MORNING FE CIVL SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Question Details: * = correct answer

1. A closed traverse is run from Point B to Point K. The bearing and distance from
Point B to Point C are N 18°22' E and 487.52 ft; from Point C to Point D are S
87°10' E and 789.16 ft; and from Point D to Point K are S 78°37' E and 825.97
ft. The coordinates of Point B are 11,250.61 N and 8,755.32 E. The coordinates
of Point K are 11,511.15 N and 10,507.23 E. The error of closure (ft) in latitude
is most nearly:
A* 0.12
B 0.27
C 0.38
D 0.49
Time Spent Seconds: 166
Domain: Surveying

2. On a vertical alignment, a −3% grade (back tangent) meets a +8% grade

(forward tangent) at Station 50+00. A sag 600-ft vertical curve is placed at the
PVI such that the PVC is at Station 47+00. The station of the low point is most
nearly:
A* 48+63.64
B 50+00.00
C 51+36.36
D 51+63.64
Time Spent Seconds: 216
Domain: Surveying

3. For the level lines shown below, the elevation (ft) of Station B, after the
distribution of the closure error, is most nearly:

A 246.670
B* 246.748
C 246.751
D 246.760
Time Spent Seconds: 47
Domain: Surveying

4. In an area with a composite runoff coefficient of 0.65, the surface runoff flows
toward a street from the land on both sides. The watershed area extends to 100 ft
on each side of the street centerline. The street has curb-and-gutter, and there
will be a curb inlet (or basin) on both sides of the street. The capacity of the curb
inlet to "pick up" runoff from the gutter is 10 cfs (any more than this will just run
past the opening). It is city policy to design the street drainage system to
accommodate a 6.8 in./hr rainfall. The distance (ft) between the inlets along the
street should be most nearly:
A* 980
B 640
C 490
D 230
Time Spent Seconds: 17
Domain: Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems

5. A 10-ft-wide rectangular concrete channel is to be built to convey storm water

runoff. The channel grade is 0.2%. The Manning's roughness coefficient n is
0.015. If the depth of flow is 2 ft, the discharge (cfs) is most nearly:
A* 110
B 150
C 250
D 500
Time Spent Seconds: 142
Domain: Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems

6. A flow of 15.5 cfs enters the pipe system at A as shown, and exits at B and C.
Pipe data are given in the following table.
Length Diameter Velocity
Pipe ƒ
(ft) (in.) (fps)
AB 0.03 200 24 2.0
AC 0.03 200 36 1.3
CB 0.03 200 48
Assume the pipes are all at the same elevation. The head loss (ft) in Pipe CB is most
nearly:
A 0.05
B* 0.13
C 0.18
D 0.23
Time Spent Seconds: 35
Domain: Hydraulics and Hydrologic Systems

7. An undisturbed sample of soil has a specific gravity of solids of 2.70, a moisture

content of 10.5%, and a void ratio of 0.63. The degree of saturation is most
nearly:
A 25%
B* 45%
C 65%
D 85%
Time Spent Seconds: 228
Domain: Soil Mechanics and Foundations

8. Subsurface exploration indicates that a level site has a 10-ft upper layer of sand.
The groundwater table is at the ground surface. The unit weight of the sand is
135.0 pcf. The effective overburden stress (psf) at a depth of 10 ft is most nearly:
A 625
B* 725
C 1,350
D 1,975
Time Spent Seconds: 113
Domain: Soil Mechanics and Foundations
 9. Direct shear test data of a sand are shown below:
Area of sample 16 in2
Normal load at failure 512 lb
Shear stress at failure 16 psi
The angle of friction is most nearly:
A 0°
B* 27°
C 30°
D 63°
Time Spent Seconds: 255
Domain: Soil Mechanics and Foundations

10. Which of the following is true of a normally consolidated clay?

A* It will not settle further under present loading conditions.
B It appears to have been subjected to previous desiccation or drying.
C It will settle an additional amount if the water table rises.
D It appears to have been subjected to greater loading condition.
Time Spent Seconds: 87
Domain: Soil Mechanics and Foundations

11. The figure below shows the flow net for the cross section of a dam that is 600 ft
long (measured perpendicular to the cross section). Assuming a uniform cross
section, the total seepage (ft3/day) under the dam would be most nearly:

A 63
B* 37,800
C 51,840
D 453,600
Time Spent Seconds: 105
Domain: Soil Mechanics and Foundations
 12. The daily waste collected by a community contains 2,000 lb of paper. If 65% of
the paper is recovered through recycling, the weight (tons) of paper that is
recovered per year is most nearly:
A 90
B 150
C 180
D* 240
Time Spent Seconds: 137
Domain: Environmental Engineering

13. A municipal wastewater treatment plant is processing a waste flow with a 5-day
BOD of 200 mg/L at 20°C. If the BOD rate constant k1 (base e) at 20°C is 0.23
day–1, the ultimate BOD (mg/L) of the raw wastewater at 20°C is most nearly:
A 133
B 233
C* 292
D 420
Time Spent Seconds: 406
Domain: Environmental Engineering

14. A surface water treatment plant has multiple filters. Each filter has a surface area
of 100 ft2. The filter backwash rate is 15 gpm/ft2, and the backwash duration is
12 min. The quantity (gal) of water required for backwash of each filter is most
nearly:
A 4,800
B 13,200
C* 18,000
D 576,000
Time Spent Seconds: 81
Domain: Environmental Engineering

15. A lime soda softening plant produces a municipal supply of 5 MGD. The plant
includes two clarifiers, each with a diameter of 65 ft and sidewater depth of 12 ft.
The clarifier residence time (hours) for parallel operation is most nearly:
A 0.35
B 1.43
C* 2.86
D 3.19
Time Spent Seconds: 198
 Domain: Environmental Engineering

16. A lime soda softening plant produces a municipal supply of 5 MGD. The plant
includes six filters with a surface area of 120 ft2 per filter. The design filtration
rate (gpm/ft2) with one unit offline to be backwashed is most nearly:
A 3
B 4
C 5
D* 6
Time Spent Seconds: 163
Domain: Environmental Engineering

17. A flexible pavement system is to be designed using the AASHTO structural

number design method with the following criteria:
Minimum
Coefficient of
Material Thickness
Structural Layer
(in.)
AC surfacing 2 0.44
Aggregate base 4 0.25
Aggregate subbase 4 0.10
Structural number = 2.50
If the minimum thicknesses of the surfacing and aggregate base are used, the required
thickness (in.) of the aggregate subbase is most nearly:
A 4
B 5
C* 6.5
D 8.5
Time Spent Seconds: 140
Domain: Transportation

18. A highway profile is shown in the figure below. If the design stopping sight
distance is 600 ft, the driver's eye height above the roadway surface is 3.50 ft,
and the height of an object in the roadway to be avoided by stopping is 1.00 ft,
the minimum design length (ft) of vertical curve is most nearly:
A 3,600
B* 1,966
C 1,136
D 1,017
Time Spent Seconds: 484
Domain: Transportation

19. At a pedestrian crosswalk, the initial WALK signal is displayed for 6.0 sec, after
which a flashing DON'T WALK signal is displayed. The pedestrian walking
speed is 4 fps, and the street to be crossed is 50 ft wide. After the green, the
yellow interval is 3.5 sec. The all-red interval is 0.5 sec, during which time no
pedestrians are in the street. The length of time (sec) the green must be displayed
is most nearly:
A 9.5
B* 15.0
C 22.0
D 22.5
Time Spent Seconds: 202
Domain: Transportation

20. For the beam shown, EI = 24 × 106 kip-in2 over the length of the beam. The
slope (rad) of the beam at location B is most nearly:

A 0.00576
B* 0.0072
C 0.01296
D 0.0864
Time Spent Seconds: 273
 Domain: Structural Analysis

21. A concentrated load of 20 kips moves through the truss shown. Neglecting the
weight of the truss, the maximum force (kips) in member CD due to the moving
load is most nearly:

A 12.5
B 25
C* 37.5
D 50
Time Spent Seconds: 703
Domain: Structural Analysis

22. For the beam shown, the magnitude (ft-kips) of the moment at A is most nearly:

A 22
B 222
C* 444
D 667
Time Spent Seconds: 345
Domain: Structural Analysis

23. According to ACI 318-02, the value of Φ that should be used in computing the
design moment strength ΦMn for the beam section shown below is most nearly:
A 0.8
B 0.81
C* 0.84
D 0.9
Time Spent Seconds: 18
Domain: Structural Design

24. A beam section has been fabricated by welding two S6 × 17.25 sections together
as shown.
Properties of S6 × 17.25
Ix = 26.3 in4
S = 8.77 in3
A = 5.07 in2
d = 6.0 in.
Properties for the combined section
Ix = 143.9 in4
S = 24 in3
A = 10.1 in2
d = 12 in.
If the beam is subjected to bending about the x-x axis that causes a shear force of 24
kips, the shear (kips/in.) in each weld is most nearly:
A* 1.27
B 2.04
C 2.54
D 3.47
Time Spent Seconds: 7
Domain: Structural Design

A #6
B #10
C* #11
D #14
 Time Spent Seconds: 6
Domain: Structural Design

26. The annual maintenance cost for an existing roadway is $4,000. The Public
Works Department has estimated that a new surface would reduce the
maintenance cost by $600 per year for 6 years and by $1,000 per year for 4
additional years. After that time, the annual cost will be $4,000. At 4% interest,
the cost of the new surface that can be justified by the reduced maintenance is
most nearly:
A* $6,000
B $26,400
C $28,000
D $28,700
Time Spent Seconds: 13
Domain: Construction Management

27. A lien is a:
A* claim on property for payment of a debt
B requirement that a contractor secure a performance bond for a project
C requirement that a contractor secure a payment bond for a project
D claim for damages for lack of specific performance
Time Spent Seconds: 3
Domain: Construction Management

28. A contractor has to move 8,640 bank cubic yards (bcy) of material. The material
has a bank unit weight of 3,100 lb/yd3 and a loose unit weight of 2,480 lb/yd3.
The volume (loose cubic yards) of material that must be hauled is most nearly:
A 6,912
B 8,640
C 10,368
D* 10,800
Time Spent Seconds: 300
Domain: Construction Management

29. Ready-mixed concrete being delivered to a jobsite is found to have a slump less
than specified. Which of the following is the most appropriate corrective action?
Decrease the amount of water in the mix before the truck leaves the ready-mix
A
plant.
Increase the water to the mix in the truck at the jobsite before the concrete is
B
poured.
 Add an admixture to the mix in the truck at the jobsite before the concrete is
C*
poured.
Increase the rotation speed of the mixing drum while the truck is in transit to the
D
jobsite.
Time Spent Seconds: 22
Domain: Materials

30. A 1-ft rod with a diameter of 0.5 in. is subjected to a tensile force of 1,300 lb and
has an elongation of 0.009 in. The modulus of elasticity (ksi) of the material is
most nearly:
A 740
B 884
C* 8,840
D 10,000
Time Spent Seconds: 155
Domain: Materials