The complete WBPSC Assistant Engineer (Civil) 2020 paper — all 100 MCQs with the official Series-A answer key and brief explanations. Read it below, or attempt it as a full-length, timed mock test with an instant scorecard, rank and subject-wise analysis.
The WBPSC Assistant Engineer (Civil) 2020 examination was conducted by the West Bengal Public Service Commission for recruitment to Assistant Engineer (Civil) posts. The paper carried 100 objective questions for 200 marks over 2 hours, with +2 marks for each correct answer and −2/3 mark deducted for each wrong answer. Below is the complete question paper (Series A) with the official answer key and short explanations, covering all core Civil Engineering subjects.
When a chain of designated length L and actual length L' is used for measuring a line, the true length of the line will be
Continuity equation in a pipe flow is based on the principle of conservation of
What will be the coefficient of passive earth pressure, at a depth of 8 m in cohesionless soil with an angle of internal friction of 30°, when the water rises to the ground level?
When a bar is subjected to a decrease of temperature and its deformation is prevented, the stress induced in the bar is
A reflux valve is also known as
Theoretically, the best cross-section for a lined canal is
Two cantilever beams A and B are shown in the figure. The ratio of maximum deflection of beam A to beam B is. (Beam A: UDL over full length; Beam B: point load, L/2 marks)
The rigid jointed frame (EI = Constant) shown will
Damage due to Alkali Aggregate Reaction in a concrete structure is mainly due to the presence of
A cantilever column is subjected to an axial load. If a linear spring of stiffness K is attached laterally at the free end, the critical buckling load will
A beam carries a UDL w kN/m over its whole length of 8 m, with overhangs of 2 m on each side (4 m between supports). The bending moment (kNm) at the centre is
Ordinary rails are made of
A sand having fineness modulus of 3 is regarded as
In a four-span continuous beam of equal spans, to obtain the maximum hogging bending moment at support B (next to the end support from the left), the live load should be placed
The PCU (Passenger Car Unit) value for a car on an urban road is
For a saturated cohesive soil, a tri-axial test yields the angle of internal friction equal to zero. The test conducted is called
The equivalent permeability for flow perpendicular to three soil layers (depths Z1, Z2, Z3; permeabilities K1, K2, K3) is
A propped cantilever beam of span L is subjected to a central concentrated load P. The collapse load P for plastic moment capacity Mp is
The expansion (unsoundness) of Portland Cement is caused by
The point on the Earth's surface directly above the point where an earthquake originates is called
With a decrease in lateral stiffness of a regular typical building, the design horizontal seismic coefficient will
In steel roof trusses, bracings should be provided at top-chord level
A tube of outer diameter 150 mm is welded all round to a plate. Weld strength = 500 N/mm (LSM, IS 800-2017). The maximum torsional moment applicable so the weld will not fail, with partial load factor = 1.5, is
A differential manometer is used to measure
When a vehicle traces a horizontal curve, it is subjected to centrifugal force in ___ direction.
For lack-of-fit problems in a truss, the truss is at least statically
The range of a projectile is maximum when the angle of projection is
For reversal of stresses, the most suitable bolt generally used in steel structures is
The main circular ring beam in a typical Intze-type overhead water tank, supported on columns placed symmetrically in a circle, is subjected to
The frame consists of members AO, OB and OC of equal length and equal EI, with a moment M applied at joint O (far ends fixed). The magnitude of bending moment at C will be
Creep strain is due to
The maximum dose of plasticiser and superplasticiser for concrete, in general, is restricted to
Curvature correction to a staff reading in differential levelling is
In the limit state method of design, which is NOT a correct load combination as per IS 456-2000? (DL=dead, LL=live, WL=wind, SL=seismic)
The development length of reinforcing steel of diameter d in compression, for M30 concrete and Fe 500 TMT bars (design bond strength for plain bars in tension = 1.5 MPa), is
For TMT (Thermo-Mechanically Treated) reinforcing bars of grade Fe 500, choose the correct statement.
The centre-to-centre spacing of distribution (secondary) steel for shrinkage and temperature in a slab, as per IS 456-2000, should not be more than (d = effective depth)
A symmetrical, perfectly rigid footing resting on linear isotropic elastic soil transfers a concentric column load. The contact pressure distribution at the footing base will be
The presence of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) in water causes
The static indeterminacy of the frame shown (with 3 internal hinges, plus hinged and fixed supports)
Why is the curing period of concrete made with PPC more than that with OPC?
For three-dimensional movement of a weight at a construction site, which machinery is most suitable?
Soil to be used for an earthen road should have a liquid limit less than
In the Marshall test of a bituminous mix, as bitumen content increases, the flow value
Correct order of unit processes in a water treatment plant: Rapid Mixing (RM), Flocculation (F), Primary Sedimentation (PS), Secondary Sedimentation (SS), Chlorination (C), Rapid Sand Filter (RSF)
For a reinforced concrete section, the shear stress distribution diagram is
Find the maximum bending stress at the fixed end of a cantilever of span L carrying a vertical point load P at the free end. The cross-section is a square of side a placed with its diagonal vertical.
For a sample of dry cohesionless soil with friction angle φ, the failure plane is inclined to the major principal plane by an angle equal to
The latitude and departure of a line AB are −75 m and +45.1 m. The whole-circle bearing of line AB is
Which sewage treatment method has the inherent problems of odour, ponding and fly nuisance?
The action of negative skin friction on a pile
The two-dimensional stress at a point is [σxx τxy; τyx σyy] = [100 30; −30 20] MPa. The maximum shear stress is
A prismatic simply-supported beam carries two equal point loads P symmetrically placed (four-point bending). The shape of the deflected curve in the central region between the loads is
In natural water, hardness is due to the presence of
The three governing equation-types in structural analysis are (i) equilibrium, (ii) compatibility, (iii) constitutive. To solve an indeterminate structure, the equations used are
Camber in highways is provided to take care of
Find the secondary air pollutant among NO, SO₂, Soot, O₃.
A vehicle negotiates a transition curve at uniform speed V. If R is the radius of the circular curve and J the allowable jerk (rate of change of radial acceleration), the minimum length of transition curve is
Quick sand is
A compound column has two ISMB 300 sections battened at their flanges. Find the critical centre-to-centre distance between the sections for maximum compressive capacity. (Each ISMB: Ixx = 8500 cm⁴, Iyy = 500 cm⁴, A = 50 cm²)
The maximum value of the compaction factor in the concrete workability test is
Zero hardness of water is achieved by
At the location of a plastic hinge in the plastic analysis of a structure,
A lysimeter is used to measure
When bitumen is added to soil, it mainly
The unit in which both sedimentation and sludge digestion take place simultaneously is the
The minimum edge distance in a bolted connection specified by IS 800-2007 should be maintained to avoid
For the truss shown (horizontal load P, members with span/height L), find the force in member QR.
Which test is NOT used for workability of concrete?
A basic requirement of an at-grade intersection is
A critical path in project management has
An imaginary line along which bolts in an angle section are placed is known as
From the level field-book — P: BS 1.655, RL 100.000; Q: BS −0.950, FS −1.500; R: FS 0.750 — find the RL of station R.
The super-elevation in road construction is
Bentonite is used in bored cast-in-situ pile construction mainly
During a clear cool night followed by a hot sunny day, the edges and corners of a rigid-pavement slab will
To produce Corrosion-Resistant Steel (CRS) bars, which element is added?
A simply supported truss of span 8L (eight panels of length L) and height L carries five concentrated loads of P each at the panel points. The maximum tensile force in the bottom chord is
The minimum cement content in a concrete mix design for durable concrete depends on
The tendency for general shear failure of an isolated footing in sand, in general, decreases with
For a simply supported prestressed concrete beam carrying two concentrated loads, the cable in general follows which profile?
For the beam shown (UDL w kN/m over span L, left end fixed/built-in and propped at B), find the reaction at B.
Reynolds number is the ratio of the inertia force to the
What kind of structural system was used for the Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu), Kolkata?
Among the following, which crop has the highest value of delta (water depth required)?
Some of the non-toxic metals normally found in natural water are
A 1-hour rainfall of 10 cm has a return period of 50 years. The probability of a 1-hour rainfall of 10 cm or more occurring in each of two successive years is
A simply supported prismatic beam carries a transverse UDL w and an axial compressive load P. The transverse-load vs central-deflection curve will be linear if
For a given discharge, the critical flow depth in an open channel depends on
A frame in a horizontal plane has AB = L, BC = L/2, CD = L/2 and carries a vertical concentrated load P at the free end D (D lies directly below the mid-point of AB). The bending moment at the middle of AB is
A soil sample has natural mass 1.98 kg and volume 0.001 m³; after oven-drying the mass is 1.8 kg. With G = 2.7, the degree of saturation is
In a reservoir with uncontrolled spillways, the peak of the (routed) outflow hydrograph
Aeration of water is done to remove
Purlins are generally placed at the nodal points of the rafter in a roof truss so as to avoid
The minimum centre-to-centre distance between piles of diameter 500 mm in clay soil is
Two simply supported beams A and B carry the same UDL; the span of A is double that of B. The correct statement is
The shrinkage index in a soil test is equal to
A thin cylindrical shell of diameter d, length l and thickness t is subjected to internal pressure p. The longitudinal stress in the shell is
A plot between rainfall intensity versus time at a site is called a
Lacey's silt factor is written as
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