ESE-2017 : Prelims Exam

UPSC Engineering Services Examination

Answer Key & Solutions

CIVIL
ENGINEERING

Test 5: Part Syllabus Technical

Highway Engineering + Hydrology

1.

(d)

16. (c)

31. (c)

46. (c)

61. (a)

2.

(b)

17. (d)

32. (c)

47. (c)

62. (b)

3.

(c)

18. (c)

33. (b)

48. (c)

63. (c)

4.

(a)

19. (d)

34. (d)

49. (b)

64. (a)

5.

(c)

20. (a)

35. (d)

50. (a)

65. (a)

6.

(c)

21. (d)

36. (b)

51. (b)

66. (d)

7.

(a)

22. (d)

37. (a)

52. (c)

67. (a)

8.

(d)

23. (d)

38. (b)

53. (a)

68. (c)

9.

(d)

24. (a)

39. (c)

54. (a)

69. (d)

10. (c)

25. (d)

40. (c)

55. (d)

70. (b)

11. (a)

26. (c)

41. (c)

56. (a)

71. (c)

12. (c)

27. (b)

42. (b)

57. (b)

72. (d)

13. (c)

28. (c)

43. (c)

58. (b)

73. (a)

14. (b)

29. (c)

44. (b)

59. (b)

74. (a)

15. (a)

30. (b)

45. (c)

60. (d)

75. (a)

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ESE 2017 Prelims Exam Offline Test Series

DETAILED EXPLANATIONS

1.

(d)
As per IRC,
Desirable length of overtaking zone = 5 OSD
Minimum length of overtaking zone = 3 OSD

2.

(b)
On the hill roads, it is easier to cut the hill on inner side than to provide extra width on outer side.

3.

(c)
Target road density of 1st 20 year road plan is 16 km per 100 km2.
Formulae suggested in 1st 20 year road plan were for towns with low and medium population.

4.

(a)
Speed

Speed

Vsf

5.

kj

Density

qmax

Volume

(c)
Indirect RAMP
Diverging-Left
Merging-Left

Semi-Direct RAMP
Diverging-Left
Merging-Right

Direct RAMP
Diverging-Right
Merging-Right

6.

(c)
As per Lucknow road plan,
Total length of road = 4.74 Number of towns and villages
= 4.74 100 = 474 km

7.

(a)
Traffic capacity and traffic volume have same units.
Traffic volume tend to zero when traffic density reached to maximum.

10.

(c)
IRC has suggested not to compensate the grade when gradient is flatter than 4% or 1 in 25 i.e. gradient
should not be eased beyond 4%.

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Civil Engineering
11.

Test 5 : Highway Engineering + Hydrology

13

(a)
Given,

L = 4.8 m,
f = 1.25 and W = 2500 kg/m3
Tensile stress developed in the cement concrete pavement due to contraction,
Sf =

13.

WLf
2500 4.8 1.25
=
= 0.75 kg/cm2
4
2 10
2 104

(c)
N
300

400

350

250

600
500

500
350

250

270

320

200
S

p = Weaving ratio =

b +c
a+b+c +d

where b and c are weaving traffic and a and d are non weaving traffic.
For North-East:
a = 400;
b = (600 + 300) = 900;
c = 500 + 200 = 700;
d = 250

14.

p =

900 + 700
= 0.71
400 + 900 + 700 + 250

(b)
Speed of vehicle, v =

5
36 = 10 m/s , W = 10 m, L = 5 m
18

Deceleration, a = 5 m/s2
Safe stopping distance, S = vt +

v2
2a

= 10 1+

15.

102
= 20 m
25

Inter-green period =

S + W + L 20 + 10 + 5
=
= 3.5 sec
v
10

Superelevation, e =

1
= 0.1
10

(a)

Coefficient of lateral friction, f = 0.30

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14

ESE 2017 Prelims Exam Offline Test Series

Speed of vehicle, V = 50 kmph

16.

e+f =

0.1 + 0.3 =

V2
127R

( 50 )2
127R

R = 49.21 m

(c)
Let us assume,
Length of curve (L) > SSD

17.

NS 2
4.4

L =

where,

N = +4.0 (6.0) = 10% = 0.1

L =

0.1 (120) 2
= 327.27 m ; 328 m>SSD (= 120 m) (OK)
4.4

(d)
We know that equation of parabolic summit curve,
y = ax2
where,

a =

N
2L

and,

N =

1 1 1 1

=
+
60 40 60 40 = 0.0417

Assuming, L > S

18.

L =

2
NS2 (0.0417) 210
=
= 417.95 m
4.4
4.4

a =

0.0417
N
=
= 4.99 105
2L 2 417.95

y = ax2 = 4.99 105 x2

(c)
If is the rate of change of radial acceleration,

60 1000
3

v
60 60
Length of transition curve, L =
=
R
0.4 225

Copyright:

L = 51.44 m

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Civil Engineering
20.

Test 5 : Highway Engineering + Hydrology

15

(a)
Only for 29 hours in a year the traffic volume exceeds the design hourly volume.

21.

Percent time =

29
100 = 0.33%
365 24

(d)
Jam density, Kj =

Maximum flow, qmax =

1000
1000
=
= 200 veh/km
Space headway
5
K j V sf
4

200 72
= 3600 vph
4

23.

(d)
It is desirable to control the building construction activities beyond the right of way on both sides
of road boundary, so that future improvement of road is possible.
Building line is the boundary upto which no construction activity is allowed.
Control line is beyond building line and construction is allowed between building line and control line
in a regulated manner.

24.

(a)
Sub surface drainage systems are:
(i) Lowering of water table by longitudinal trenches and transverse drains.
(ii) Capillary cut-off.
(iii) Free draining material in a trench.

25.

(d)
To determine wheel load stress at critical location, the following factors need to be considered.
Magnitude of load (P)
Thickness of slab (h)
Radius of wheel load distribution (a), radius of relative stiffness (l) and radius of resisting section (b).
a, b and l depend upon modulus of subgrade reaction.

27.

(b)
Worst combination of stresses in summer will be at the bottom of pavement
= load stress + warping stress frictional stress
= 30 + 8 7
= 31 kN/m2

29.

(c)
The expansion and contraction joints are considered in rigid pavement design.

31.

(c)

e =

V2
225R

R =

V2
225e

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( where

e = camber )
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16

ESE 2017 Prelims Exam Offline Test Series

32.

R =

(100)2
225 0.02

= 2222.22 m ; 2223 m

(c)
2 (6 )
nl 2
=
= 0.06 m
2R
2 600
2

Mechanical widening, Wm =

34.

Total extrawidening, We = 26 cm = 0.26 m

We = Wm + Wp
Wp = We Wm
= 0.26 0.06 = 0.20 m

(d)
Longitudinal friction coefficient

f =

35.

a
g

a
9.81
a = 3.92 m/s2

0.4 =

(d)
1/5

c2
t1
=
c1
t2

t1
c2 = c1
t2

10
= 40 ; 122
8
39.

(c)
Modulus of subgrade reaction for 30 cm diameter plate,

k30 =

p
2.5
=
= 20 kg/cm3
0.125

Modulus of subgrade reaction for 75 cm diameter plate,

k75 =
=
41.

k 30 a30
a75
20 30
= 8 kg/cm3
75

(c)
Hortons equation is, fp = fc + (f0 fc )e kht
and

Copyright:

kht
dt
FP = fP dt = fct + (f0 fc ) e

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Civil Engineering

As t ,

e
0

kht

dt

17

(f0 fc )
kh

where,

FP = 18 cm, fc = 1.0 cm/h, f0 = 10 cm/h and t = 9 hours

18 = 1 9 +

kh = 1.0 hour 1

(10 1)
kh

(b)

Ar ( ABE ) =

1
4 8 = 16 km2
2

Ar ( BDE ) =

1
4 8 = 16 km2
2

Ar ( BCD ) =

1
2 4 2 cos 45 4 2 sin 45 = 16 km2
2

Average runoff coefficient, k =

44.

Test 5 : Highway Engineering + Hydrology

1
kh

Hence for large t values, FP = fct +

42.

0.5 16 + 0.6 16 + 0.7 16

= 0.60
16 + 16 + 16

(b)
Ordinates of DRH after the separation of base flow:
0, 41, 126, 105, 62, 8, 0 m3/s
Runoff depth of rainfall excess =

O t 342 1 24 60 60
=
100
A
600 10 6

= 4.92 cm
45.

(c)
Initial depth of water in the pan = 195 mm
After the rainfall, total water in the pan = (195 + 45 15) mm = 225 mm
At the end of the week, depth of water in the pan is 190 mm
Evaporation from the pan in the week = (225 190) mm
= 35 mm
Evaporation from the lake in the week = (0.7 35) mm
= 24.5 mm

47.

(c)
1.1 90 = 99 cm
10% of ND =
0.9 90 = 81 cm

Thus,

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NA, NB, NC < 81 cm

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18

ESE 2017 Prelims Exam Offline Test Series

PD =
=

N D PA PB PC
+
+
3 N A N B NC
90 90 70 80
+
+

3 80 65 75

= 98.06 cm
48.

(c)
Total number of years on record ( N ) = 12 years
Recurrence interval (T ) = 5 years
m = Ranking of the storm

m =

N 12
=
= 2 .4
T
5

So, we should pick up the second severest storm (First most severe storm is 86 cm) i.e., 76 cm.
49.

(b)
Inflow to reservoir, I = 16 ha-m
Outflow from reservoir, Q = 24 ha-m
Evaporation loss, E = 2 106

15
0.7 = 21 ha-m
100

6
Rainfall, P = 2 10

4
= 8 ha-m
100

6
Change in storage, S = 2 10

50.

28
= 56 ha-m
100

(a)
Runoff depth, n = 3 6 1 6 = 12 cm
Peak discharge of 6hr UH =

Peak discharge of flood hydrograph Base flow

Runoff depth (in cm)

500 10
n
500 10
= 40.83 m3 /s
=
12

51.

(b)
3

Q (m /s)
1 hour UH

2 hour UH

T hr

t+1

For 2-hr UH, the base time will increase, hence peak will go down.
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Civil Engineering
52.

Test 5 : Highway Engineering + Hydrology

19

(c)

Discharge

Let the peak of the UH be QP.

The UH can be shown as

Qp

Time

70 hr

Area of DRH gives the volume of rainfall,

53.

1
1
70 60 60 QP =
756 106
2
100
Qp = 60 m3/s
Peak of DRH = n peak of UH
= 5 60 = 300 m3/s

(a)
Main stream

Tributaries

Watershed
line

Fan Shaped Catchment

54.

Tributaries

Main stream

Fern Leaf Catchment

(a)

Qequilibrium = 2.78

A
T

= 2.78 360
55.

1
; 250 cumec
4

(d)
Risk of failure = Probability that the culvert will fail

= 1 1
T

= 1 1

100

20

= 1 (0.99)20
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20
56.

ESE 2017 Prelims Exam Offline Test Series

(a)
T
yT = lnln
T 1
200
200
= lnln
= lnln
200 1
199

57.

(b)
Total loss = P Q = (1.2 + 4 + 3) 4 = 8.2 4 = 4.2 cm in 18 h
4.2
cm/h = 0.233 cm/h
18
Since index will be equal to or slightly more than this, the minimum potential infiltration per
6h = 6 0.233 = 1.4 cm. This shows that 1st 6h period cannot contribute to runoff, and the 2nd and 3rd 6h
periods will give rise to direct runoff. If index is x, then direct runoff ordinate
= (4.0 6 x) + (3.0 6 x) = 4.0 cm (given)

12x = 3.0

x = 0.25 cm/h
Hence,
index = 0.25 cm/h

59.

Windex =

(b)
The data are arranged in descending order
Rainfall (in cm)

14.2

12.0

7.9

5.0

3.7

Order, m

Return period according to Weibull formula,

N +1
m
For 5.0 cm rainfall, m = 4

T =

T =

5+1
= 1.5 years
4

60.

(d)
Due to storage effect, maximum stage will occur after the maximum inflow discharge passes down.

62.

(b)
Average depth =

63.

13.5 92 + 10.5 128 + 7.5 120 + 4.5 175 + 2 85

= 7.41 cm
92 + 128 + 120 + 175 + 85

(c)
Cyclonic precipitation is due to convergence of storms towards a low pressure belt.
As per IS code recommendation, there should be one gauge per 130 km2 in predominately hilly region with
heavy rainfall.
Symons rainguage is non-recording raingauge.

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Civil Engineering
64.

Test 5 : Highway Engineering + Hydrology

21

(a)
Aridity index (AI ) =
=

PET AET
100
PET
25 10
100 = 60%
25

68.

(c)
PCU values are measure of the relative space requirement of a vehicle class compared to that of a
standard passenger car.

69.

(d)
As per IRC maximum volume of traffic that a rotary can effectively handle is 3000 vehicles per hour
entering from all the legs of the intersection.

70.

(b)
Rate of increase of curvature also depends on comfort condition for passengers.

71.

(c)
Increase in superelevation will cause toppling of slow moving vehicles. Therefore superelevation should
not be increased beyond a limit. So Assertion is correct.
When superelevation is limited, the fast moving vehicles will have net centrifugal force and driver will
feel discomfort. But R is not correct as reason for discomfort is given as increase in side friction.

V2
e + f = 2g

72.

(d)
Yield of a well in an unconfined aquifer,

Q=

K d 2 hw2

2.3log10 (R / rw )

Yield of a well in confined aquifer,

Q=

2 KH (D hw )

2.3log10 (R / rw )

As the yield of well is inversely proportional to the logarithm of the reciprocal of radius (or diameter) of the
well, so doubling the diameter will not double the yield.

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