CULVERTS

1. A structure that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, trail, or similar obstruction from one
side to the other side is called as ______________
a) drainage
b) bridges
c) tunnel
d) culverts
Answer: d
Explanation: Culverts are commonly used both as cross-drains for ditch relief and to pass water under a
road at natural drainage and stream crossings. A culvert may be a bridge-like structure designed to allow
vehicle or pedestrian traffic to cross over the waterway while allowing adequate passage for the water.

2. A structure that carries water above land is known as an _____________

a) aqueduct
b) aquedant
c) over surface
d) outland
Answer: a
Explanation: Bridges for conveying water, called aqueducts or water bridges are constructed to convey
watercourses across gaps such as valleys or ravines. The term aqueduct may also be used to refer to the
entire watercourse, as well as the bridge. Large navigable aqueducts are used as transport links for
boats or ships.

3. If the span of crossing is greater than 12 feet (3.7 m), the structure is termed as bridge and
otherwise is culvert.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Explanation: A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath
such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. There
are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations.

4. Culverts cannot be constructed of a variety of materials including cast-in-place or precast concrete.

a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Explanation: Culverts can be constructed of a variety of materials including cast-in-place or precast
concrete (reinforced or non-reinforced), galvanized steel, aluminium, or plastic, typically high-density
polyethylene. Two or more materials may be combined to form composite structures. For example,
open-bottom corrugated steel structures are often built on concrete footings.
5. Construction or installation at a culvert site generally results in disturbance of the site soil.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Explanation: Construction or installation at a culvert site generally results in disturbance of the site soil,
stream banks, or streambed, and can result in the occurrence of unwanted problems such as scour holes
or slumping of banks adjacent to the culvert structure.

6. Box culverts can be defined as a passage for water over a natural ground having a deck slab over it
as path way for vehicles.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Explanation: Slab culvert- A passage for water over a natural ground having a deck slab over it as path
way for vehicles.
Box culvert – Box culverts are usually made up of Reinforced Concrete (RCC) as a box shaped tunnel
through which the water flows and the vehicular transmission takes place over the box.

7. A culvert can be used to span over a canyon, or depression, or even over a freeway or roadway.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Explanation: A bridge doesn’t necessarily have to bridge over water. A bridge can be used to span over a
canyon, or depression, or even over a freeway or roadway.

8. The process of removing culverts, which is becoming increasingly prevalent, is known as

___________
a) outlighting
b) culverting
c) daylighting
d) inlighting
Answer: c
Explanation: In urban design and urban planning, daylighting is the redirection of a stream into an
above-ground channel. Typically, the goal is to restore a stream of water to a more natural state.
Daylighting is intended to improve the riparian environment for a stream which had been previously
diverted into a culvert, pipe, or a drainage system.
9. An _____culvert is normally a low profile culvert. It allows them to be installed without disturbing
the causeway as it will span over the entire drainage width.
a) box
b) rectangle
c) arch
d) circular
Answer: c
Explanation: They are normally made of metal, stone masonry or RCC. They are installed easily, and you
don’t need to use expensive water diversion structures to install it. Common shapes include semicircular
arch, elliptical arch, and concrete box culverts. Another benefit of these type of structure is that the
installation process will not take a lot of time, compared to traditional box culverts.

10. _______ culverts have a concrete (sometimes other materials can be used too) floor allowing the
water to flow smoothly through it.
a) Box
b) Cylindrical
c) Narrow
d) Long
Answer: a
Explanation: Box culverts are usually made up of Reinforced Concrete (RCC). Some box culverts can be
built using composite structures and are great when water needs to change direction or when a large
flow of water is expected. Box culverts can also be installed in such way that the top of the culvert is also
the roadway surface. The most challenging part of installing these type of culverts is that you generally
will need to have a dry surface to install the culvert, so dewatering or diversion of the water will be
needed to complete the installation.

DAMS
1. The obstruction or a barrier built across the stream or river is called _____________
a) Barrage
b) Weir
c) Dam
d) Reservoir
Answer: c
Explanation: A dam may be defined as an obstruction or a barrier built across the stream or river these
are artificial storage works. It retains water to create an impounding reservoir.
2. FTL Stands for ________
a) Free tank level
b) Full tank level
c) Full top level
d) Fill toe level
Answer: b
Explanation: It is also called a full reservoir level (FRL). It is a level up to which the water stored obviously
the crest of the spillway is fixed at this level.

3. _______ is openings extending from upstream to downstream of the dam.

a) Guide banks
b) Divide voids
c) Sluices
d) Spillway
Answer: c
Explanation: Sluices are openings or conduits extending from upstream face of the dam to downstream
face of the dam. They are used to clean the silt from the reservoir. They also decrease the peak flood in
the reservoir.

4. Water stored in dam is expressed in _______

a) Mega cumec metres
b) Million cubic metres
c) Metric cumec
d) Million cusec metres
Answer: b
Explanation: It is the total quantity of water stored up to FRL. It includes dead storage also. It is
expressed generally in thousand hectare metre or million cubic metres (Mm3).

5. MDDL Stands for ________

a) Minimum draw down level
b) Maximum draw down level
c) Million drop down level
d) Mega drop down level
Answer: a
Explanation: It is the lowest level up to which the reservoir is depleted from the considerations of
hydropower generation. So this level is known as minimum draw down level (MDDL).
6. _____ dam which resists are the external forces by virtue of its self weight.
a) Earthen dam
b) Storage dam
c) Detention dam
d) Gravity dam
Answer: d
Explanation: A gravity dam is that, which is stable against all the external forces achieved by the weight
of the dam itself. This is the most permanent one and hence it is very commonly used. It may be
constructed in all localities.

7. The factor of safety against overturning should not be less than ______
a) 1.8
b) 2.25
c) 1.5
d) 1.75
Answer: c
Explanation: In the dam section, the overturning takes place when a resultant force cuts the base of the
dam downstream of the toe. The factor of safety against overturning is the ratio of the stabilizing
moment to the overturning moments. The safety against overturning should not be less than 1.5.

8. In sliding failure, the co-efficient of friction varies from ________

a) 0.65 – 0.75
b) 0.8 – 0.9
c) 0.45 – 0.65
d) 0.85 – 1
Answer: a
Explanation: To avoid sliding, the factor of safety against the sliding should be greater than 1.
F.S = M(V-U) / €H > 1
Where M = Co-efficient of friction. It varies from 0.65 to 0.75
V = Total vertical force
U = Upward force.

9. Which of the following forces do not act on the dam?

a) Silt pressure
b) Wave pressure
c) Creep pressure
d) Uplift
Answer: c
Explanation: Among the above forces, creep pressure does not act on the dam. Generally on gravity dam
number of forces such as water pressure, wave pressure, wind pressure, ice pressure etc. will be acting
in a horizontal direction. In the same way, uplift, self weight acts in vertical direction.
10. The elementary profile of a dam is generally a ________
a) Isosceles triangle
b) Right angled triangle
c) Scalene triangle
d) Equilateral triangle
Answer: b
Explanation: In the absence of any other forces, the forces due to water and self weight of the dam form
an elementary profile which will be in triangular section having zero top width at water level, where the
pressure is zero and maximum base width is at bottom where the maximum water pressure acts.

11. _____ acts as an inspection chamber in Dams.

a) Spillway
b) Heel
c) Drainage gallery
d) Toe
Answer: c
Explanation: A drainage gallery is an opening in the body of a dam which runs longitudinally. It runs
through the length of the dam. Generally, it is a rectangle shape with flat a semi-circular head usually 1.5
m wide and 2.5m height.

12. The minimum standard height for a construction joint is about ________
a) 1.2 m
b) 1.5 m
c) 2.1 m
d) 2.3 m
Answer: b
Explanation: The joints which facilitate construction of the dam to proceed in small lifts. These joints are
also known as horizontal joints. A lift may be defined as the vertical distance between two consecutive
construction joints. The height is about 1.5 m each.
13. Cracks developed in the body of dam section can be avoided by ________
a) Construction joints
b) Contraction joints
c) Transverse joints
d) Longitudinal joints
Answer: b
Explanation: Due to variation in temperature it causes contraction and expansion in masonry or
concrete of the dam. It will develop fine cracks in the body of the dam. By providing contraction joints,
these cracks can be avoided.

14. ______ is the over flow section or portion of the dam.

a) Heel
b) Toe
c) Spillway
d) Gallery
Answer: c
Explanation: A spillway is the overflow section or portion of the dam over which surplus discharge flows
from reservoir to downstream face. This structure is provided in the body of the dam or near the dam or
on the periphery of the reservoir.

15. _______ is the common type of spillway used in gravity dams.

a) Ogee spillway
b) Trough spillway
c) Side channel spillway
d) Emergency spillway
Answer: a
Explanation: An ogee spillway is very common type of spillway used in gravity dams. It consists of two
parts namely ¡)ogee crest and ¡¡) a bucket. In this spillway water spills and flows over and ogee crest in
the form of a rolling sheet of water. Due to this, the development of negative pressures can be avoided.

16. Which type of dam usually has a triangular profile and can resist the forces by its own weight?
a) Gravity dam
b) Arch dam
c) Geotechnical dam
d) Embankment dam
Answer: a
Explanation: A gravity dam is a solid masonry or concrete structure, generally of a triangular profile,
which is so designed that it can safely stand against a pre-calculated volume of water by virtue of its
own weight.
17. What is very critical about gravity dams?
a) Strength of the concrete used
b) Strength of the masonry used
c) Strength of the rock foundation
d) The type of water stored in the reservoir
Answer: c
Explanation: All the forces arising in a gravity dam as due to the thrust of the impounded water and the
massive weight of the dam material- are assumed to be directly transmitted to the foundation rocks.
Hence the strength of the foundation rocks is the most critical factor.

18. The upstream face of a gravity dam is always vertical.

a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Explanation: The upstream face in a gravity dam may be vertical or inclined. Similarly, the axis of the
dam may be straight or curvature may be induced in the design of the dam.

19. Type of dam where the forces acting on the dam are transmitted onto the abutment rocks is
__________
a) Gravity dam
b) Arch dam
c) Geotechnical dam
d) Embankment dam
Answer: b
Explanation: An arch dam, as the name implies, is an arch-shaped solid structure mostly of concrete,
which is designed in such a way that a major part of the thrust forces acting on the dam are transmitted
mainly by the arc action, on to the abutment rocks.

20. Which type of dam cannot be constructed even on the rock foundations which are not sufficiently
strong enough?
a) Gravity dam
b) Arch dam
c) Geotechnical dam
d) Embankment dam
Answer: a
Explanation: Both the arch dams and the embankment dams can be constructed on the rock
foundations which sufficiently strong enough, whereas, the gravity dams are constructed only on strong
rock foundations.
21.The criteria to classify a dam as a large dam is __________
a) Length of the crest of the dam lesser than 500 m
b) Capacity of the reservoir less than 1 million cubic meters
c) Maximum flood discharge less than 2000 cubic meters/second
d) Capacity of the reservoir not less than 1 million cubic meters
Answer: d
Explanation: Following conditions are necessary to classify a dam as large dams: length of the crest of
the dam not lesser than 500 m; capacity of the reservoir not less than 1 million cubic meters; maximum
flood discharge not less than 2000 cubic meters/second.