Civil Engineering Licensure Examinations: Hydraulics and Geotechnical Engineering (March 2026)

Comprehensive practice flashcards for Hydraulics and Geotechnical Engineering based on the Civil Engineering Licensure Board Exam preparation notes for March 2026.

How is flow described if the velocities of fluid particles vary from point to point in magnitude and direction, as well as from instant to instant?

Turbulent

According to the choices provided, which primary factor LEAST affects the shear strength of soil?

Moisture content

What is a true assumption regarding Bernoulli's equation?

It assumes no energy loss due to friction.

To which type of soil does an unconfined compression test NOT apply?

Dry sands

In a slope in Nueva Ecija with an angle of $28^\circ$ and $\phi = 26^\circ$, which condition most likely triggered failure after several days of rainfall?

Pore pressure increase

What is the most likely cause of continued settlement in a building 5 years after completion on reclaimed land?

Primary consolidation

What are piezometers used to measure?

Pressure in water channels, pipes, etc.

In which body of water will a person float more easily?

Dead Sea

What is the primary factor for the time-dependent settlement of an as-built structure?

Consolidation of the underlying compressible soil layers

Why is effective stress critical in analyzing soil strength?

It controls the strength and deformation

The use of soil as a construction material relies on its strength in which specific area?

Shear

Which of the following is NOT a component of soil stress: pore water pressure, effective stress, cohesion, or total stress?

Cohesion

What is the most probable reason for selecting a deep foundation over a shallow one?

Poor soil near the surface

Which soil parameter is typically zero for dry sand?

Cohesion

What factors most influence the angle of internal friction ($\phi$) in granular soils?

Particle shape and gradation

What are three types of permeability tests commonly used in the Philippines?

Constant head, Falling head, and Pumping test

Which soil property is most influenced by the size and distribution of the particles?

Permeability

In soil compaction for roadworks, what is the importance of knowing the optimum moisture content?

It ensures maximum dry density is achieved.

The atmospheric pressure at sea level is equivalent to a water column of how many meters?

$$10.3\,m$$

Which law states that what flows into a pipe section must flow out, assuming an incompressible fluid?

Continuity Equation

Using Rankine's theory for a $12\,m$ high wall, what is the total horizontal lateral force per meter width due to water ($P_w$)?

$$706\,kN$$

Using Rankine's theory for a $12\,m$ high wall with a 10% water content backfill, what is the total horizontal lateral force due to soil ($P_1$)?

$$634.51\,kN$$

How many times would the horizontal lateral force increase if a $12\,m$ high wall's backfill becomes fully saturated ($N$)?

$$1.65$$

What is the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of a tank holding oil ($sp.gr. 0.85$) at a depth of $3\,m$?

$$25\,kPa$$

In a system where water travels from a stream to a reservoir $500\,m$ away with an elevation of $12\,m$ and headloss of $5\,m$, what is the allowable pressure head?

$$17\,m$$

What is the mass in kg of a floating object that displaces $0.03\,m^3$ of fresh water?

$$30\,kg$$

In a triaxial test, if failure occurred at an axial stress of $120\,kPa$ with a confining pressure of $60\,kPa$, what is the angle of internal friction of the clay?

$$19.49^\circ$$

If a soil sample has a dry unit weight ($\gamma_{dry}$) of $16\,kN/m^3$ and a specific gravity ($G_s$) of $2.67$, what is its saturated unit weight ($\gamma_{sat}$)?

$$19.8\,kN/m^3$$

For a soil sample tested under unconsolidated undrained conditions with a deviator stress of $300\,kPa$ at failure, what is the undrained shear strength?

$$150\,kPa$$

If a soil has a void ratio ($e$) of $0.75$, what is its porosity ($n$) in percent?

$$42.9\%$$

A consolidated drained (CD) triaxial test resulted in $\sigma_1 = 400\,kPa$ and $\sigma_3 = 100\,kPa$. What is the effective angle of internal friction ($\theta$)?

$$36.9^\circ$$

What is the plasticity index ($P.I.$) for a silty soil with a liquid limit of $42\%$ and a plastic limit of $22\%$?

$$20\%$$

What is the kinetic energy per unit weight for a water jet spraying at $18\,m/s$ through a $50\,mm\phi$ nozzle?

$$16.51\,m$$

If clayey soil has a permeability of $1.2 \times 10^{-7}\,cm/s$, how many years will it take for water to travel through a $10\,cm$ sample?

$$2.642\,years$$

What is the resultant hydrostatic force ($p$) on a $1.5\,m$ diameter circular gate submerged vertically $3\,m$ below the water surface?

$$52\,kN$$

In an efficient triangular flume discharging at $2\,m^3/sec$ with a slope of $0.21\%$ and roughness ($n$) of $0.018$, what is the depth of flow ($d$)?

$$1.18\,m$$

In a U-tube manometer containing mercury ($sp.gr. 13.6$) and water, what is the pressure difference in kPa if the mercury level difference is $200\,mm$?

$$26.67\,kPa$$

If the velocity head at one point is $6\,m$, what is the new velocity head if the velocity increases $2.5$ times?

$$15\,m$$

If a hose nozzle has a velocity of $12\,m/s$ and a cross-sectional area of $0.005\,m^2$, what is the discharge in liters/sec?

$$600\,liters/sec$$

What length of a $3\,m$ long log ($0.4\,m$ diameter, $sp.gr. 0.60$) is submerged when floating vertically in fresh water?

$$1.80\,m$$

A tank is filled with oil ($\rho = 850\,kg/m^3$) to a depth of $4.5\,m$. If the atmospheric pressure is $101\,kPa$, what is the absolute pressure at the bottom?

$$138.52\,kPa$$

A mercurial barometer at a mountain location reads $800\,mm$. If the unit weight of air is $12\,N/m^3$, what is the elevation from sea level?

$$8894\,m$$

What is the water content of a soil sample with a total volume of $1000\,cm^3$, containing $300\,grams$ of water and $1500\,grams$ of solids?

$$20\%$$

What is the total vertical stress at the base of a $5\,m$ thick saturated soil layer with $\gamma_{sat} = 19.5\,kN/m^3$?

$$97.5\,kPa$$

Water flows through a $250\,mm$ pipe at $2.5\,m/s$. If the pipe narrows to $150\,mm$, what is the new velocity?

$$6.94\,m/s$$

Find the hydrostatic force on a quarter-cylinder surface ($r=2\,m$, $4\,m$ long) if the deepest depth of water on the surface is $1.5\,m$.

$$257\,kN$$

A jet ($V = 20\,m/sec$, $Q = 0.03\,m^3/sec$) strikes a smooth curve vane that deflects it by $120^\circ$. What is the force ($R_x$) exerted on the vane?

$$900\,N$$