Soil Mechanics – Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. 49. What is 'immediate settlement'?

   • A. The elastic deformation of the soil that occurs almost immediately upon application of load
   • B. Primary consolidation
   • C. Secondary compression
   • D. Creep

2. 50. What is 'differential settlement'?

   • A. The unequal settlement of different parts of a structure
   • B. which can cause distress or damage to the structure
   • C. Uniform settlement
   • D. No settlement

3. 51. What is 'soil exploration'?

   • A. The process of investigating the soil and groundwater conditions at a site to obtain necessary information for design and construction
   • B. Soil mixing
   • C. Soil compaction
   • D. Soil treatment

4. 52. What is 'Standard Penetration Test' (SPT)?

   • A. A common in-situ test to estimate the relative density of granular soils and consistency of cohesive soils
   • B. A lab test for permeability
   • C. A lab test for shear strength
   • D. A lab test for compaction

5. 53. What is 'cone penetration test' (CPT)?

   • A. An in-situ test that measures the resistance of the soil to the penetration of a cone-shaped probe
   • B. A lab test for density
   • C. A lab test for water content
   • D. A lab test for particle size

6. 54. What is 'soil classification'?

   • A. The grouping of soils into categories based on their engineering properties and behavior
   • B. Soil exploration
   • C. Soil compaction
   • D. Soil stabilization

7. 55. What is the 'Unified Soil Classification System' (USCS)?

   • A. A widely used soil classification system based on particle size distribution
   • B. Atterberg limits
   • C. and plasticity
   • D. A system for rocks

8. 56. What is 'active earth pressure'?

   • A. The minimum lateral earth pressure exerted by soil on a retaining structure when the structure moves away from the soil
   • B. The maximum lateral earth pressure
   • C. The at-rest earth pressure
   • D. The passive earth pressure

9. 57. What is 'passive earth pressure'?

   • A. The maximum lateral earth pressure exerted by soil on a retaining structure when the structure moves towards the soil
   • B. The minimum lateral earth pressure
   • C. The at-rest earth pressure
   • D. The active earth pressure

10. 58. What is 'at-rest earth pressure'?

    • A. The lateral earth pressure exerted by soil on a retaining structure when there is no movement of the structure relative to the soil
    • B. The active earth pressure
    • C. The passive earth pressure
    • D. The maximum earth pressure

11. 59. What is 'slope stability analysis'?

    • A. The assessment of the stability of natural or excavated slopes against failure by sliding or flowing
    • B. The analysis of retaining walls
    • C. The analysis of foundations
    • D. The analysis of soil compaction

12. 60. What is 'factor of safety' in slope stability?

    • A. The ratio of the resisting forces or moments to the driving forces or moments
    • B. A measure of deformation
    • C. A measure of stress
    • D. A measure of settlement