainfall amount over an area, and option (c) is not the standard definition of rainfall intensity.
The retention time of septic tank at average daily flow is
A)
8 hours
B)
12 hours
C)
24 hours
D)
48 hours
The detention or retention time of a septic tank at average daily flow is generally taken as about 24 to 48 hours, and in standard exam practice the commonly accepted design value is 48 hours. This allows sufficient settling of solids and anaerobic digestion. 8 hours and 12 hours are too short for proper settling, while 24 hours is often considered the minimum range but not the usual exam answer for septic tank retention time.
Balancing depth in irrigation canal section is
A)
Depth in which flow of water is optimum
B)
Depth in which cutting and filling will be equal
C)
Depth in which required side slope will be maintained
D)
Depth in which length of canal will be minimum
Balancing depth in a canal section is the depth at which the earthwork in excavation (cutting) equals the earthwork in embankment (filling). This makes the canal section economically balanced, with no surplus cut or fill. Option (a) refers to an optimum hydraulic depth, option (c) is about side slope design, and option (d) is unrelated to the definition of balancing depth.
Cross regulators in main canals are provided
A)
To regulate water supply in the distributaries
B)
To increase water head upstream when a main canal is running with low supply
C)
To overflow excessive flood water
D)
None of these
A cross regulator is constructed across a main canal to control the water level in the canal. When the canal is carrying a low supply, it helps raise and maintain the upstream water head so that water can still be diverted into off-taking channels and distributaries. Option (a) is the function of distributary head regulators, not cross regulators. Option (c) describes a spillway or waste weir, not a cross regulator.
The intensity-duration-frequency curves for precipitation indicate
A)
that the greater the intensity of rainfall the shorter length of time it continues
B)
the days on which rainfall occurs at a location
C)
that cumulative rainfall over a period with frequency of periodic peaks is ultimately constant
D)
thatthe intensity of rainfall increases as the duration increases
Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves show the relationship among rainfall intensity, storm duration, and return period. In general, for a given frequency, shorter-duration storms have higher rainfall intensity, while longer-duration storms have lower intensity. Therefore, the correct statement is that the greater the intensity of rainfall, the shorter the length of time it continues. Option (d) is the opposite of this relationship, and (b) and (c) do not describe IDF curves.
Raw water treated with only chlorine is known as :
A)
Plain chlorination
B)
First chlorination
C)
Pre-chlorination
D)
De-chlorination
Raw water that is treated with chlorine before any other treatment steps is called pre-chlorination. It is commonly done at the intake or before sedimentation to control algae, reduce taste and odor, and help in purification.
Why others are incorrect:
- Plain chlorination: not the standard term for chlorinating raw water at the initial stage.
- First chlorination: not the usual technical term used in water treatment.
- De-chlorination: means removal of chlorine, the opposite of adding chlorine.
The minimum diameter of an opening of a manhole should be
A)
50cm
B)
100cm
C)
25cm
D)
150 cm
A manhole opening must be large enough for a person to enter, inspect, and maintain the sewer safely. The standard minimum diameter of a manhole opening is 100 cm (1 m). Smaller options like 25 cm or 50 cm are too small for human access, while 150 cm is larger than the minimum requirement.
The frictional resistance in the laminar flow is
A)
Not affected by the variation of temperature
B)
Dependant of pressure
C)
Proportional to the velocity of flow
D)
All ofthese
In laminar flow, the resisting shear stress is directly proportional to the velocity gradient, and for flow through a pipe the frictional resistance is proportional to the flow velocity. It is not generally stated as being dependent on pressure, and temperature affects viscosity, so option (a) is incorrect. Hence, the correct choice is (c).
Which of the following is the standard treatment of rapid sand filter plants?
A)
Plain chlorination
B)
Pre chlorination
C)
Post chlorination
D)
Super chlorination
Rapid sand filters are commonly preceded by chlorination to control algae, reduce taste and odor, and aid coagulation and filtration performance. This is called pre-chlorination. Plain chlorination is not a specific treatment stage, post-chlorination is done after filtration and disinfection, and super-chlorination is an excessive dose used only in special conditions, not as the standard treatment of rapid sand filter plants.
The distribution mains in water supply system are designed for
A)
Maximum daily demand
B)
Peak hourly demand
C)
Average daily demand
D)
Maximum hourly demand on maximum consumption day
Distribution mains in a water supply system must carry the highest likely flow in the distribution network. Therefore, they are designed for the maximum hourly demand occurring on the maximum consumption day, since this represents the peak stress condition.
Why not the others?
- (a) Maximum daily demand: too low for design of mains.
- (b) Peak hourly demand: does not specify the worst day, so it is incomplete.
- (c) Average daily demand: far below actual design requirement.
Hence, the correct answer is maximum hourly demand on maximum consumption day.
The best coagulant for removing the colour of water is
A)
Alum
B)
Lime
C)
Iron sulphate
D)
Copper sulphate
Alum is the most commonly used coagulant for water treatment and is especially effective in removing turbidity and colour by destabilizing colloidal particles. It forms flocs of aluminium hydroxide that adsorb coloured organic matter and impurities. Lime is mainly used for softening and pH adjustment, iron sulphate is also a coagulant but is less commonly preferred for colour removal in standard water treatment, and copper sulphate is not used as a coagulant for this purpose.
If the pressure surface of Aquifer lies above the ground surface, the well will be
A)
Artesian well
B)
Non-artesian well
C)
Flowing artesian well
D)
Non-flowing artesian well
When the pressure surface (piezometric surface) of a confined aquifer lies above the ground surface, water rises in the well and overflows naturally at the surface. Such a well is called a flowing artesian well. An artesian well may have water rise in it, but if the pressure surface is below ground level, it will not flow out naturally. Non-artesian wells are ordinary wells without confined aquifer pressure.
The most widely used tube well in India is
A)
Strainer well
B)
Cavity well
C)
Slotted well
D)
Perforated well
The most widely used tube well in India is the strainer well. It is suitable for aquifers with sand and gravel and is commonly adopted because it is effective and economical. Cavity wells are used only in certain hard strata conditions, while slotted and perforated wells are less common as standard tube well types.
In hydraulic jump, passage of water is
A)
Froma super critical state to sub-critical state
B)
From sub-critical state to super critical state
C)
From critical state to super critical state
D)
From sub-critical state to critical state
A hydraulic jump occurs when fast-moving shallow water (supercritical flow, Froude number > 1) suddenly transitions to slower-moving deeper water (subcritical flow, Froude number < 1). This causes a rapid rise in water depth and dissipation of energy. Hence, the passage of water is from supercritical state to subcritical state. The other options describe the reverse or incorrect transitions.
A piezometer opening in pipe measures
A)
Velocity head
B)
Static pressure
C)
Total pressure
D)
Double static pressure
A piezometer is a simple vertical tube connected to a pipe. The liquid rises in it until the hydrostatic head balances the pressure at the tapping point, so it measures the **static pressure head** (pressure intensity) in the pipe. It does not measure velocity head or total pressure. Total pressure would require a stagnation device like a Pitot tube.