Highway Engineering MCQ With Answers for JKSSB Junior Engineer (Civil)

Technical · 2026-10-27 · 6 min read

Highway engineering carried 10 marks in the board's earlier Junior Engineer (Civil) syllabus. It lists the development and planning of highways, road terms, methods of construction, IRC classification, surveys and plans, geometric design, road materials, binders, pavement types, the CBR method, sub-grade preparation, WBM, WMM, bituminous macadam and the special problems of hill roads. The board's 2025 paper had 120 one-mark questions in 120 minutes. Our guide to the 2026 notice shows where this section fits. This page gives a revision list, worked problems and solved MCQs.

Quick revision list

  • Classification: national highways, state highways, major district roads, other district roads and village roads
  • Geometric design: camber, gradient (ruling, limiting and exceptional), superelevation e + f = V² ÷ 127R, widening on curves and transition curves
  • Sight distance: stopping, overtaking and intermediate sight distance
  • Aggregate tests: impact value for toughness, Los Angeles abrasion for hardness, crushing value for strength, soundness and shape tests
  • Bitumen tests: penetration for hardness, ductility, softening point, flash and fire point, and viscosity
  • Pavements: WBM and WMM granular layers, bituminous macadam, dense bituminous macadam and bituminous concrete, with prime and tack coats
  • Design: the CBR method for flexible pavements, and joints, dowel bars and tie bars in rigid pavements
  • Hill roads: hairpin bends, retaining and breast walls, and drainage

Worked numerical problems

  • Superelevation: for a design speed of 60 km/h on a curve of radius 150 m, e + f = 60² ÷ (127 × 150) = 0.189. If the friction f is limited to 0.15, the superelevation needed is about 0.04, or 4%
  • Stopping sight distance: at 60 km/h with a reaction time of 2.5 s and f = 0.35, SSD = 0.278 × 60 × 2.5 + 60² ÷ (254 × 0.35) = 41.7 + 40.5 = 82.2 m
  • Higher speed: at 80 km/h with the same values, SSD = 55.6 + 72.0 = 127.6 m, which is 55% more for a speed that is 33% higher
  • Camber: a carriageway 7 m wide with a camber of 1 in 40 has its crown 7 ÷ 2 ÷ 40 = 0.0875 m above the edge
  • Gradient: a rise of 3.3 m in 100 m of road is a gradient of 3.3%, the ruling gradient for plain terrain
  • CBR: if a soil needs a load of 70 kg for 2.5 mm penetration against the standard load of 1,370 kg, its CBR is 70 ÷ 1,370 × 100 = 5.1%

Bituminous layers in brief

A prime coat is a low-viscosity bituminous spray on a granular base that seals the surface and binds the loose particles. A tack coat is a thin spray on an existing bituminous or concrete surface that bonds a new layer to it. Bituminous macadam and dense bituminous macadam are the base and binder courses, and bituminous concrete is the wearing course that takes the traffic. Bitumen is graded by its penetration or viscosity, and the grade is chosen from the climate, so a stiffer bitumen is used in a hot region and a softer one in a cold region.

Common mistakes

  • Using the speed in m/s in the sight distance formula when it expects km/h
  • Mixing up the prime coat (on the granular base) and the tack coat (between bituminous layers)
  • Confusing the penetration test (hardness) with the softening point test (temperature)
  • Forgetting that e + f is a combined requirement, not the superelevation alone

Rigid pavements in brief

A rigid pavement is a cement concrete slab that spreads the wheel load over a wide area of the sub-grade, so it needs a thinner base than a flexible pavement. Expansion joints allow the slab to grow in hot weather, and contraction joints control the cracks that form as it cools and shrinks. Dowel bars carry the load across the joints and tie bars hold the lanes together. The slab is designed for the stresses from the wheel load and from temperature changes, following the work of Westergaard.

Practise

Work the solved questions below, then read the Junior Engineer (Civil) guide for the dates and the marks for every subject. The other subject pages in this series cover water supply, railway engineering, RCC and construction management.

By Shivam · Written with AI assistance and fact-checked · Questions on this page are original · Editorial policy · Report an error

Practice questions

Q1. Roads that connect state capitals, ports and major cities across the country are classified as:

  1. State highways
  2. National highways
  3. Major district roads
  4. Village roads
Show answer

National highways — National highways form the main road network of the country.

Q2. The smallest category of road in the Indian classification is:

  1. Village roads
  2. State highways
  3. National highways
  4. Major district roads
Show answer

Village roads — Village roads connect villages to each other and to nearby roads.

Q3. The cross slope given to the carriageway for drainage is called:

  1. Superelevation
  2. Gradient
  3. Skew
  4. Camber
Show answer

Camber — Camber drains the rain water from the surface toward the sides.

Q4. The ruling gradient for plain and rolling terrain recommended by the IRC is:

  1. 1 in 20 (5%)
  2. 1 in 15 (6.7%)
  3. 1 in 30 (3.3%)
  4. 1 in 50 (2%)
Show answer

1 in 30 (3.3%) — The limiting gradient is 5% and the exceptional gradient is 6.7%.

Q5. The relation for the design of superelevation on a horizontal curve is:

  1. e + f = V² ÷ 27R
  2. e + f = V² ÷ 127R
  3. e × f = V² ÷ 127R
  4. e − f = 127R ÷ V²
Show answer

e + f = V² ÷ 127R — V is in km/h and R in metres.

Q6. For V = 60 km/h and R = 150 m, the value of e + f is about:

  1. 0.19
  2. 0.019
  3. 1.9
  4. 0.9
Show answer

0.19 — 60² ÷ (127 × 150) = 3,600 ÷ 19,050 = 0.189.

Q7. The stopping sight distance depends on:

  1. Only the width of the road
  2. Only the camber
  3. The type of aggregate
  4. Speed, reaction time and the coefficient of friction
Show answer

Speed, reaction time and the coefficient of friction — SSD = lag distance + braking distance.

Q8. The stopping sight distance at 60 km/h with a reaction time of 2.5 s and f = 0.35 is about:

  1. 41 m
  2. 164 m
  3. 82 m
  4. 250 m
Show answer

82 m — 0.278 × 60 × 2.5 + 60² ÷ (254 × 0.35) = 41.7 + 40.5 = 82.2 m.

Q9. The aggregate impact value measures the:

  1. Hardness against abrasion
  2. Toughness of the aggregate
  3. Water absorption
  4. Specific gravity
Show answer

Toughness of the aggregate — It tells how well the aggregate resists sudden shock.

Q10. The Los Angeles abrasion test measures the:

  1. Hardness of the aggregate
  2. Toughness of the aggregate
  3. Shape of the aggregate
  4. Soundness of the aggregate
Show answer

Hardness of the aggregate — It gives the loss from abrasion and attrition.

Q11. The penetration test on bitumen measures its:

  1. Ductility
  2. Softening temperature
  3. Flash point
  4. Hardness or consistency
Show answer

Hardness or consistency — The depth in units of 1/10 mm that a standard needle sinks in 5 s.

Q12. The softening point of bitumen is found by the:

  1. Penetration test
  2. Flash point test
  3. Ring and ball test
  4. Ductility test
Show answer

Ring and ball test — It gives the temperature at which the bitumen softens and sags.

Q13. The ductility test on bitumen measures its:

  1. Hardness
  2. Ability to stretch without breaking
  3. Softening temperature
  4. Viscosity at 60°C
Show answer

Ability to stretch without breaking — It is reported as the length in cm to which a briquette stretches before breaking.

Q14. The CBR value of a soil is the ratio of the test load at 2.5 mm or 5 mm penetration to the:

  1. Standard load for the same penetration
  2. Maximum dry density
  3. Optimum moisture content
  4. Unit weight of the soil
Show answer

Standard load for the same penetration — The standard load for 2.5 mm penetration is 1,370 kg.

Q15. The CBR test is used mainly to design:

  1. Rigid pavements
  2. Railway tracks
  3. Dams
  4. Flexible pavements
Show answer

Flexible pavements — It rates the strength of the sub-grade soil.

Q16. A prime coat is applied:

  1. Between two bituminous layers
  2. On a concrete pavement only
  3. On a granular base before the bituminous layer
  4. On the shoulders only
Show answer

On a granular base before the bituminous layer — It seals the surface and binds the loose particles.

Q17. A tack coat is applied to:

  1. Seal a granular base
  2. Bond a new bituminous layer to an existing surface
  3. Fill potholes only
  4. Protect the shoulder from rain
Show answer

Bond a new bituminous layer to an existing surface — It is a thin spray of emulsion or cutback bitumen.

Q18. The wearing course of a flexible pavement is usually:

  1. Bituminous concrete
  2. Water bound macadam
  3. Wet mix macadam
  4. Sub-base of gravel
Show answer

Bituminous concrete — It is the top layer that takes the traffic.

Q19. The dowel bars in a cement concrete pavement are provided to:

  1. Tie the slabs together
  2. Reduce the camber
  3. Drain the sub-grade
  4. Transfer the load across a joint
Show answer

Transfer the load across a joint — Tie bars hold the slabs together, and dowel bars carry the load.

Q20. On a hill road, a breast wall is built to:

  1. Support the road on the valley side
  2. Carry the road over a stream
  3. Support the cut slope on the hill side
  4. Drain the carriageway
Show answer

Support the cut slope on the hill side — A retaining wall supports the road on the valley side, and a breast wall holds back the cut face above the road.

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