← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2016
First class bricks, when soaked in cold water should not absorb more than X of its weight. Find the appropriate replacement for X
A)
10 %
B)
15%
C)
20%
D)
25%
First class bricks are required to absorb not more than 15% of their dry weight when soaked in cold water for 24 hours. This is a standard quality criterion for good burnt clay bricks. Hence, X = 15%. Option (a) 10% is too strict for first class bricks, while 20% and 25% exceed the permissible limit.
In modern big projects, Contract Agreements are normally signed between
A)
contractor and engineer
B)
employer and engineer
C)
contractor and employer
D)
none of these
In modern construction projects, the contract agreement is generally executed between the employer (client/owner) and the contractor. The employer engages the contractor to carry out the work, and both parties are legally bound by the terms of the contract. The engineer usually acts as the supervising/consulting authority, not as a direct contracting party. Hence, option (c) is correct.
In this brick bond headers and stretchers are laid alternately in the same course. Identify the bond.
A)
Stretcher bond
B)
English bond
C)
Flemish bond
D)
Dutch bond
In a Flemish bond, headers and stretchers are laid alternately in the same course. This is the defining feature of the bond. In contrast, English bond has alternate courses of headers and stretchers, not alternate bricks within the same course. Stretcher bond contains only stretchers in each course, and Dutch bond is a variation used for specific walling patterns but not the standard answer here.
The airport runway orientation is made so that landing and take-off are
A)
against the wind direction
B)
along the wind direction
C)
perpendicular to wind direction
D)
none of these
Airport runways are generally oriented so that aircraft take off and land into the wind. This reduces the required ground speed and improves lift, making operations safer and more efficient. Hence, the correct choice is against the wind direction. The other options are incorrect because landing/take-off along or perpendicular to the wind would increase difficulty and reduce safety.
Darcy’s law is applicable to seepage if a soil is
A)
isotropic
B)
incompressible
C)
homogeneous
D)
all of these
Darcy’s law is valid for seepage through soil when the flow is laminar and the soil mass can be treated as isotropic, homogeneous, and incompressible. These conditions ensure that the hydraulic gradient and discharge have a linear relationship. Therefore, all the given properties are required, making option (d) correct.
Road rollers are basically
A)
compression equipments
B)
consolidation equipments
C)
compaction equipments
D)
leveling equipments
Road rollers are used to compact soil, subgrade, and pavement layers by applying pressure and vibration. Their primary function is to increase density and reduce air voids, so they are classified as compaction equipment. They are not mainly for leveling or simple consolidation, and "compression" is not the standard construction-equipment classification here.
Accurate determination of water content is made by
A)
calcium carbide method
B)
sand bath method
C)
alcohol method
D)
oven-drying method
The standard and most accurate laboratory method for determining the water content of soil is the oven-drying method. In this method, the soil sample is weighed, dried in an oven at about 105–110°C until constant mass, and weighed again to find the loss of water. Calcium carbide, sand bath, and alcohol methods are quicker field/rapid methods, but they are less accurate than oven drying.
Maximum numbers of earth-moving equipments available in Mizoram are
A)
excavators
B)
bull dozers
C)
loaders
D)
excavator-cum-loaders
Among the listed earth-moving equipments in Mizoram, excavators are the most numerous. In construction and road works, excavators are widely used for digging and earth removal, so they generally outnumber bulldozers, loaders, and excavator-cum-loaders. Therefore, option (a) is correct.
The shape of a vertical curve is
A)
parabolic
B)
elliptical
C)
circular
D)
spiral
A vertical curve in highway engineering is generally provided as a parabola because it gives a smooth and uniform rate of change of gradient. This makes it suitable for comfort, visibility, and easy computation. Circular, spiral, and elliptical curves are not used as the standard shape for vertical curves.
The test recommended for testing the shear strength of a saturated clay is
A)
direct shear test
B)
unconfined compression test
C)
triaxial compression test
D)
all of these
For saturated clay, the triaxial compression test is generally recommended because it allows controlled drainage conditions and can accurately determine shear strength under different stress conditions. The direct shear test is less suitable for saturated clays because the failure plane is predetermined and drainage/stress conditions are not well controlled. The unconfined compression test is used only for cohesive soils like saturated clays, but it is a special case and does not provide as complete or reliable a measure of shear strength as the triaxial test. Therefore, the best answer is triaxial compression test.
Define flow net. Describe, in brief, the fundamental characteristics of a flow net.
Give the general specification of brickwork in cement mortar 1: 6 .
Describe the various types of foundations used in construction of buildings.
A chain line ABC crosses a river, B and C being on the near and distant banks respectively. A perpendicular BD, 50 m long, is set out at B on the left of the chain line. The respective bearings of C and A taken at D are 52°30' and 142°30' respectively. Find the chainage of C, given that AB= 25 m and the chainage at B = 325.30 m .
The lift off distance is the distance along the centre of the runway between the starting point and
A)
end of the runway
B)
point where aircraft becomes air borne
C)
end of stopway
D)
point where aircraft attains 10.7 m height
In airport engineering, the lift-off distance is the runway distance along the centreline from the start of takeoff roll to the point where the aircraft leaves the ground and becomes airborne.
- (b) is correct because lift-off means the instant the aircraft becomes air borne.
- (a) is incorrect because the aircraft does not use the full runway length for lift-off distance.
- (c) is incorrect because stopway is related to rejected takeoff, not lift-off.
- (d) is incorrect because 10.7 m height refers to takeoff distance/clearance concepts, not lift-off distance.
The convexity provided to the carriageway between the crown and the edge of pavement is known as
A)
super –elevation
B)
camber
C)
transverse gradient
D)
vertical curve
The convexity given to the carriageway from the crown to the edge of pavement is called camber. It helps drain off rainwater from the road surface. Super-elevation is the inward tilt provided on horizontal curves, transverse gradient is the general cross slope, and vertical curve is used in the longitudinal profile of the road.
Plasticity index is defined as the range of water content between
A)
liquid limit and plastic limit
B)
plastic limit and semi-solid limit
C)
liquid limit and solid limit
D)
semi-solid limit and liquid limit
Plasticity index (PI) is defined as the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit of a soil. It represents the range of water content over which the soil remains in the plastic state. Hence, the correct range is between liquid limit and plastic limit. The other options are incorrect because semi-solid and solid limits are not used to define plasticity index.
Counterforts are provided in counterfort type retaining walls on the
A)
toe side
B)
heel side
C)
vertical side
D)
none of these
In a counterfort retaining wall, counterforts are triangular reinforced concrete webs provided on the backfill side of the wall, i.e., the heel side. They connect the stem and base slab to reduce bending moments in the stem and slab. Hence, the correct answer is heel side. Toe side is the front side, and vertical side is not the usual location for counterforts.
This brick bond consists of alternate courses of headers and stretchers laid with 3/4 bat as quoin in the stretcher course. Identify the bond.
A)
Stretcher bond
B)
English bond
C)
Flemish bond
D)
Dutch bond
In a Dutch bond, the wall is built with alternate courses of headers and stretchers, and a 3/4 bat is used as the quoin in the stretcher course. This is the distinguishing feature mentioned in the question. English bond also has alternate header and stretcher courses, but it does not specifically use a 3/4 bat at the quoin in the stretcher course in this manner. Flemish bond has headers and stretchers in the same course, not alternate courses. Stretcher bond contains only stretchers, so it is also incorrect.
List the general conditions of stability of retaining walls. What are the limitations of Rankine’s theory of earth pressure?
Define wing walls, retaining walls, breast walls and toe walls clearly highlighting the distinguishing features of each one of them from the others.
Reciprocating pumps are essentially X speed machines. Find the appropriate replacement for X.
A)
very high
B)
high
C)
medium
D)
low
Reciprocating pumps are positive displacement pumps and are generally used at low speeds. They deliver fluid intermittently and have inertial and valve-operation limitations, so they are not suitable for very high or high-speed operation. Hence, the correct replacement for X is 'low'.
The most commonly used chemical for dechlorination of water is
A)
sodium sulphite
B)
sodium thiosulphate
C)
sodium bisulphate
D)
sodium chloride
Dechlorination means removing excess chlorine from water after disinfection. The most commonly used chemical for this purpose is sodium thiosulphate, because it reacts readily with chlorine and neutralizes it effectively. Sodium sulphite can also be used, but it is not the standard answer in such MCQs. Sodium bisulphate is not used for dechlorination, and sodium chloride does not remove chlorine from water.
A Kaplan turbine is
A)
an inward flow impulse turbine
B)
low head axial flow turbine
C)
high speed axial flow turbine
D)
high head mixed flow turbine
A Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type reaction turbine used for low head and high discharge conditions. Its flow is mainly axial through the runner, so it is classified as a low head axial flow turbine. Option (a) is wrong because Kaplan is not an impulse turbine. Option (c) is incorrect because Kaplan is not generally described as a high-speed turbine in classification terms. Option (d) is wrong because high head mixed flow turbines are typically Francis-type, not Kaplan.
Irrigation canals are generally aligned along
A)
contour line
B)
ridge line
C)
valley line
D)
straight line
Irrigation canals are generally aligned along the ridge line (also called the watershed line) so that water can be distributed by gravity to both sides of the canal command area. This also helps avoid excessive cutting and crossing of natural valleys. Contour lines are used for contour canals in hilly areas, but the general alignment is along ridges. Valley lines are unsuitable because they collect drainage water, and straight line is not the usual terrain-based alignment.