Department of Civil Engineering

Fifth Semester
CE3013 Advanced Construction Techniques – Question Bank
(Regulations 2021)

UNIT – I SUB STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION

Q.N
PART – A
o
Define shoring for deep excavation.

1 Shoring is a temporary support (or) structure provided to an unsafe structure (or)

to provide a structure undergoing alternation is called a “shore” and the method of
construction is called shoring.
Enlist different de-watering techniques.

Pumping
Providing sumps and side drains
2 Cement grouting
Chemical process or grouting
Freezing process
Electro-osmosis process
What are coffer dams / sinking coffer dam?

3 Coffer dam is a temporary structure constructed to obstruct running water for the
purpose of constructing the permanent sub structure without interference of water.
The sub structure may be pile foundation, bridge piers and well foundation.
State the uses of box jacking.

Box Jacking is a trenchless method of underpass construction that consists in

pushing one or more prefabricated concrete boxes into the soil using high
4 capacity hydraulic jacks, while excavating the soil.
The Box Jacking method can be used under railways, roads and highways with
active traffic flow and is designed to avoid any impact on traffic during
processing.
What is a box caisson? Where do we use it?
A box caisson is open at top and closed at bottom. The box caissons may be
5 constructed by reinforced concrete steel ort timber. The box caissons are suitable
when the velocity of flow of water is slow and the depth of water is about 6 meter
to 8 meter, and normally used in the bridge pier constructions.
State the various methods of dewatering a basement excavation.

1. Dewatering By Open Sump Pumping

6 2. Dewatering By A Well Point System
3. Dewatering By Constructing Deep Wells
4. Dewatering Using The Ejector System
What is an under-reamed pile?
7 A cast-in-situ concrete pile with an enlarged bulb at bottom made by either cutting or scooping out soil or by any other suitable process is
called Under-Reamed Pile. Under-Reamed Piles are also called bored cast-in-situ concrete piles.

What is meant by micro-piling?

Micropile is a friction pile that can be both drilled and grouted and have a small
diameter.
8
Micropiles are essentially small-diameter piles (often steel bars or pipes) grouted
into predrilled holes to form short friction piles with high capacity and a generally
lower amount of settlement compared to much more expensive driven piles
 Why are caissons used?

A caisson is a type of deep foundation which is in the shape of a hollow prismatic

9 box. It is constructed above the ground level and then immersed to the required
depth in water as a single unit. It is a water tight chamber used for laying
foundation under water in river, lakes and harbors etc.
Define Well point systems.
A well point system can be defined as the group of bore wells provided along the
10 trench/proposed excavation site. All the bore well/well point are connected to a
common place to accumulate the underground water that disturbing the
excavation process.

UNIT – II SUPER STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS

Q.N
PART – A
o
What do you mean by Vacuum dewatering of Concrete flooring.

In concreting thin sections like slabs and walls, a fluid mix with water-cement
1 ratio of 0.50 to 0.65 is required to facilitate the placing and compaction. In such
situations, the vaccum treatment of concrete, involving excess water and air by
using suction can be helpful. It is done by suction through a surface mat
connected to a vaccum pump.
What is meant by Launching girders?

2 Launching girder is a steel or wooden structural member, used to support the

super structure such as bridge deck, off shore structures etc. the operation of
launching girder is more complex than regular construction works.
What are the methods of prestressing?

3 Prestressing is the method of increasing tensile strength of member, by

introducing internal stresses. For prestressing, the tendons are used to introduce
stresses and suitable anchorage is used.
What are the major techniques adopted for heavy decks?

Traditional method
4 Incremental push launching method or launching girder
Cable stayed bridges
Bow string bridge
Define Post tensioning
Post tensioning method is one in which the reinforcement is tensioned after the
5
concrete has fully hardened. The concrete is first cast and leaving duct for placing
the tendons.
Mention the function of launching girders.

Launching girder is a steel or wooden structural member, used to support the

super structure such as bridge deck, off shore structures etc. It is used in the
6 following construction field
 Used for all type of bridge deck construction
 Used in the field of pier head construction
 Used for off shore platform construction
 Used for deep foundation construction
 Distinguish between space decks and bridge decks.

Space deck: The Space Deck is a truss-like, lightweight, rigid structure. It is

7 constructed from interlocking hollow steel or aluminium tubes in a geometric
pattern connected by circular steel tube bracing to a cast steel node joint.
Bridge deck: It is a structural component of bridge. It is a slab like structure used
to make the roads on its surface and it is mounted on girders or beams.
Enlist the merits of pre-stressed cement concrete.

 Eliminates cracking of concrete under all stage of loading.

8  Use of curved tendons and the pre-compression of concrete helps to resist
shear.
 Precast blocks and elements can be assumed and used as one unit.
 Prestressed concrete beams have usually low deflection.
What are erection stresses?
9 The stresses caused by construction load and by the weight of the components
while they are liftes into position is known as erection stresses.
What are the precautions to be taken while erecting light weight components
on tall structures?
Well trained workers are used for erection process, because minor mistake can
cause serious effects.
10
Proper material handling, should be carried out, it can minimize the storage
requirements.
Cleaning process should be carried out on the surface of the elements.
Proper verification should be made to avoid irregular shape of members.

UNIT – III CONSTRUCTION OF SPECIAL STRUCTURES

Q.N
PART – A
o
Write the importance of sky scrappers
1 Sky scrapper is in which many floors are constructed and total building height is
larger than width and length of the building.
What is a space deck?

The space deck is made of inverted pyramids (half-octahedrons) placed side-by-

2 side and connected to each other. In double layer grids, the bottom chords do not
lies in same vertical plane or in some cases do not have the same geometry
pattern as the top chords are termed as space decks or grid.
Under which situation articulated structures can be adopted.

Situations under which articulated structures are built

 Ability to absorb dynamic loads, such as string winds or seismic
3 vibrations
 Increased flexibility and adaptability
 Efficient space utilization
 Aesthetic appearance
Define articulated structures.

4 An articulated structure is defined as a structure is connected/constructed by

joints is known as articulated structures. Articulated structures are very useful for
the construction of mega structure.
What is Box deck and explain its launching technique.
Box deck or box pushing technique is developed where in R.C.C boxes in
5
segments are cast outside and pushed through the heavy embankments of Rail or
Road by Jacking.
 What is the difference between a Bow-string bridge and Cable stayed bridge?

Bow-string bridge: Bow string bridges consist of two arches which are tied
horizontally at the springing by tie members, so that the reaction at the support
6 will be only vertical.
Cable stayed bridge: A cable stayed bridge is a bridge whose deck is suspended
by multiple cables that run down to the main girder from one or more towers. The
cable stayed bridge is specially suited in the span range from 200 m to 900 m.
When temporary propping is provided?

Temporary Propping, also sometimes referred to as a temporary propping system

7 or temporary propping solution, is a common construction methodology that
involves the design and installation of a temporary structural support system to
support any sort of existing structure while nearby works are undertaken.
Write a short note on braced domes.

A dome is a architectural element that resembles the hollow upper half of a

8 sphere.
Braced domes are composed either of members lying on a surface of revolution or
of straight members with their connecting points lying on a surface; an
arrangement which avoids any obstruction of the inner space.
What is a Silo and mention its purpose.

A silo is a pit structure used to store bulk materials like cement, carbon black,
woodchips, etc. in large industries. Based on the bulk material it carries, the silos
9 can have several types like bunker silos, tower silos, etc. The engineers design
and construct the silo structure to gain maximum life and storage duration.
Purpose: The silos can be used in the agriculture field to store food products,
chemical industries use to store plastic resins, cement factories use to store
cement, calcium oxides, and many other materials like activated carbons, etc.
Briefly describe Jetties and breakwater structures.
Jetty is a structure extended into a sea, lake, or river to influence the current or
10 tide or to protect a harbor.
Breakwater is a wooden or stone wall that extends from the shore into the sea
and is built in order to protect a harbor or beach from the force of the waves.

UNIT – IV REHABILITATION AND STRENGTHENING TECHNIQUES

Q.N
PART – A
o
What is meant by retrofitting?
1 Retrofitting is upgrading of structural and non-structural systems to provide a
higher level of resistance the existed before.
What is mud jacking?

2 Mud jacking is a process to lift a sunken concrete slab by pumping a special grout
of Portland cement and sandy loam through the concrete. This effectively pushes
the slab up from below, closing the cracks and gaps.
What do you mean by underpinning?

3 The process of placing a new foundation under an existing one or strengthening

an existing foundation is called as underpinning. It requires close attention to
design, methodology and safety procedures.
 How the jacketing is done?
Jacketing is a technique of restoring or increasing the section of an existing
member by encasing it in a new concrete.
4
This method is useful for protection of section against further deterioration by
providing additional strength to the member.
Concrete jacketing and ferrocement jacketing is widely used in current practices
List out various soil stabilization techniques.
 Mechanical soil stabilization technique
5
 Compaction soil stabilization technique
 Chemical soil stabilization technique
How will you strength floor and shallow profile?

6 Micropiling is a techniques used for strengthening floor and shallow foundations.

It involves the installation of small diameter piles, typically ranging from 100mm
to 300 mm into the ground to provide additional support.
What are corrosion inhibitors?

Corrosion inhibitors are the chemical when added to concrete in small

7 proportions, checks or retards the process of corrosion of embedded steel
reinforcement.
Sodium benzoate was used as corrosion inhibiting admixture to protect the steel
in reinforced concrete.
What is meant by jacketing?

Jacketing is a technique of restoring or increasing the section of an existing

8 member by encasing it in a new concrete.
This method is useful for protection of section against further deterioration by
providing additional strength to the member.
Concrete jacketing and ferrocement jacketing is widely used in current practices
What is a dry pack?

9 Dry pack is low water cement ratio mortar or stiff sand-cement mortar that is
typically used to repair small areas that are deeper than they are wide.
It is used to make repairs to a floor or wall of concrete to fill holes and cracks.
What is soil stabilization?
Soil stabilization is defined as a chemical, physical, biological, mechanical, or
10
combined technique that maintains or improves the stability of weak soils to
achieve engineering goals.

UNIT – V DEMOLITION
Q.N
PART – A
o
Write any two differences between demolition and deconstruction.
Demolition:
A.It means the razing of a building in such a way that the building components
are fit for nothing more than recycling and landfill.
1 B. Demolition takes a few days
Deconstruction:
A. Deconstruction means dismantling buildings with the goal of maximizing the
reuse potential of its components.
B: Deconstruction takes few week
 What are disadvantages of demolition using explosives?
Explosions can generate a significant amount of dust and debris, which can have
2 a negative impact on the local environment. Additionally, the explosives used can
sometimes release harmful substances into the environment. Proper cleanup and
disposal of debris are essential to mitigate these environmental impacts.
Write any chemicals used for chemical explosion.

RDX,
PETN,
3 Amatol,
Composition B,
Composition C series,
TNT, and
the low-velocity explosive Ammonium Nitrate. (Any 5)
What are the safety precautions used in demolition and dismantling?
 Safety of personnel and public
4  Working methods
 Legislation applicable
 Insurance cover
List out types of demolition techniques.
 Pneumatic and hydraulic breakers
 Dismantling
5
 Pressure bursting
 Explosives
 Ball and crane for demolishing masonry and concrete structures

When do you demolish a building?

 Reasons for demolition of structures are:
 When structure is unsafe to perform any kind of function
6  Whenever extensive structural modifications required
 Due to modernization, old building may require demolition for new construction
 Structural failure of building and when repair works may not be possible
 When expansion or extension of building is required

List the pre-planning activities to be done before demolition of a structure.

The following are the preliminary investigations before demolition of a structure are:

 The demolition contractor should have ample experience of the type of

work to be offered.
7  Fully comprehensive insurance against all risks must be maintained at all
times
 An experienced supervisor should be continuously in charge of the work
 The contract price should include all safety precautions included in the
relevant building regulations.
What is a hydraulic pusher arm?

 Articulated, hydraulic-powered pusher-arm machines are normally

8 mounted on a tracked or wheeled chassis and have a toothed plate or hook
for applying for applying a horizontal force to wall.
 The machine should stand on a firm level base and apply force by a
controlled movement of the pusher arm.
In what cases demolition by machine can be done?

9 Simple roof structures on wall plates should normally be demolished to the level
of wall plates by hand, but if this may involve unsafe working, then demolition
totally by machine may be appropriate.
 Write short notes on demolition by hand.
Demolition of buildings or structure by hand-held tools such as electric or
pneumatic breakers, sometimes as a preliminary to using other methods, should
10 be carried out, where practicable, in the reverse order to the original construction
sequence.
Lifting appliances may be necessary to hold larger structural members during
cutting and for lowering severed structural members and other debris.