GATE Exam Questions Questions

• Soil Stabilization Methods – What Is “Mechanical” Stabilization? In highway and geotechnical practice, mechanical stabilization of soils primarily involves which action to improve gradation and strength for bases/sub-bases or embankments?
• Hydrostatics & Stability – Correct Statement for Floating/Submerged Bodies Which of the following statements correctly states the stability condition for bodies that float or are wholly submerged in a liquid?
• Water Quality & Health – Cause of “Blue Baby” (Methemoglobinemia) Infants suffering from blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia) typically do so due to excess of which contaminant in drinking water?
• Deflection of a Cantilever with an End Moment For a cantilever beam of length l, flexural rigidity EI, subjected to a pure couple M applied at the free end, what is the vertical deflection at the free end?
• Net Safe Bearing Capacity from Ultimate Bearing Capacity A shallow foundation bears on soil with ultimate bearing capacity qu = 300 kN/m^2. Depth of foundation Df = 1 m, unit weight of soil γ = 20 kN/m^3. Using a factor of safety FS = 2.5, compute the net safe bearing capacity.
• Flood Frequency – Exceedance in a Future Period from Return Period An annual maximum flood magnitude has a return period T = 8 years. What is the probability that this magnitude will be exceeded at least once during the next 5 years?
• Highway Geometrics – Purpose of Transition Curves on Horizontal Alignments Transition (spiral) curves are introduced on the approaches to circular horizontal curves primarily to achieve which of the following?
• Steel Design (IS 800:1984) – Maximum Slenderness Ratio As per IS 800:1984, the maximum allowable slenderness ratio (KL/r) for compression members carrying forces due to dead load plus superimposed load is:
• Open Channel Flow – Why a Surface Disturbance Cannot Propagate Upstream A person drops a stone on the surface of a flowing canal and notes that the generated surface disturbance does not travel upstream. What does this indicate about the flow regime in the canal?
• Open-Channel Flow – Critical depth in a rectangular channel Water flows at Q = 10 m^3/s in a horizontal rectangular channel of width b = 3 m. Compute the critical depth of flow (in metres).
• Earthwork and Compaction – Borrow volume for specified embankment dry density A borrow pit soil has dry density 17 kN/m^3. How many cubic metres of this soil are required to build an embankment of 100 m^3 at dry density 16 kN/m^3 (ignore wastage and shrinkage)?
• Railway Engineering – Function of ballast beneath sleepers What are the principal roles of track ballast in railway permanent way?
• Groundwater Terminology – Classification of water-bearing formations A formation that is partly permeable and allows only seepage, yielding an insignificant supply of water, is called:
• Matrix Stiffness Method – Axial bar element For a prismatic bar ab (area A, modulus E, length l) carrying only axial deformation, what is the horizontal stiffness coefficient K11 at node a?
• Turbulent Pipe Flow – Roughness vs laminar sublayer thickness Water (ρ = 1000 kg/m^3, ν = 1.0×10^-6 m^2/s) flows in a commercial pipe with equivalent sand roughness k_s = 0.12 mm. If the average wall shear stress is τ_w = 600 N/m^2, compute k_s / δ′, where δ′ is the laminar sublayer thickness.
• Water Treatment – Process placement of coagulation–flocculation using alum In a conventional surface water treatment train, coagulation–flocculation with alum is carried out:
• Seepage and Stability – Onset of piping in soils Piping (subsurface erosion leading to heave and boils) is most likely to occur when:
• Durability per IS 456:2000 – Minimum concrete grade for RCC along a sea coast A reinforced concrete structure is to be constructed along a sea coast (severe marine exposure). What is the minimum specified concrete grade to be used?
• Plastic analysis of a fixed–fixed beam under a central point load A prismatic fixed beam of span L has a uniform plastic moment capacity Mp along its length. If a single concentrated load is applied at the midspan, what is the ultimate (collapse) load that will form the plastic mechanism?
• Breakpoint chlorination in drinking-water treatment During breakpoint chlorination, chlorine is added in an amount sufficient to achieve which primary objective in the bulk water?