1.

What is the sample for compressive strength determination of a structural concrete?

Ans:
concrete cylinder sample

2.

What is the test to determine the consistency of concrete?

Ans:
Slump test

3.

What is the length required for RSB sample for quality test?
Ans:
1.0 m/10,000 kg/size/shipment

4.

How many samples should be taken for every 75 cu.m fresh concrete?
Ans:
1 set consist of 3-pcs sample

5.

What is the required size of test specimen for G.I. sheets?

Ans:
3 pcs-60 mm in 1 sht/100 sheets

6.

What kind of paint that has a reflectance or beads?

Ans:
Reflectorized Paint

7.

For how long or how many hours shall a bituminous prime coat be left undisturbed?
Ans:
24 hours

8.

What is the rate of application of bituminous tack coat?

Ans:
0.2 to 0.7 L/sq.m

9.

What is the penetration grade of blown asphalt?

Ans:
0 to 30 penetration grade

10. What kind of sample is taken for flexural test?

Ans:
Concrete beam sample
11. What are the tests needed for the 2.650 cu.m Item 201 (Aggregate Base Course)?
Ans:
CBR, abrasion, GPCD
12. How many grading tests are required for a 3,200 cu.m selected borrow topping (Item
104)?
Ans:
3 grading tests
13. As a materials Engineer, what will you recommend if you find out that the materials to be
used as Item 200 if finer than the required materials?
Ans:
blend Item 200 with coarser materials
14. What is the standard specification for LL and PI of Item 201?
Ans:
maximum of 25% and maximum of 6% respectively
15. What is the CBR requirement for Item 201?
Ans:
80% maximum
16. What is that construction material that has a property of being a dark brown to black
cementitious material in which the predominating substance is bitumen?
Ans:
asphalt
17. What asphalt is used for sealing weaken plane joint of concrete pavement?
Ans:
Blown Asphalt
18. What is Item 311 of the DPWH Specification (Blue Book)?
Ans:

Portland cement Concrete Pavement

19. What is the machine used for abrasion test?
Ans:
Los Angeles Abrasion Machine
20. How to determine the degree of compaction of Items 104, 200, & 201?
Ans:
by Field Density Test
21. What is the formula in obtaining the value of PI?
Ans:
Liquid Limit minus Plastic Limit
22. What are the other terms for sieve analysis?
Ans:
Grading Test, Particle Size Distribution Test, Mechanical Analysis
23. What is the degree of compaction of the soil if the wet density is 2,200 kg/m 3, with an
actual moisture content of 10.2% and a maximum dry density of 1,960 kg/m3?
Ans:
101.23%
24. How many concrete cores shall be taken for one (1) kilometer concrete pavement?
Ans:
5 holes/km/lane
25. If the group index of a soil is high, what indication does it mean?
Ans:
the soil is clayey
26. For how many bags of cement does a 10 kgs. sample represents?
Ans:
2000 bags
27. For 15, 000 kgs RSB, how many samples shall be submitted for Quality Test?
Ans:

2 pcs 1 m sample
28. In oven drying a sample for test, what temperature shall be maintained?
Ans:
110 5oC
29. Why is it that cooling an oven dried sample before weighing is advisable?
Ans:
because it can affect its weight
30. What is the use of blown asphalt?
Ans:
as joint filler and water proofing
31. What is the difference between hygroscopic moisture content from natural moisture
content?
Ans:
hygroscopic moisture content is the moisture content of an air- dried sample
while natural moisture content is the moisture content of the original sample from the
field.
32. As a Materials Engineer, how can you determine that the sample placed in the oven is
already oven dried?
Ans:
if the sample reaches its constant weight
33. An admixture is being introduced to the fresh concrete mixture for heavily reinforced
concrete structure using a pumpcrete to pump out the fresh concrete mix, what admixture
should it be?
Ans:
Superplasticizer
34. What is the moisture content of the soil having an original weight of 162.5 grams and an
oven dried weight of 138.2 grams?
Ans:
17.58%
35. What asphalt is commonly known as hot asphalt or penetration grade asphalt?
Ans:

Asphalt Cement
36. How many days does the sample for Immersion Compression Test be soaked in water?
Ans:
4 days @ 50 oC
37. If ductility test is for asphalt, _____ is for cement?
Ans:
Magnesium Oxide, Insoluble Residue, Loss on Ignition
38. Paint is composed of _____
Ans:
35% vehicle, 50% pigment, 15% beads
39. What is the size of tamping rod used in tamping concrete sample?
Ans:
16 mm and 610 mm long with hemispherical tip
40. What is the temperature to be maintained when curing sample after its initial curing?
Ans:
23o C 1.7o C
41. Concrete cylinders are cured and ready for test. Temperature between 63F to 85F are
permitted for a period not to exceed _____ hours immediately prior to test if free
moisture is maintained on the surface of the specimen at all times.
Ans:
three (3)
42. The molds of specimen not to be transported shall be removed after initial curing of
_____ hours and should be cured to the standard curing temperature of 73.4 F 3F
Ans:
Twenty-four (24)
43. High plasticity index means _____ of a soil?
Ans:
high degree of compressibility
44. Sample to be used for liquid limit and plastic limit tests should pass to what sieve?

Ans:
No. 40 (0.425 mm)
45. What compaction rammer shall used if the specs given for Moisture Density Relation
Test (MDR) is T 180?
Ans:
4.54 kg with 457 mm drop
46. A bean mold measuring 6 x 6 x 20 is to be used for sampling concrete, how many
blows/tamps per layer shall be applied?
Ans:
60 blows/layer
47. If asphalt mix having a weight of 3,020g and an aggregate weighing 2,865.98g, what is
the % asphalt by weight of mix?
Ans:
5.10%
48. What is the material used for Bituminous Prime Coat?
Ans:
Cut-back asphalt
49. In Item 303, application of cover aggregates shall be evenly spread over the surface at the
rate of approximately _____?
Ans:
0.004 to 0.007 m3/m2
50. Applying the tolerance of 0.4% for asphalt content to your answer in prob. 47, what is the
acceptable range of asphalt content?
Ans:
4.7% to 5.5%
51. An embankment having a PI of 30%, LL of 40% and GI of 0, what is the degree of
compaction for this kind of soil?
Ans:
95% degree of compaction

52. The minimum cement factor for concrete Class A is 9 bags/ cu.m, how about for
concrete Class B?
Ans:
8 bags/ cu.m
53. Quality control testing in a DPWH project is the responsibility of the_____?
Ans:
Contractor
54. As Materials Engineer, when is the right time to start sampling and testing aggregates?
Ans:
Once the source is identified
55. The minimum compressive strength for concrete Class P is 5,000 psi, what is the
minimum compressive strength for concrete Class C?
Ans:
3000 psi
56. The volume of concrete mixer per batch shall not exceed the mixers nominal capacity in
cu.m as shown on the manufacturers standard plate on the mixer, except that an overload
up to _____ percent above the mixers nominal capacity may be permitted provided
concrete test data for strength, segregation, and uniform consistency are satisfactory, and
provided that no spillage of concrete takes place.
Ans:
Ten (10)
57. Where do we take additional cores when the measurement of any core taken from
pavement is deficient in thickness by more than 25 mm?
Ans:
at no less than 5 meter intervals parallel to the centerline in each direction from
the affected location
58. Under what climatic condition do we use lower penetration grade or hard asphalt?
Ans:
hot climate (cold climate higher penetration grade or soft asphalt)
59. What is the basis for the acceptance or rejection of any construction material?
Ans:

Materials test results/reports

60. Penetration test is for asphalt: cement is to _____?
Ans:
consistency
61. Slump test is a very important test in fresh concrete to determine _____?
Ans:
consistency of concrete
62. How many samples should be taken for an asphalt mix for each full days operation?
Ans:
at least one but not to exceed three samples
63. The thickness of asphalt core using a caliper is based on how many measurements?
Ans:
four (4)
64. The thickness of concrete core using a caliper is based on how many measurements?
Ans:
nine (9)
65. Failed samples do not necessarily mean that the structure it represents is defective, why?
Ans:
may be the sampling is incorrect
66. The specification calls for a 1: 2:4 concrete mix. In a one bagger mixer, which of the
following amount of water is most likely required for the mix?
Ans:
20 liters
67. How many samples shall be submitted for test if 315 pails of flat wall enamel paint are to
be used in the project?
Ans:
four (4) pails
68. The spot test on asphalt is used to determine ______.

Ans:
overheating during the process of manufacture
69. Aggregate Sub base course has a volume of 5, 000 cu.m and to be laid in a 15cm
compacted depth. How many samples shall be submitted for CBR test and for sieve
analysis?
Ans:
2 samples for CBR and 17 samples for sieve analysis
70. How many samples shall be submitted for quality test if 60 tons of Bituminous Prime
Coat is to be used in the project?
Ans:
Two (2) samples
71. How many compaction tests shall be conducted for Item 201 having a volume of 8,250
cu.m?
Ans:
Six (6) compaction tests
72. What composed of Materials Quality Control Monthly Reports?
Ans:
Summary of field tests and status of test
73. What is the required mixing of mortar for Item 505 (Stone Masonry)?
Ans:
1 part cement and 2 parts sand by volume with sufficient water
74. What is the required mixing of mortar for Item 500 (Pipe Culverts and Storm Drains)?
Ans:
1 part cement and 2 parts sand by volume with sufficient water
75. Before the project starts, the materials Engineer or the technician must have a program on
how many samples for each item of work should be tested based on the minimum testing
requirements. What program or report is this?
Ans:
Quality Control Program
76. If sample splitter is not available for use in reducing samples for test, what is the
alternative way of reducing sample for testing size?

Ans:
apply quartering method and get two opposite sides as sample
77. The road will not be opened to traffic until test specimens molded and cured have
attained the minimum strength requirements. If such tests are not conducted prior to the
specified age the pavement shall not be operated to traffic until _____ days after the
concrete was placed.
Ans:
Fourteen (14)
78. As the work progresses, the Materials Engineer should know how many sample has been
submitted and tested and how many samples are to be submitted, in other words the ME
must refer to what report so that he/she may be updated on the balance and on file quality
test of the construction materials being used in the project?
Ans:
Status of Test
79. It is the minimum moisture content at which the soil can be molded without breaking or
crumbling up to 1/8 (3.2 mm).
Ans:
Plastic Limit
80. The _____ is expressed as the moisture content corresponding to 25 blows.
Ans:
Liquid Limit
81. The concrete has been tested for consistency by the use of a slump cone with base and
tamping rod. After the test, the height of concrete measured is 178 mm. what is the slump
of the concrete?
Ans:
127 mm
82. What is the rate of revolution per minute of an abrasion Machine used for testing the
mass percent of wear?
Ans:
30 33 rpm

83. If the design of concrete mix has the following corrected batch weights: cement = 40 kgs,
fine aggregates = 65 kgs, coarse aggregate = 115 kgs, and water = 15 liters. What is your
actual batch weights for 1 cu.m Class A concrete?
Ans:
360 bags of cement; 585 kgs of fine aggregates; 1035 kgs coarse aggregates;
130 liters water
84. After the soil has been tested in an Abrasion Machine, the mass % of wear computed is
equal to 21%. If this material is for Item 201, does it pass the DPWH specs?
Ans:
Yes, because the specs is 50% maximum
85. Quality Control Assurance Report should be submitted every _____?
Ans:
week
86. One of the duties of Materials Engineer is to see to it that all the construction materials be
tested:
Ans:
before it is incorporated into work
87. What is the maximum depth or roadway embankment per horizontal layer in loose
measurement?
Ans:
200 mm loose measurement
88. Why is it that 6 samples are needed for quality test of concrete masonry?
Ans:
3 samples for compressive strength and 3 samples for absorption
89. Along the slope of high embankment _____ is provided as an erosion control measures
and also to improve the stability of the slope.
Answer:
Berm
90. If course aggregate like embankment is to be placed in layers, how many layers should a
40 cm thick Aggregate Base Course is placed?
Ans:
Three (3)

91. How long does a vibrator be inserted in a concrete mix?

Answer:
not to exceed 15 seconds at 50 60 cm interval
92. Sample submitted for test should have a tag bearing the name of the project, the quantity
represented, kind of sample, original source, who sampled and who submitted it, the date
sampled and date submitted and etc. What is the common name of that tag for you as
Materials Engineer?
Ans:
Sample Card
93. The ME should always be alert of his schedule with regards to the number of days of a
quality test that takes place. Since not all construction materials can be tested just for a
day or even a week so, what is the lead time should he consider for a quality test of a
cement sample?
Ans:
One (1) month
94. CBR Sample for test has been compacted but it should be soaked for how many days
before testing?
Ans:
Four (4)
95. If sieve analysis and plasticity test are used for Soil Classification, what test that its result
be used in field density test?
Ans:
Compaction Test or Moisture Density Relation Test
96. Heavy rains occur the night before prior to your scheduled field density test, are you
going to pursue your schedule? Why?
Ans:
No, because the moisture content is high and can affect the result
97. Checking the gradation of composite aggregates and asphalt content of asphalt mix can
be done by what test?
Ans:
Extraction Test

98. In soil and sub surface explorations for flood control design of foundation condition, a
soil sample was taken for field and laboratory tests. The test required for soil was taken,
except
Ans:
specific gravity, abrasion, water content, Atterberg Limits, gradation,
compaction, relative density
99. Structure crossing above such covered underground drainage conduit shall be laid at least
_____ above the top of the conduit.
Ans:
1.0 m, 0.5 m, 1.5 m, 2.0 m
100.Class of stones for riprap ranging from 30 kgs to a maximum of 70 kgs with at least 50%
of the stones weighing more than 50 kgs.
Ans:
Class B