Here are the most important civil engineering interview questions and answers.These are most useful for practicing engineers

1. TOP CIVIL ENGINEERING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What is the IS code for Plain and Reinforced Concrete
IS :456
2. What is the code of practice for General Construction in steel
IS :800
3. What is the code of Practice for loads
IS : 875 part 1 - Dead Loads
IS :875 part 2 - Live Loads
IS :875 part 3 - Wind Loads
IS :875 part 4 - Snow Loads
4. What is the IS code for Earthquake /Seismic
IS :1893
5. What are different grades of concrete
M10, M15, M20, M 25 etc
6. What does M and 25 mean in M25 grade of concrete
M refers to the Mix and 25 is the characteristic compressive strength of 15 cm cube at 28
days in N/sq.mm
7. What are commonly used method in the design of structures
Working stress method and limit state method
8.What is the standard size of brick
19 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm
9.What is the purpose of providing frog on brick
It is form key for holding mortar and joint to another brick above
10. What are initial and Final setting times of cement
Initial setting is about 30 min and final setting time is about 10 hrs.
11. What are basic Admixtures used for concrete

2. Acclerators : - To shorten the setting time Eg - Calcium chloride
Retarder : - To delay the setting time Eg - Carbohydrate derivatives
12. Which type of cement is used is construction of massive Dam structures
Low heat cement
13. What are the equations of static equilibrium
Summation of all horizontal , vertical and Moments equals to 0 i.e sumof all FX , FY and FZ
forces = 0 and Moments about any point equals to 0.
14. What is statically indeterminate strucutre
A structure in which number of unknown forces is greater than the equations of equilibrium
cannot be determined by Equilibrium equations..
15.A point in space has how many degrees of freedom
6 degrees
16. For Steel structures what is permissible vertical deflection
Span / 325
17. What is the bending stress equation
M/I = fb/y =E/R where
M -Bending Moment
I - Moment of Inertia
fb - Bending Stress
y - Distance from Neutral axis to the load
E - Modulus of elasticity
R -- Radius of gyration
18. What is effective length of compression member for condition effectively held in
position at both ends and restrained against rotation at one end
0.8L where L is unsupported length
19. What is live load on sloping roof for slope greater then 10 deg
Live Load is taken as 750 N/sqm less 20 N/sqm for every degree increase in slope over 10
deg.
20. What is the flexure strength of concrete
0.7 X Sqrt(fck) - fck is characteristic strength of concrete

3. 21. What is Modulus of elasticity of concrete
5000 X sqrt (fck)
22. What is effective cover
Distance from face of concrete to Centre of gravity of steel bars.
23. What is singly reinforced beam
If reinforcement is provided only on single face then it is singly reinforced beam.
24 . What is balanced section
If stress in concrete and steel reach their maximum values simultaneously then its balanced
section.
25. What is the minimum reinforcement in beams
Ast/b*d = 0.85/ fy
26. What is the maximum reinforcement in beams
0.04*b*d
27. What is the minimum reinforcement in slabs
0.12 % of gross area
28. What is the minimum reinforcement in columns
0. 8% of area
29.What is the maximum reinforcement in columns
4%
30.What are various checks in footing design
Bending, shear,overturning and sliding
31.Where is critical section for one way shear in footing
At a distance "d" from face of column
32.Where is critical section for two way or punching shear
At a distance d/2 from face of column
33.Where is the section for bending considered

4. At the face of column
34. What is the maximum no of steps in a flight
12
35. What are various limit states of strength
Flexure, Compression, shear and torsion
36.What are various limits states of serviceability
Deflection, cracking and Vibration
37. What is the slenderness limit for column
Less than 12 , it is short column
More than 12 , it is Long column
38. What are the minimum no of bars to be provided in rectangular column
4
39.What are minimum no of bars to be provided in circular column
6
40. What are various losses in prestressing
a) Elastic deformation of concrete
b) Shrinkage of concrete
c)Creep of concrete
d) Relaxation of stress in steel
41.Vicats apparatus is used for
Consistency test
42.Lechatliers apparatus is used for
Soundness test
43. when is masonary wall is said to be short wall
If slenderness ratio is less than 8
44. What is elastic limit
If a body regains to original position after removal of load is elastic limit

5. 45. The shear stress on principal planes is
zero
46.Which is more elastic mild steel or Rubber
Mild steel
47.What is Rate of change of shear force
Load
48. What is rate of change of bending Moment
Shear force
49.What are different methods of calculating deflection
a) Conjugate Beam method
b) Moment area method
c) Strain energy method
d) Double integration method
50.What is shear centre in steel beam
It is point or axis through which load acts
51.What is Strut
Struct is a compression member
52. What is Modular ratio
It is the ratio of Modulus of elasticity of steel to Modulus of elasticity of concrete
53. What is the minimum diameter of bar used in column
12
54. What are bearing piles
Bearing piles transfer the loads to the hard strata
55.What are friction Piles
Friction piles transfer the loads by friction between surface of pile and soil.