Structural Design MCQs
Structural Design MCQs
Answer these 100+ Structural Design MCQs and assess your grip on the subject of Structural Design .
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1: What is the definition of allowable strength?
A. Nominal strength added to the safety factor.
B. Nominal strength subtracted by the safety factor.
C. Nominal strength divided by the safety factor.
D. Nominal strength multiplied by the safety factor.
2: What is the allowable stress?
A. The sum of the allowable strengths
B. Dividing the allowable strength by the appropriate section property
C. Allowable strength divided by the appropriate section property
D. Allowable strength multiplied by the appropriate section property
3: What is the applicable building code?
A. Building code under which the structure is designed.
B. The building code that the structure is designed for.
C. The building code under which the structure is built.
D. The building code that applies to the structure.
4: What is ASD?
A. Allowable Strength Design
B. Required Strength Design
C. Actual Strength Design
D. Average Strength Design
5: What does ASD mean in relation to load combination?
A. Actual strength design
B. Average strength design
C. Allowable stress design
D. Allowable strength design
6: What does ASTM stand for?
A. The American Society of Testing and Materials
B. American Standards for Testing and Measurement
C. American Society for Testing and Measurement
D. American Standard for Testing and Materials
7: What is meant by axial force?
A. A force that is acting along the longitudinal axis of a structural member.
B. A force that is acting along the longitudinal axis of a structural member and perpendicular to it.
C. A force that along the longitudinal axis of a structural member and parallel to it.
D. A force that is acting along the length and width of a structural member
8: What does base shear refer to?
A. The vertical distance between the base of a structure and its centre of gravity
B. A type of construction in which the weight of the superstructure is supported by a number of relatively slender columns
C. A lateral (wind or seismic) force acting at the base of a structure.
D. The structural support that transmits the weight of the superstructure to the foundation
9: What is the primary function of a beam?
A. To distribute weight
B. Resisting bending moments
C. To bear a load
D. To support a structure
10: What is a beam-column?
A. A unit of force.
B. A device used to measure bending moment.
C. A device used to measure axial force.
D. A structural member that resists both axial force and bending moment.
11: What is bearing?
A. A deep foundation
B. A retaining wall
C. Limit state of local compressive yielding due to the action of a member bearing against another member or surface.
D. A pier
12: What is a bending moment?
A. A force that rotates about a point; causes shearing in beams, etc
B. A force rotating about a point; causes bending in beams, etc
C. A force acting on a point; causes bending in beams, etc
D. A force acting on a point; causes shearing in beams, etc
13: What is Block shear rupture?
A. Limit state of tension fracture along one path and shear yielding or shear fracture along another path.
B. A type of fracture caused by either excessive tension or compression.
C. A type of fracture that occurs when both tension and shear stresses exceed the material's fracture strength.
D. A type of fracture caused by either excessive tension or shear stress.
14: What is the purpose of bracing in a structure?
A. To protect the structure from high winds
B. To support the weight of the structure
C. To make the structure fireproof
D. To stiffen the structure by utilizing the inherent in-plane stiffness of a triangular framework.
15: What does a braced frame do?
A. It only provides stability for the structural system.
B. It only provides resistance to lateral forces.
C. It provides resistance to lateral forces and provides stability for the structural system.
D. It provides resistance to both lateral and vertical forces.
16: What is buckling?
A. Sudden change in the geometry of a structure under a critical loading condition
B. Sudden change in the geometry of a structure or any of its elements under a loading condition
C. Sudden change in the geometry of a structure or any of its elements under a critical loading condition
D. Sudden change in the structure or any of its elements under a critical loading condition
17: What is the nominal strength for buckling or instability limit states?
A. Yield strength
B. Tensile strength
C. Compressive strength
D. Buckling strength
18: What is a built-up member?
A. A member fabricated from elements that are nailed, welded, glued or bolted together
B. A member with a complex cross-section
C. A member in contact with fluids
D. A member under compression
19: What is the definition of "Camber?"
A. A measure of the degree of curvature of a beam or truss
B. The process of applying curvature to a beam or truss
C. Curvature fabricated into a beam or truss so as to compensate for deflection induced by loads.
D. A device used to measure the curvature of a beam or truss
20: What is the name for structural elements or systems that are supported only at one end?
A. Arches
B. Cantileverts
C. Pillars
D. Beams
21: What is cement?
A. A type of stone
B. The process of hardening
C. Cementitious (binder) materials used in concrete
D. A mix of water and sand
22: What is the definition of center of gravity?
A. The location of resultant gravity forces on an object or objects.
B. The force that pulls objects towards the center of the earth
C. A measure of how tight the core of an object is
D. The middle point of an object
23: What is the centroid?
A. The lowest point of a shape or object.
B. The middle point of a shape or object.
C. The center of mass of a shape or object.
D. The highest point of a shape or object.
24: What is a chord member?
A. The member of a truss that is in tension and carries the weight of the bridge decking.
B. Primary member that extends, usually horizontally, through a truss connection.
C. A member of a truss that carries the weight of the bridge decking and is in compression.
D. The member of a truss that supports the load-bearing members and is not a load-bearing member itself.
25: What is a collector?
A. An element that transfers load from a diaphragm to a resisting element
B. An element that connects two members and distributes the load between them
C. An element that is used to change the direction of a member
D. An element that connects two or more members end to end and supports the applied load
26: What is the primary function of a column?
A. To support a beam.
B. To provide lateral stability.
C. Resisting axial force.
D. To resist wind loads.
27: What is a vector?
A. A mathematical representation of data
B. A three-dimensional graph
C. A mathematical object consisting of a magnitude and a direction
D. One of several vectors combined to a resultant vector
28: What is a composite?
A. Different from the usual
B. Condition in which steel and concrete elements and members work as a unit in the distribution of internal forces.
C. A material made up of two or more substances
D. Made up of parts
29: What does the term "composite materials" refer to?
A. Noble metals
B. Alloys
C. Materials consisting of a combination of two of more distinct materials
D. Metals
30: What is the definition of compression?
A. The resistance of a member or material to tension.
B. The resistance of a member or material to shearing.
C. A force that tends to shorten or crush a member or material.
D. A force that tends to lengthen or stretch a member or material.
31: What is a concentrated load?
A. A force that is not evenly distributed
B. A load that acts at a single point
C. A load that is evenly distributed
D. An external concentrated force
32: What is concrete composed of?
A. Plastic
B. Wood
C. Cement, crushed rock or gravel, sand and water.
D. Metal
33: What is the limit state of compressive failure in concrete?
A. The concrete has reached the ultimate strain
B. The concrete will shatter
C. The concrete will collapse
D. The concrete will crack
34: What joins members to transfer forces or moments from one to the other?
A. Connection
B. Joist
C. Transfer
D. Strut
35: What is the purpose of a cope in construction?
A. To stabilize a column
B. To reinforce a wall
C. To remove a flange and conform to the shape of an intersecting member
D. To support a beam
36: What is a couple in physics?
A. A relationship between two unequal people
B. Two people who are dating
C. A system of two equal forces of opposite direction offset by a distance.
D. A pair of unequally matched objects
37: What is the main purpose of a cover plate?
A. To increase the strength of the member.
B. To increase cross-sectional area, section modulus or moment of inertia.
C. To make the member more durable.
D. To provide extra support to the member.
38: What does a cover plate do?
A. Covers the flange of a member
B. Increases the length of a member
C. Increases cross-sectional area, section modulus or moment of inertia
D. Welds or bolts the flange of a member
39: What is creep?
A. A rock type.
B. A type of faults
C. Deformation under constant load
D. Plastic deformation that proceeds with time.
40: What is the radius of curvature?
A. The inverse of the curvature, 1/R
B. The quantity defined by the curvature, R
C. The amount of curvature, 1/R
D. The amount of curvature, R
41: What is the weight of a structure called?
A. Live load
B. Deadweight
C. Dead weight
D. Dead Load
42: Deflection is defined as the vertical moment under which load?
A. Gravity
B. Beam
C. Wind
D. Seismic
43: What is a Deformation?
A. A shape that cannot be changed.
B. The process of breaking down
C. A change of the shape of an object or material.
D. The study of stars and planets
44: What does the acronym ASD refer to in the context of design load?
A. Allowable Stress Design
B. Area Structural Detail
C. Average Static Deflection
D. American Society of Civil Engineers
45: What is design strength?
A. Resistance factor
B. Nominal strength
C. Resistance factor multiplied by the nominal strength, øRn.
D. øRn
46: What is the design stress range?
A. Difference in stress between the lowest and highest values attained during loading
B. Pressure that can be safely applied to the material without causing fracture
C. Magnitude of change in stress due to the repeated application and removal of service live loads.
D. Magnitude of external force that can be applied safely to the material without causing permanent damage
47: What does design stress tell us?
A. Design strength added to the appropriate section property
B. Design strength divided by the cube of the appropriate section property
C. Design strength divided by the appropriate section property
D. Design strength multiplied by the appropriate section property
48: What is another name for a determinate structure?
A. Isostatic structure
B. Hyperstatic structure
C. Indeterminate structure
D. A structure with the number of reactions equal to the number of static equations.
49: What is the primary force that diagonal bracing carries?
A. Torsion force
B. Axial force
C. Shear force
D. Compressive force
50: What is a diaphragm plate used for?
A. To support the diaphragm in the human body
B. To create a shear force
C. To transfer forces to the supporting elements
D. To measure seismic waves
51: What does a diaphragm do?
A. Prevents out-of-plane forces from the lateral force resisting system.
B. Transfers in-plane forces to the lateral force resisting system.
C. Transfers out-of-plane forces to the lateral force resisting system.
D. Lateral force resisting system.
52: What does "displacement" refer to?
A. Rotation only
B. A translation, a rotation, or a combination of both.
C. May not be a combination
D. Translation only
53: What is a distributed load?
A. An internal force which acts over a length or an area.
B. A load which is spread out over an area.
C. An external force which acts over a length or an area.
D. A force which is evenly distributed over an area.
54: Deformed shape of a beam with one or more inflection points within the span is known as?
A. Yield
B. Double curvature
C. Flexure
D. Deflection
55: What is the definition of "double-concentrated forces"?
A. Two equal and opposite forces that form a couple on the same side of the loaded member.
B. A force that is twice as strong as another force.
C. A force that is applied to two different objects.
D. A force that is applied to two different points.
56: What is the definition of drift?
A. Lateral deflection of structure due to lateral wind or seismic load.
B. Rotation of a structure due to wind or seismic load.
C. Vertical movement of a structure due to wind or seismic load.
D. Lengthwise movement of a structure due to wind or seismic load.
57: Ductibility is which of the following?
A. The science of designing and executing deceiving plans
B. The study of stars and planets
C. The capacity of a material to deform without breaking
D. A small, narrow tube
58: What is dynamic equilibrium?
A. Equilibrium of a moving object with respect to its environment.
B. Equilibrium of a moving object without change of motion.
C. Equilibrium of a moving object with change of motion.
D. Equilibrium of a moving object with respect to time
59: What is the difference between a Static and Dynamic Load?
A. Loads have nothing to do with time.
B. Dynamic load changes with time, while static load does not.
C. Both loads change with time.
D. Static load changes with time, while dynamic load does not.
60: What is the effective length factor, K?
A. A measure of stiffness
B. Ratio between the effective length and the unbraced length of the member.
C. The load that a member can support
D. The amount of bracing in a structure
61: What is the definition of effective length?
A. Length of an otherwise identical column with the same strength when analyzed
B. With fixed end conditions.
C. The length of the column multiplied by the sine of the angle between the column and the base.
D. Length of an otherwise identical column with the same strength when analyzed with pinned end conditions.
62: What is the effective net area?
A. Area outside of shear lag
B. Area including shear lag
C. Original net area
D. Net area modified to account for the effect of shear lag.
63: What is the effective section modulus?
A. The moment of inertia of a cross-section
B. Section modulus without accounting for buckling
C. Section modulus reduced to account for buckling of slender compression elements
D. A measure of a beam's ability to resist bending
64: What does it mean if a material is elastic?
A. It returns to its original geometry upon unloading.
B. It is stretchy.
C. It does not return to its original geometry upon unloading.
D. It is flexible.
65: What is the definition of "elastic/plastic"?
A. A material that can be molded into different shapes and will retain that shape
B. A material that is strong and does not break easily
C. A material that can return to its original shape after being stretched or pulled
D. Materials that have both an elastic zone and a plastic zone (i.e. steel
66: Beyond which point is deformation of a material plastic?
A. Ultimate stress
B. Proportional limit
C. Elastic limit
D. Yield point
67: What is the elastic modulus?
A. The slope value relating material stress to strain.
B. The linear slope value relating material strain to stress.
C. The slope value relating material strain to stress.
D. The linear slope value relating material stress to strain.
68: What is energy defined as?
A. The ability to cause change
B. The work to move a body a distance; energy is the product of forces times distance.
C. The ability to do work
D. A measure of the potential to do wor
69: What is the point on the Earth's surface above the hypocenter where an earthquake originates called?
A. Fault line
B. Epicenter
C. Foreshock
D. Aftershock
70: What does it mean if an object is in equilibrium?
A. The resultant of all forces acting on it has zero magnitude.
B. The object is moving at a constant velocity.
C. The object is not moving.
D. The object is moving at a constant speed.
71: What is an external force?
A. A force created by an object
B. A force that cannot be measured
C. A force not acting on an object
D. A force acting on an object
72: What is the product of a load factor and the nominal load called?
A. Load factor
B. Factored load
C. Product load
D. Nominal load
73: What is the limit state of crack initiation and growth resulting from repeated application of live loads called?
A. Ductility
B. Buckling
C. Fatigue
D. Fracture
74: What is the definition of a fillet weld?
A. Weld of generally triangular cross section made between intersecting surfaces of different elements
B. Weld of generally triangular cross section made between intersecting surfaces of elements
C. Weld of generally triangular cross section made between non-intersecting surfaces of elements
D. Weld of generally oval cross section made between intersecting surfaces of elements
75: What is a fitted bearing stiffener used for?
A. To support or concentrate load
B. To connect two flanges of a beam
C. To transmit load through bearing
D. To allow movement between two surfaces
76: What is a Fixed connection?
A. A connection that resists axial and shear forces and bending moments.
B. A connection that only allows shear forces.
C. A connection that only allows axial forces.
D. A connection that allows axial and shear forces and bending moments.
77: What does Flexure mean?
A. Changing shape in response to an applied force
B. A type of fracture that occurs in long bones
C. A softening of the bones due to lack of calcium
D. Bending deformation
78: What is Flexural-torsional buckling?
A. A disease affecting the nervous system of sheep and cattle
B. A type of welding
C. A problem with some bridges
D. Buckling mode in which a compression member bends and twists simultaneously without change in cross-sectional shape.
79: Which of the following is not a result of force?
A. Change in location
B. Change in speed
C. Change in shape
D. Change in motion
80: What are the two types of foundations?
A. Reinforced and Unreinforced
B. Suspended and Grounded
C. Shallow and Deep
D. Short and Tall
81: What is a fully restrained moment connection?
A. Connection capable of transferring moment with negligible rotation between connected members.
B. A type of connection used to join members in a truss
C. A method of joining members using high-strength bolts or welds
D. A connection used to support a beam or column in a frame
82: What is the shape of a chain or string suspended from two points under any load called?
A. Suspended
B. Incurved
C. Planar
D. Funicular
83: What is the unit of gravity?
A. Attractive force
B. Acceleration
C. Force
D. Mass
84: What is a groove weld?
A. Weld in a groove between connection elements
B. Weld in a hole in one of the connection elements
C. Spot weld
D. Weld on the surface of two connection elements
85: What is a gusset plate?
A. A device used to measure strain
B. A steel plate used to provide extra support in construction
C. Plate element connecting truss members of a strut or brace to a beam or column.
D. A type of truss member
86: What is a horizontal diaphragm?
A. A deck supported by posts
B. A structure that supports a bridge
C. A floor or roof deck to resist lateral load.
D. A wall that supports a roof
87: What is horizontal shear?
A. Force at the interface between two different types of steel
B. Force at the interface between two different types of concrete.
C. Force at the interface between steel and concrete surfaces in a composite beam.
D. Force at the interface between two different types of wood
88: What is an indeterminate structure?
A. A structure with fewer unknown reactions than static equations
B. A structure with more unknown reactions than static equations
C. A structure with fewer known reactions than static equations
D. A structure with more known reactions than static equations
89: What does Inelastic (plastic) strain imply?
A. Strain hardening
B. Reversible deformation
C. Permanent deformation
D. No permanent deformation
90: What is the definition for Inertia?
A. Force required to change the state of motion of an object.
B. Tendency of objects at rest to remain at rest and objects in motion to remain in motion.
C. A measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion.
91: What is the limit state of a beam-column bent about its major axis?
A. Torsional instability
B. Lateral instability
C. Flexural instability
D. In-plane instability
92: What is a joint?
A. Area where two or more ends, surfaces, or edges are attached.
B. The point at which two or more bones come together.
C. Area where two or more objects meet.
D. A device used to fasten two or more objects together.
93: What is a Joist?
A. A unit of weight equal to one twelfth of a pound
B. A repetitive light beam.
C. The crosspiece that supports the treads of a staircase
D. A support in a ceiling or roof
94: What is the other name for K-connection?
A. Purlin
B. Window frame
C. Portal frame
D. French connection
95: What does Kern refer to?
A. A type of support used in compression members
B. The edge of a post or other compression member which limits eccentric stresses being tensile
C. The process of shaping metal by hammering
D. The core of a post or other compression member which limits eccentric stresses being tensile
96: What is the definition of "lacing"?
A. A structural element of a shirt
B. A type of shoe
C. A decoration for a cake
D. Plate, angle or other steel shape, in a lattice configuration, that connects two steel shapes
E. Together.
97: What is lap joint?
A. Joint between two overlapping connection elements in perpendicular planes
B. Joint between two overlapping connection elements in parallel planes.
C. Joint between two non-overlapping connection elements in parallel planes
D. Joint between two non-overlapping connection elements in perpendicular planes.
98: What is lateral bracing?
A. A load-bearing wall that supports only vertical loads
B. A wall that is not load bearing
C. A wall that is not straight
D. Diagonal bracing, shear walls or equivalent means for providing in-plane
E. Lateral stability.
99: What is a lateral load resisting system?
A. A system that is designed to provide lateral loads and stability for the structure as a whole.
B. A system that is designed to provide lateral loads and stability for the structure.
C. A system that is designed to resist lateral loads and provide stability for individual structures.
D. A structural system that is designed to resist lateral loads and provide stability for the structure as a whole.
100: What is a lateral load?
A. Load acting in a vertical direction
B. Load acting in a diagonal direction
C. Load acting in a lateral direction
D. Load acting in a horizontal direction
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Structural Design MCQs
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