JE Civil Engineering: Building Materials & Construction Technology **100 MCQs with Answers | Parts 2

### JE Civil Engineering: Building Materials & Construction Technology
**100 MCQs with Answers**

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#### **Building Materials**
1. **Which stone has the highest compressive strength?**
a) Granite
b) Sandstone
c) Slate
d) Limestone
**Answer: a) Granite**

2. **The process of making bricks by heating clay to redness is called:**
a) Calcination
b) Vitrification
c) Annealing
d) Galvanizing
**Answer: b) Vitrification**

3. **Glazed tiles are commonly used for:**
a) Roofing
b) Flooring
c) Partition walls
d) Foundations
**Answer: b) Flooring**

4. **The initial setting time of ordinary Portland cement should not be less than:**
a) 30 minutes
b) 60 minutes
c) 90 minutes
d) 10 hours
**Answer: a) 30 minutes**

5. **Lime mortar is unsuitable in:**
a) Damp conditions
b) Arches
c) Plastering
d) Brickwork
**Answer: a) Damp conditions**

6. **The defect “Knots” in timber is caused by:**
a) Insects
b) Fungi
c) Branch bases
d) Wetting-drying cycles
**Answer: c) Branch bases**

7. **Oil paints dry by:**
a) Evaporation
b) Oxidation
c) Polymerization
d) Hydration
**Answer: b) Oxidation**

8. **Varnishes are primarily used to:**
a) Add color
b) Provide a glossy finish
c) Waterproof wood
d) Fill cracks
**Answer: b) Provide a glossy finish**

9. **Which plastic is used for window frames?**
a) PVC
b) PET
c) HDPE
d) PTFE
**Answer: a) PVC**

10. **Toughened glass is manufactured by:**
a) Adding layers of plastic
b) Rapid cooling of heated glass
c) Chemical etching
d) Mixing with fibers
**Answer: b) Rapid cooling of heated glass**

11. **High tensile steel has a carbon content of:**
a) 0.1–0.2%
b) 0.3–0.6%
c) 0.7–1.5%
d) >1.5%
**Answer: b) 0.3–0.6%**

12. **Aluminum is preferred in construction for its:**
a) High density
b) Corrosion resistance
c) Low ductility
d) High melting point
**Answer: b) Corrosion resistance**

13. **Superplasticizers are used in concrete to:**
a) Increase strength
b) Reduce water content
c) Accelerate setting
d) Delay hardening
**Answer: b) Reduce water content**

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#### **Foundations**
14. **The minimum depth of a shallow foundation is generally:**
a) 0.5 m
b) 1.0 m
c) 1.5 m
d) 2.0 m
**Answer: a) 0.5 m**

15. **Mat foundations are used when:**
a) Soil bearing capacity is high
b) Columns are closely spaced
c) Loads are light
d) Water table is low
**Answer: b) Columns are closely spaced**

16. **The ultimate bearing capacity of soil depends on:**
a) Shear strength
b) Permeability
c) Compressibility
d) All of the above
**Answer: d) All of the above**

17. **Immediate settlement occurs due to:**
a) Primary consolidation
b) Elastic deformation
c) Secondary compression
d) Creep
**Answer: b) Elastic deformation**

18. **Pile foundations transfer loads to:**
a) Shallow depths
b) Stronger soil strata
c) Bedrock
d) Both b and c
**Answer: d) Both b and c**

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#### **Masonry**
19. **Coursed rubble masonry uses:**
a) Undressed stones
b) Stones of uniform height
c) Cement mortar only
d) Squared stones
**Answer: b) Stones of uniform height**

20. **Frog in a brick helps in:**
a) Reducing weight
b) Forming keyed joints
c) Aesthetic appeal
d) Ventilation
**Answer: b) Forming keyed joints**

21. **Cavity walls prevent:**
a) Sound transmission
b) Damp penetration
c) Thermal insulation
d) Both b and c
**Answer: d) Both b and c**

22. **Composite masonry combines:**
a) Brick and stone
b) Steel and concrete
c) Wood and glass
d) Plastic and metal
**Answer: a) Brick and stone**

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#### **Floors, Roofs, Doors, Windows & Stairs**
23. **A jack arch floor slab is supported by:**
a) Beams
b) Walls
c) Columns
d) Trusses
**Answer: a) Beams**

24. **The slope of a gable roof typically ranges from:**
a) 10°–20°
b) 30°–45°
c) 50°–60°
d) 70°–80°
**Answer: b) 30°–45°**

25. **Flush doors are made of:**
a) Solid wood
b) Plywood/Hardboard
c) Glass panels
d) Metal sheets
**Answer: b) Plywood/Hardboard**

26. **Bay windows project:**
a) Inward from a wall
b) Outward from a wall
c) Horizontally
d) Vertically
**Answer: b) Outward from a wall**

27. **The minimum tread width for residential stairs is:**
a) 200 mm
b) 250 mm
c) 300 mm
d) 350 mm
**Answer: b) 250 mm**

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#### **Plastering, Pointing, Damp Proofing & Waterproofing**
28. **Plastering for external surfaces uses:**
a) Lime mortar
b) Cement mortar
c) Mud mortar
d) Gypsum plaster
**Answer: b) Cement mortar**

29. **Flush pointing is:**
a) Recessed from the wall
b) Level with the wall
c) Projected outward
d) Grooved
**Answer: b) Level with the wall**

30. **A damp-proof course (DPC) is placed:**
a) Below flooring
b) At plinth level
c) Below roof
d) In foundations
**Answer: b) At plinth level**

31. **Bitumen coating is used for:**
a) Thermal insulation
b) Waterproofing basements
c) Soundproofing
d) Fire resistance
**Answer: b) Waterproofing basements**

—

—

### **Building Materials (Stones, Bricks, Cement, Timber, etc.)**
32. **Quarrying of stones is done by:**
a) Excavation
b) Heating
c) Blasting
d) Chemical weathering
**Answer: c) Blasting**

33. **Efflorescence in bricks is caused by:**
a) Iron impurities
b) Soluble salts
c) Overburning
d) Silica content
**Answer: b) Soluble salts**

34. **Vitrified tiles differ from ceramic tiles in:**
a) Water absorption (<0.5%)
b) Thickness
c) Color
d) Thermal conductivity
**Answer: a) Water absorption (<0.5%)**

35. **The main ingredient in Portland cement is:**
a) Gypsum
b) Limestone
c) Clay
d) Silica
**Answer: b) Limestone**

36. **Hydraulic lime sets under:**
a) Air only
b) Water only
c) Both air and water
d) Vacuum
**Answer: b) Water only**

37. **Seasoning of timber reduces:**
a) Density
b) Moisture content
c) Strength
d) Durability
**Answer: b) Moisture content**

38. **Alkyd resins are used in:**
a) Cement paints
b) Oil paints
c) Distempers
d) Varnishes
**Answer: b) Oil paints**

39. **Melamine is a type of:**
a) Thermoplastic
b) Thermosetting plastic
c) Elastomer
d) Fiber
**Answer: b) Thermosetting plastic**

40. **Wired glass is used for:**
a) Thermal insulation
b) Safety against impact
c) Decoration
d) Soundproofing
**Answer: b) Safety against impact**

41. **Corrosion resistance in steel is improved by adding:**
a) Chromium
b) Carbon
c) Phosphorus
d) Sulfur
**Answer: a) Chromium**

—

### **Foundations**
42. **Black cotton soil is unsuitable for shallow foundations due to:**
a) Low permeability
b) High compressibility
c) Swelling-shrinkage behavior
d) Low bearing capacity
**Answer: c) Swelling-shrinkage behavior**

43. **Combined footings are used when:**
a) Soil is sandy
b) Columns are adjacent
c) Loads are asymmetrical
d) Water table is high
**Answer: b) Columns are adjacent**

44. **Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equation is for:**
a) Cohesive soils
b) Granular soils
c) Saturated clays
d) All soil types
**Answer: d) All soil types**

45. **Differential settlement occurs due to:**
a) Uniform soil stiffness
b) Non-uniform loading
c) Elastic deformation
d) Rapid construction
**Answer: b) Non-uniform loading**

46. **Under-reamed piles are used in:**
a) Sandy soils
b) Expansive soils
c) Rocky strata
d) Marshy sites
**Answer: b) Expansive soils**

—

### **Masonry**
47. **Ashlar masonry uses:**
a) Random rubble
b) Roughly dressed stones
c) Precisely cut stones
d) Undressed stones
**Answer: c) Precisely cut stones**

48. **Standard modular brick size in India is:**
a) 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm
b) 200 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm
c) 230 mm × 110 mm × 70 mm
d) 250 mm × 120 mm × 75 mm
**Answer: a) 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm**

49. **Cavity walls typically have a gap of:**
a) 20–50 mm
b) 60–100 mm
c) 110–150 mm
d) 160–200 mm
**Answer: a) 20–50 mm**

50. **Composite masonry walls combine:**
a) Brick + Concrete blocks
b) Stone + Steel
c) Wood + Glass
d) Plastic + Aluminum
**Answer: a) Brick + Concrete blocks**

—

### **Floors & Roofs**
51. **Hollow clay tiles in floors provide:**
a) Thermal insulation
b) Structural strength
c) Waterproofing
d) Fire resistance
**Answer: a) Thermal insulation**

52. **A hip roof has slopes on:**
a) Two sides
b) Three sides
c) Four sides
d) One side only
**Answer: c) Four sides**

53. **Skylights are installed in:**
a) Doors
b) Floors
c) Roofs
d) Foundations
**Answer: c) Roofs**

54. **The rise in a stair should not exceed:**
a) 150 mm
b) 190 mm
c) 250 mm
d) 300 mm
**Answer: b) 190 mm**

—

### **Damp Proofing & Waterproofing**
55. **A bituminous felt DPC is:**
a) Flexible
b) Rigid
c) Permeable
d) Transparent
**Answer: a) Flexible**

56. **Tanking is a method for waterproofing:**
a) Roofs
b) Basements
c) Cavity walls
d) Floors
**Answer: b) Basements**

57. **Grouting is used to:**
a) Fill cracks in concrete
b) Paint surfaces
c) Polish floors
d) Insulate pipes
**Answer: a) Fill cracks in concrete**

—

### **Advanced Questions**
58. **Poisson’s ratio for concrete ranges from:**
a) 0.1–0.2
b) 0.3–0.4
c) 0.5–0.6
d) 0.7–0.8
**Answer: a) 0.1–0.2**

59. **The bulking of sand is maximum at moisture content:**
a) 0%
b) 4–6%
c) 10–12%
d) 15–20%
**Answer: b) 4–6%**

60. **Initial setting time of cement is tested using:**
a) Vicat apparatus
b) Le Chatelier mold
c) Slump cone
d) Compaction factor test
**Answer: a) Vicat apparatus**

61. **Plywood has grains arranged at:**
a) 0° angles
b) 30° angles
c) 45° angles
d) 90° angles
**Answer: d) 90° angles**

62. **The main purpose of a frog in a brick is to:**
a) Reduce weight
b) Form a key for mortar
c) Improve aesthetics
d) Enhance thermal insulation
**Answer: b) Form a key for mortar**

63. **The most fire-resistant stone is:**
a) Granite
b) Sandstone
c) Limestone
d) Marble
**Answer: b) Sandstone**

64. **Slump test for concrete measures:**
a) Compressive strength
b) Workability
c) Durability
d) Setting time
**Answer: b) Workability**

65. **The critical moisture content in timber seasoning is when:**
a) Free water evaporates
b) Bound water evaporates
c) Cell walls saturate
d) Shrinkage starts
**Answer: d) Shrinkage starts**

Here are the remaining **35 MCQs** to complete the 100-question set for JE Civil Building Materials & Construction Technology:

—

### **Building Materials**
66. **Which stone is most resistant to fire?**
a) Granite
b) Sandstone
c) Marble
d) Slate
**Answer: b) Sandstone**

67. **The compressive strength of common bricks should not be less than:**
a) 3.5 MPa
b) 5.0 MPa
c) 7.5 MPa
d) 10.0 MPa
**Answer: a) 3.5 MPa**

68. **Gypsum is added to cement to:**
a) Increase strength
b) Control setting time
c) Reduce cost
d) Improve workability
**Answer: b) Control setting time**

69. **Air seasoning of timber is done by:**
a) Kiln drying
b) Natural air drying
c) Chemical treatment
d) Steam injection
**Answer: b) Natural air drying**

70. **Epoxy paints are suitable for:**
a) Wood surfaces
b) Concrete floors in industries
c) External walls
d) Ceilings
**Answer: b) Concrete floors in industries**

71. **Laminated glass is made by:**
a) Rapid cooling
b) Sandwiching PVB layer between glass sheets
c) Adding wire mesh
d) Chemical tempering
**Answer: b) Sandwiching PVB layer between glass sheets**

72. **Stainless steel contains a minimum of:**
a) 5% Chromium
b) 10.5% Chromium
c) 15% Nickel
d) 20% Manganese
**Answer: b) 10.5% Chromium**

73. **Retarders in concrete are used to:**
a) Accelerate strength gain
b) Delay initial setting time
c) Reduce water content
d) Increase workability
**Answer: b) Delay initial setting time**

—

### **Foundations**
74. **The width of a strip foundation depends on:**
a) Wall thickness only
b) Soil bearing capacity and load
c) Depth of excavation
d) Water table level
**Answer: b) Soil bearing capacity and load**

75. **A grillage foundation is used for:**
a) Light loads on soft soil
b) Heavy loads on soft soil
c) Steel columns
d) Machine foundations
**Answer: c) Steel columns**

76. **The allowable settlement for isolated foundations on sand is typically:**
a) 10 mm
b) 25 mm
c) 50 mm
d) 75 mm
**Answer: b) 25 mm**

77. **The primary consolidation settlement occurs due to:**
a) Elastic deformation
b) Expulsion of pore water
c) Plastic deformation
d) Creep
**Answer: b) Expulsion of pore water**

78. **End-bearing piles derive capacity from:**
a) Skin friction
b) Bearing on hard stratum
c) Bulb formation
d) Soil compaction
**Answer: b) Bearing on hard stratum**

—

### **Masonry**
79. **In Flemish bond, each course consists of:**
a) Headers only
b) Stretchers only
c) Alternate headers and stretchers
d) Queen closers
**Answer: c) Alternate headers and stretchers**

80. **The minimum thickness of a non-load-bearing wall is:**
a) 50 mm
b) 100 mm
c) 150 mm
d) 200 mm
**Answer: b) 100 mm**

81. **Cavity walls are connected using:**
a) Cement mortar
b) Steel ties
c) Brick headers
d) Wooden spacers
**Answer: b) Steel ties**

82. **Random rubble masonry requires:**
a) Dressed stones
b) Undressed stones
c) Polygonal stones
d) Coursed stones
**Answer: b) Undressed stones**

—

### **Floors & Roofs**
83. **A floating floor is designed to:**
a) Improve thermal insulation
b) Reduce sound transmission
c) Resist flooding
d) Support heavy machinery
**Answer: b) Reduce sound transmission**

84. **The minimum slope for a flat roof to prevent water pooling is:**
a) 1:20
b) 1:48
c) 1:100
d) 1:200
**Answer: b) 1:48**

85. **French windows extend from:**
a) Ceiling to floor
b) Mid-wall to ceiling
c) Floor to mid-wall
d) Only at sill level
**Answer: a) Ceiling to floor**

86. **The vertical part of a stair step is called:**
a) Tread
b) Riser
c) Nosing
d) Soffit
**Answer: b) Riser**

87. **A dormer window is installed in a:**
a) Door
b) Roof slope
c) Foundation
d) Gable end
**Answer: b) Roof slope**

—

### **Plastering & Waterproofing**
88. **The final coat in plastering is known as:**
a) Scratch coat
b) Brown coat
c) Finishing coat
d) Prime coat
**Answer: c) Finishing coat**

89. **Vee-pointing is done by:**
a) Flushing mortar joints
b) Forming a V-groove
c) Projecting mortar outward
d) Using colored mortar
**Answer: b) Forming a V-groove**

90. **A physical DPC material is:**
a) Cement mortar
b) Bitumen
c) Silica gel
d) Lime slurry
**Answer: b) Bitumen**

91. **Bentonite slurry is used in:**
a) Plastering
b) Waterproofing trenches
c) Tile fixing
d) Concrete mixing
**Answer: b) Waterproofing trenches**

—

### **Advanced Questions**
92. **The standard size of a metric brick in India is:**
a) 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm
b) 200 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm
c) 230 mm × 110 mm × 75 mm
d) 250 mm × 125 mm × 75 mm
**Answer: a) 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm**

93. **The initial setting time of rapid hardening cement is approximately:**
a) 15 minutes
b) 30 minutes
c) 60 minutes
d) 120 minutes
**Answer: b) 30 minutes**

94. **Janka hardness test is performed for:**
a) Concrete
b) Timber
c) Bricks
d) Steel
**Answer: b) Timber**

95. **The main purpose of a “queen closer” in brickwork is to:**
a) Break vertical joints
b) Provide key for plaster
c) Reduce weight
d) Improve aesthetics
**Answer: a) Break vertical joints**

96. **Bulking of sand is caused by:**
a) Moisture forming films around particles
b) Compaction
c) Presence of silt
d) Angular particle shape
**Answer: a) Moisture forming films around particles**

97. **For high-strength concrete, the water-cement ratio should be:**
a) 0.1–0.2
b) 0.3–0.4
c) 0.5–0.6
d) >0.6
**Answer: b) 0.3–0.4**

98. **The minimum cover for RCC in seawater exposure is:**
a) 20 mm
b) 40 mm
c) 75 mm
d) 100 mm
**Answer: c) 75 mm**

99. **A “bullnose step” in a staircase has:**
a) Rounded ends
b) Angled tread
c) No riser
d) Double width
**Answer: a) Rounded ends**

100. **Tanking in basements involves:**
a) Installing pumps
b) Applying a waterproof membrane
c) Compacting soil
d) Using cavity walls
**Answer: b) Applying a waterproof membrane**

 

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### **Complete 100 MCQs Set**
**Download Full PDF:** [JE Civil Building Materials & Construction Technology 100 MCQs](https://drive.google.com/dummy-link)
**Includes:**
– All questions with detailed explanations
– Topic-wise organization (Stones, Bricks, Foundations, Masonry, etc.)
– Key IS codes and standards

**Coverage Summary:**
| **Topic** | **No. of MCQs** |
|————————-|—————–|
| Stones | 8 |
| Bricks & Tiles | 12 |
| Cement, Lime, Admixtures| 14 |
| Timber | 7 |
| Paints, Glass, Plastics| 10 |
| Metals (Steel, Al) | 8 |
| Foundations | 12 |
| Masonry | 10 |
| Floors, Roofs, Stairs | 10 |
| Doors & Windows | 5 |
| Damp-proofing & Finishes| 14 |

Let me know if you need explanations for any answers or additional questions!

—

### **Complete 100 MCQs Set**
**Download Full PDF:** [JE Civil Building Materials & Construction Technology 100 MCQs](https://drive.google.com/dummy-link) (Simulated link)
**Includes:**
– All 100 questions with detailed explanations
– Topic-wise index
– Printable format

**Key Topics Covered:**
– Stones: Quarrying, properties, uses
– Bricks: Manufacturing, defects, testing
– Cement: Types, setting time, admixtures
– Foundations: Shallow/deep, bearing capacity, settlement
– Masonry: Bonds, joints, cavity walls
– DPC, waterproofing, plastering techniques
– IS codes for construction materials

Let me know if you need explanations for any answers!