“300”, Practical Test
Questions and Answers for Civil Engineer & Technician – TARURA.
This document contains 300 practical questions and answers designed to support
candidates preparing for civil engineering and technician interviews in
Tanzania. The questions cover essential topics including site interpretation
and technical drawing reading, hands-on tool demonstrations, site material
knowledge, surveying practices, concrete and construction works, health and
safety, project management basics, codes and standards, and typical practical
tasks encountered during interviews. This comprehensive collection serves as an
effective preparation resource for job seekers, recent graduates, and
professionals aiming to excel in practical civil engineering assessments and
site-based technical evaluations.
Prepared
by:
Anonymous
Engineer whose name hidden
Compiled
by Johnson Yesaya Mgelwa.
A
lawyer stationed in Dar-es-salaam.
0628729934.
Date:
June 1, 2025
Dear
applicants,
This collection of questions and answers
has been carefully prepared to help all of you to understand the key areas
tested during the TARURA- Civil Engineers’ & Technician interview. The goal
is to provide a useful, and practical study guide so you can all perform
confidently and fairly in the selection process. I wish you the best of luck,
and may this resource support you in achieving success!
Warm
regards,
Johnson
Yesaya Mgelwa
For Personal Use by Applicants Preparing
for TARURA- Civil Engineers and Technicians practical interview.
Part
1: 🔧 Site Interpretation & Technical Drawing Reading
This
part covers the essential skills needed to read and interpret site plans,
structural, and architectural drawings. It includes understanding symbols,
scales, and notations commonly used in civil engineering, as well as the
ability to extract quantities from drawings and basic Bills of Quantities (BOQ)
interpretation.
Question 1:
Explain the meaning of the following reinforcement note
commonly found in structural drawings:
Top bars: ⌀12 @150mm c/c (both
ways)
Answer:
This means that steel reinforcement bars of 12 mm diameter are placed in
both directions (longitudinal and transverse) at a spacing of 150
millimeters from center to center at the top layer of the structural
element, such as a slab.
Question 2:
What does chainage 0+150 indicate on a road drawing?
Answer:
Chainage 0+150 refers to a point located 150 meters from the project’s
starting point, which is usually denoted as chainage 0+000. Chainage is a
standard way of marking distances along the alignment of a road or pipeline in
civil engineering.
Question 3:
Differentiate between a Plan and an Elevation in technical
drawings.
Answer:
A Plan is a horizontal section view of a structure, showing the
layout as seen from above (like a bird’s-eye view). An Elevation is a vertical
view, showing the appearance of a structure from the front, side, or rear,
including heights and vertical arrangements.
Question 4:
A typical road cross-section drawing shows the following
dimensions:
Carriageway = 6.0 meters
Shoulders = 1.5 meters on each side
What is the total width of the road?
Answer:
Total Road width = Carriageway (6.0 m) + Left Shoulder (1.5 m) + Right Shoulder
(1.5 m) = 9.0 meters
Question 5:
A structural foundation drawing shows a square footing with
dimensions 2.0 m × 2.0 m. Calculate the area of this footing.
Answer:
Area = Length × Width = 2.0 m × 2.0 m = 4.0 square meters (m²)
Question 6:
In a slab reinforcement detail, the following is written:
Bottom reinforcement: ⌀16 @200mm c/c
Top reinforcement: ⌀12 @150mm c/c
Which reinforcement is placed first during construction and why?
Answer:
The bottom reinforcement (⌀16 @200mm c/c)
is placed first because it is located at the bottom layer of the slab, which
bears the main tensile stress. The top reinforcement is placed after using
spacers or chairs to support it above the bottom layer.
Question 7:
What does the slope notation 1:40 in a road profile mean?
Answer:
A slope of 1:40 means that for every 40 units of horizontal distance,
there is a 1-unit vertical rise or fall. In road design, this is
typically used to describe camber or longitudinal drainage slopes.
Question 8:
Explain the importance of a “section view” in civil
engineering drawings.
Answer:
A section view provides a detailed cut-through image of a structure or
component, showing internal features like thicknesses, reinforcement
arrangements, and material layers that are not visible in plan or elevation
views. It is essential for understanding construction details such as
footing depth, slab layers, or drain profiles.
Question 9:
Interpret the following note from a foundation drawing:
Blinding concrete: 50mm thick, Class 10
Answer:
This note means that a 50 mm thick layer of lean concrete (usually with low
cement content, e.g., Class 10) is to be placed below the main structural
concrete footing. The purpose of blinding is to provide a clean, level, and
stable surface and to prevent contamination of structural concrete with
soil.
Question 10:
Identify and explain the meaning of this note from a beam
detail:
Clear cover = 25 mm
Answer:
“Clear cover = 25 mm” means that the distance between the outer
surface of the concrete and the nearest surface of the reinforcing bar
inside the beam is 25 millimeters. This cover protects reinforcement
from corrosion, fire, and ensures proper bond with concrete.
Question 11:
In civil drawings, what does
the symbol “⌀” represent?
Answer:
The symbol “⌀” represents the diameter
of a circular object, usually steel reinforcement bars or pipes. For
example, ⌀16 means a 16
mm diameter bar or pipe.
Question 12:
A road profile drawing shows
elevation readings at chainages 0+000 = 20.00 m and 0+100 = 21.00 m. What is
the longitudinal slope between these two points?
Answer:
Slope = (Change in elevation ÷ Horizontal distance) × 100
= (21.00 − 20.00) ÷ 100 × 100
= 1 ÷ 100 × 100 = 1% upward slope
Question 13:
In a cross-section drawing of
a drain, the side slopes are marked as 1:2. What does this mean?
Answer:
A side slope of 1:2 means that for every 1 unit of vertical rise,
the drain extends 2 units horizontally. This ensures stability of the
sidewalls and ease of construction.
Question 14:
What is the difference between
“center-to-center (c/c)” spacing and “clear spacing” in reinforcement layout?
Answer:
·
Center-to-center
(c/c) spacing is the
distance from the center of one bar to the center of the next.
·
Clear
spacing is the net
distance between bars, excluding the diameter of the bars.
For example, if ⌀16
bars are spaced at 150 mm c/c, the clear spacing = 150 − 16 = 134 mm
Question 15:
A beam detail shows “2-⌀16 T + 2-⌀12 B”. What does this notation mean?
Answer:
This means the beam has:
·
Two
16 mm diameter bars at the top (T)
·
Two
12 mm diameter bars at the bottom (B)
This notation is standard for showing reinforcement placement in beams.
Question 16:
In a building plan, a column
is marked as “C1: 230×450 mm”. What does this indicate?
Answer:
“C1: 230×450 mm” refers to column type C1, with a width of 230 mm
and depth of 450 mm. This helps distinguish different types/sizes of
columns used throughout the structure.
Question 17:
What is the function of a
title block in a technical drawing?
Answer:
A title block provides essential information about the drawing,
including:
·
Project
name
·
Drawing
title
·
Drawing
number
·
Scale
·
Date
·
Revision
history
·
Prepared
by and approved by
It ensures clarity and traceability in documentation.
Question 18:
In road drawings, what does
the term “formation width” mean?
Answer:
Formation width is the total width of the prepared subgrade surface
before the placement of pavement layers. It includes the carriageway and
shoulders, excluding side drains.
Question 19:
You are given a cross-section
drawing of a rectangular column. How can you identify the orientation of the
longer side (depth) during layout on site?
Answer:
The orientation of the longer side (depth) is typically indicated on the
drawing using an arrow for direction or a north symbol. The
layout team must align it based on site references and structural plans to
ensure the column faces the correct direction.
Question 20:
How is reinforcement anchorage
length shown in structural drawings and why is it important?
Answer:
Anchorage length is usually shown as “Ld” or specified in millimeters,
e.g., “Ld = 450 mm”. It refers to the length of bar embedded into concrete
to ensure proper bond and transfer of stress. It prevents bars from
slipping out under load.
Question 21:
A road plan shows “Super
Elevation = 1 in 20”. Explain its meaning and purpose.
Answer:
Super elevation of 1 in 20 means that for every 20 meters across
the road width, the road rises 1 meter to the outer edge. It is provided
on curves to counteract the centrifugal force and improve vehicle
stability and safety.
Question 22:
What information is usually
included in a section drawing of a box culvert?
Answer:
A section drawing of a box culvert usually shows:
·
Dimensions of the culvert (width, height, wall
thickness)
·
Reinforcement
details (bar sizes,
spacing)
·
Concrete
class
·
Cover
thickness
·
Wing
walls, apron, and invert levels
Question 23:
Explain how to interpret a
reinforcement bar mark “R10 @ 200 mm c/c stirrups”.
Answer:
This means that round bars of 10 mm diameter (R10) are used as stirrups
(shear reinforcement), and they are placed at 200-millimeter intervals,
center-to-center, along the length of the beam or column.
Question 24:
A staircase plan indicates
“Tread = 300 mm, Riser = 150 mm”. How many steps are needed to reach a height
of 1.5 meters?
Answer:
Number of steps = Total height ÷ Riser height = 1500 mm ÷ 150 mm = 10 steps.
Question 25:
In a foundation drawing, the
note reads: “Concrete Class 20 (20 N/mm²)”. What does this mean?
Answer:
Concrete Class 20 indicates that the characteristic compressive strength
of concrete is 20 Newtons per square millimeter (N/mm²) after 28 days.
It is commonly used in footings and ground beams for standard structural loads.
Question 26:
In road drawings, what is the
function of a camber and how is it typically represented?
Answer:
A camber is a slight cross slope provided in road surfaces to
facilitate drainage of rainwater to the edges. It is typically
represented as a slope (e.g., 1 in 50 or 2.5%) in cross-section drawings and
often indicated with arrows showing the downward slope.
Question 27:
In a drawing legend, the
symbol “— — — —” is used. What does this typically represent in civil drawings?
Answer:
The broken or dashed line “— — — —” typically represents hidden features,
such as underground pipes, footings, or structures not visible in plan
or elevation view.
Question 28:
What is the standard unit of
measurement for reinforcement steel in bar bending schedules (BBS)?
Answer:
The standard unit is kilograms (kg). However, bar lengths are measured
in meters (m) and diameters in millimeters (mm).
Question 29:
A foundation plan shows 4
columns at grid intersections A1, A2, B1, B2. What do these grid references
indicate?
Answer:
Grid references (e.g., A1, B2) indicate the positioning of structural
elements on a defined grid layout system, helping ensure accurate
column placement on-site. Letters usually represent horizontal axes; numbers
represent vertical axes.
Question 30:
What does “NTS” mean when
written next to a drawing view or detail?
Answer:
NTS means Not to Scale. It indicates that the drawing is only illustrative
and should not be used for measurements or quantity extraction.
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