Nepal Engineering Council Registration Exam Building Materials, Theory of Structures & Construction: practice questions

1 · Bricks, stone and cement · easy

In English bond brickwork, how are headers and stretchers arranged?

1. Every course is laid with stretchers only, offset by half a brick
2. Each course has headers and stretchers alternating along its length
3. Every course is laid with headers only, offset by a quarter brick
4. Alternate courses are entirely headers and entirely stretchers

2 · Bricks, stone and cement · medium

Brick earth that contains too much lime is used to make bricks. What is the most likely result?

1. The bricks melt and lose shape in burning, and lime lumps may later split them
2. The bricks turn bright red because lime reacts with the iron oxide during firing
3. The bricks become very porous and light because the lime burns out completely
4. The bricks crack during drying because lime can make the clay too plastic to shape

3 · Bricks, stone and cement · medium

How does a pozzolana such as fly ash or rice-husk ash contribute to the strength of a lime or blended-cement binder?

1. Its reactive silica combines with calcium hydroxide and water to form calcium silicate hydrate
2. It reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate, as fat lime does
3. It hydrates on its own like Portland cement clinker, producing calcium hydroxide and heat
4. It fills voids as an inert powder only, so any strength gain is due to better particle packing

4 · Reinforced concrete beams and slabs · hard

A singly reinforced beam is 250 mm wide with effective depth 450 mm, M25 concrete and Fe415 steel. What is its limiting moment of resistance Mu,lim by IS 456?

1. 139.7 kN·m
2. 218.7 kN·m
3. 169.1 kN·m
4. 174.6 kN·m

5 · Reinforced concrete columns · hard

A short, axially loaded 350 × 350 mm column has four 20 mm Fe500 bars and M25 concrete. Using Pu = 0.4 fck Ac + 0.67 fy Asc (IS 456), what is its design capacity?

1. 1823 kN
2. 1759 kN
3. 1633 kN
4. 1646 kN

6 · Trusses · easy

What is the main purpose of a north-light (saw-tooth) roof truss in a workshop or packhouse?

1. To increase natural ventilation by forming a ridge vent over the span
2. To carry crane loads without any internal columns over long spans
3. To admit even daylight through glazing that faces away from direct sun
4. To shed heavy snow from both slopes equally in cold climates

7 · Foundations · medium

A farm godown is to be built on expansive black cotton soil. Which foundation approach is commonly used in Indian practice to limit swelling and shrinkage damage?

1. A timber raft laid on the soil surface so the building moves freely with the clay
2. Isolated footings on the surface with the floor slab cast directly on the swelling clay
3. Under-reamed piles anchored below the zone of seasonal moisture change, with a grade beam
4. Shallow strip footings at 0.3 m depth on a thick layer of the same compacted black cotton soil

8 · Foundations · medium

How does a rise of the water table to the base of a shallow footing in sand affect its bearing capacity?

1. It reduces it only for clays, because sands drain freely and their strength is not affected
2. It reduces it, because the submerged unit weight, close to half the bulk value, enters the γ terms
3. It has no effect, because the bearing capacity factors depend only on the angle of shearing resistance
4. It increases it, because water pressure supports part of the footing load and reduces settlement

9 · Specifications and contracts · easy

What is the purpose of the earnest money deposit (bid security) submitted with a tender?

1. To cover defects that appear during the defects liability period after completion
2. To pay the contractor in advance for mobilising equipment to the site after award
3. To pay liquidated damages if the completed work is handed over after the due date
4. To guarantee that the bidder will not withdraw its bid and will sign the contract if it is accepted

10 · Specifications and contracts · medium

What are liquidated damages in a construction contract?

1. Payments to the contractor for delays caused by the owner's late drawings
2. A pre-agreed sum per day or week of delay, payable by the contractor for late completion
3. The actual losses the owner proves in court after the work is completed late
4. A penalty for poor workmanship assessed by the engineer at final inspection