BUILDING MATERIALS – 100 MCQs
Level: Easy → Moderate
Pattern: SSC JE / RRB JE
Coverage: Cement, Lime, Aggregates, Concrete, Bricks, Stones, Timber, Steel, Bitumen, Paints, Glass, Plastics, Modern Materials
🔹 SECTION A — CEMENT, LIME & GYPSUM (1–20)
1. The main raw material for manufacturing cement is
A. Limestone
B. Clay
C. Gypsum
D. Sand
Ans: A
Explanation: Limestone provides calcium oxide, the main constituent of cement.
2. The compound responsible for early strength in cement is
A. C₂S
B. C₃S
C. C₃A
D. C₄AF
Ans: B
Explanation: Tricalcium silicate hydrates fast and gives early strength.
3. Gypsum is added to cement to
A. Increase strength
B. Reduce heat
C. Control setting time
D. Improve color
Ans: C
Explanation: Gypsum prevents flash setting by regulating C₃A hydration.
4. Initial setting time of OPC should not be less than
A. 15 min
B. 30 min
C. 45 min
D. 60 min
Ans: B
Explanation: As per IS:4031, minimum initial setting time = 30 min.
5. Soundness of cement means
A. Strength of cement
B. Resistance to expansion
C. Fineness
D. Setting speed
Ans: B
Explanation: Soundness ensures cement does not expand excessively after setting.
6. Which test is used to determine soundness?
A. Vicat test
B. Le-Chatelier test
C. Slump test
D. Blaine test
Ans: B
7. Lime that sets under water is called
A. Fat lime
B. Lean lime
C. Hydraulic lime
D. Quick lime
Ans: C
8. The setting of lime mortar occurs due to
A. Hydration
B. Carbonation
C. Oxidation
D. Crystallization
Ans: B
Explanation: Lime reacts with CO₂ and forms CaCO₃.
9. Quick lime is chemically
A. CaCO₃
B. CaO
C. Ca(OH)₂
D. CaSO₄
Ans: B
10. Which cement is best for marine structures?
A. OPC
B. Rapid hardening cement
C. Sulphate resisting cement
D. White cement
Ans: C
11. High alumina cement is used where
A. Early strength is required
B. White color is needed
C. Low heat is needed
D. Cost is low
Ans: A
12. The fineness of cement affects
A. Color
B. Strength and setting
C. Weight
D. Density
Ans: B
13. The standard consistency of cement is tested by
A. Slump cone
B. Vicat apparatus
C. Le-Chatelier
D. Blaine
Ans: B
14. Portland Pozzolana Cement contains
A. Lime
B. Fly ash
C. Gypsum
D. Clay
Ans: B
15. Which cement produces less heat of hydration?
A. OPC
B. Rapid hardening cement
C. Low heat cement
D. High alumina cement
Ans: C
16. Setting of cement is a process of
A. Drying
B. Hydration
C. Carbonation
D. Oxidation
Ans: B
17. Excess gypsum in cement causes
A. Fast setting
B. Delayed setting
C. Expansion and cracking
D. Reduced strength
Ans: C
18. Fat lime is rich in
A. Clay
B. Silica
C. Calcium oxide
D. Alumina
Ans: C
19. Which cement is used for decorative works?
A. OPC
B. White cement
C. PPC
D. SRC
Ans: B
20. Shelf life of cement is about
A. 1 month
B. 3 months
C. 6 months
D. 1 year
Ans: C
🔹 SECTION B — AGGREGATES (21–35)
21. Aggregates occupy about ___ of concrete volume
A. 50%
B. 60%
C. 70%
D. 80%
Ans: C
22. Bulking of sand is due to
A. Air
B. Water film
C. Clay
D. Dust
Ans: B
23. Bulking is maximum at moisture content of
A. 2%
B. 5%
C. 10%
D. 15%
Ans: B
24. Flakiness index indicates
A. Strength
B. Shape
C. Size
D. Texture
Ans: B
25. Elongation index also measures
A. Shape
B. Porosity
C. Hardness
D. Density
Ans: A
26. The hardness of aggregate is tested by
A. Impact test
B. Crushing test
C. Abrasion test
D. Soundness test
Ans: C
27. Specific gravity of normal aggregate is about
A. 1.5
B. 2.0
C. 2.6
D. 3.5
Ans: C
28. Well-graded aggregates result in
A. More voids
B. Less workability
C. Less cement requirement
D. Less strength
Ans: C
29. Fine aggregate passes through
A. 2.36 mm sieve
B. 4.75 mm sieve
C. 10 mm sieve
D. 20 mm sieve
Ans: B
30. Coarse aggregate is retained on
A. 2.36 mm sieve
B. 4.75 mm sieve
C. 1.18 mm sieve
D. 600 micron sieve
Ans: B
31. Soundness of aggregates means
A. Resistance to weathering
B. Resistance to abrasion
C. Resistance to impact
D. Resistance to crushing
Ans: A
32. Lightweight aggregates are used to
A. Increase strength
B. Reduce dead load
C. Reduce cost
D. Increase density
Ans: B
33. Rounded aggregates give
A. High strength
B. Less workability
C. Better workability
D. More voids
Ans: C
34. Angular aggregates provide
A. Better finish
B. Higher strength
C. Less bonding
D. More workability
Ans: B
35. The presence of organic impurities in sand is checked by
A. Sieve analysis
B. Color test
C. Abrasion test
D. Crushing test
Ans: B
🔹 SECTION C — CONCRETE (36–55)
36. Concrete gains strength due to
A. Evaporation
B. Hydration of cement
C. Carbonation
D. Oxidation
Ans: B
37. Workability of concrete means
A. Strength
B. Durability
C. Ease of placing
D. Setting time
Ans: C
38. Slump test is suitable for
A. Very dry concrete
B. Low workability concrete
C. Medium workability concrete
D. Very stiff concrete
Ans: C
39. Compaction factor test is used for
A. High workability
B. Low workability
C. Flowing concrete
D. SCC
Ans: B
40. Water-cement ratio law was proposed by
A. Abrams
B. Duff Abrams
C. Feret
D. Lea
Ans: A
41. Increase in water-cement ratio results in
A. Higher strength
B. Lower strength
C. Faster curing
D. Better durability
Ans: B
42. Curing of concrete is done to
A. Increase temperature
B. Prevent cracking
C. Maintain moisture
D. Increase color
Ans: C
43. Minimum curing period for OPC is
A. 3 days
B. 5 days
C. 7 days
D. 14 days
Ans: C
44. Bleeding in concrete causes
A. Increase in strength
B. Formation of laitance
C. Faster setting
D. Reduced temperature
Ans: B
45. Segregation occurs due to
A. High cement content
B. Improper mixing
C. Excess water
D. Fine sand
Ans: C
46. Air entrainment in concrete improves
A. Strength
B. Freeze-thaw resistance
C. Setting time
D. Density
Ans: B
47. Fly ash in concrete improves
A. Early strength
B. Workability
C. Heat of hydration
D. Cost only
Ans: B
48. Ready-mix concrete is produced in
A. Site
B. Laboratory
C. Batching plant
D. Mixer only
Ans: C
49. The strength of concrete is tested by
A. Tensile test
B. Compression test
C. Flexure test
D. Impact test
Ans: B
50. The standard cube size for testing concrete is
A. 100 mm
B. 150 mm
C. 200 mm
D. 300 mm
Ans: B
51. Self-compacting concrete flows due to
A. More water
B. Superplasticizers
C. More cement
D. Air
Ans: B
52. Shrinkage in concrete is mainly due to
A. Heat
B. Loss of moisture
C. Cement reaction
D. Load
Ans: B
53. Creep in concrete means
A. Sudden failure
B. Increase in strength
C. Long-term deformation
D. Cracking
Ans: C
54. Sulphate attack mainly affects
A. C₂S
B. C₃S
C. C₃A
D. C₄AF
Ans: C
55. Durable concrete requires
A. High w/c ratio
B. Low w/c ratio
C. More sand
D. Less cement
Ans: B
🔹 SECTION D — BRICKS, STONES & TIMBER (56–75)
56. Standard size of brick (modular) is
A. 190×90×90 mm
B. 200×100×100 mm
C. 230×110×75 mm
D. 250×120×75 mm
Ans: A
57. Water absorption of good bricks should not exceed
A. 10%
B. 15%
C. 20%
D. 25%
Ans: C
58. Efflorescence in bricks is due to
A. Clay
B. Sand
C. Soluble salts
D. Cement
Ans: C
59. The strongest bond in brick masonry is
A. Stretcher bond
B. Flemish bond
C. English bond
D. Header bond
Ans: C
60. Good building stone should have water absorption less than
A. 5%
B. 10%
C. 15%
D. 20%
Ans: A
61. Granite is an example of
A. Sedimentary rock
B. Metamorphic rock
C. Igneous rock
D. Artificial stone
Ans: C
62. Marble is formed from
A. Limestone
B. Sandstone
C. Shale
D. Basalt
Ans: A
63. Seasoning of timber is done to
A. Increase weight
B. Reduce moisture
C. Improve color
D. Increase elasticity
Ans: B
64. The most durable timber is
A. Sal
B. Teak
C. Pine
D. Deodar
Ans: B
65. Natural defect in timber is
A. Knot
B. Warp
C. Twist
D. Split
Ans: A
66. Termite attack affects mainly
A. Steel
B. Concrete
C. Timber
D. Brick
Ans: C
67. Preservative used for timber sleepers is
A. Paint
B. Varnish
C. Creosote oil
D. Oil paint
Ans: C
68. Plywood is made by
A. Gluing layers of wood
B. Cutting solid wood
C. Heating timber
D. Seasoning wood
Ans: A
69. The fire resistance of timber is
A. Very high
B. Moderate
C. Low
D. Zero
Ans: C
70. The stone best suited for flooring is
A. Granite
B. Marble
C. Basalt
D. Limestone
Ans: B
71. The defect “warping” in timber is due to
A. Improper seasoning
B. Fungi
C. Insects
D. Fire
Ans: A
72. The stone used in road metal is
A. Marble
B. Granite
C. Basalt
D. Sandstone
Ans: C
73. Which brick is used for fire resistance?
A. Fly ash brick
B. Engineering brick
C. Fire brick
D. Common brick
Ans: C
74. The colour of good brick is
A. Yellow
B. Light red
C. Deep red
D. White
Ans: C
75. Best wood for furniture is
A. Pine
B. Sal
C. Teak
D. Deodar
Ans: C
🔹 SECTION E — STEEL, BITUMEN, PAINTS & MODERN MATERIALS (76–100)
76. Mild steel contains carbon about
A. 0.05%
B. 0.25%
C. 0.8%
D. 1.5%
Ans: B
77. Corrosion of steel is
A. Physical process
B. Chemical process
C. Electrochemical process
D. Mechanical process
Ans: C
78. Galvanizing is coating of steel with
A. Tin
B. Lead
C. Zinc
D. Chromium
Ans: C
79. Stainless steel contains chromium minimum
A. 5%
B. 8%
C. 10.5%
D. 15%
Ans: C
80. Ductility of steel is measured by
A. Elongation test
B. Hardness test
C. Impact test
D. Fatigue test
Ans: A
81. Penetration test of bitumen measures
A. Ductility
B. Hardness
C. Softening point
D. Flash point
Ans: B
82. Softening point of bitumen is tested by
A. Float test
B. Ring & Ball test
C. Ductility test
D. Penetration test
Ans: B
83. Bitumen is obtained from
A. Coal
B. Petroleum
C. Wood
D. Limestone
Ans: B
84. Cutback bitumen is made by adding
A. Cement
B. Kerosene
C. Lime
D. Water
Ans: B
85. Emulsified bitumen is preferred because
A. Cheap
B. Can be used in wet conditions
C. High strength
D. Long life
Ans: B
86. The main component of paint that gives color is
A. Base
B. Vehicle
C. Pigment
D. Drier
Ans: C
87. Paint that prevents rusting is
A. Distemper
B. Enamel paint
C. Anti-corrosive paint
D. Cement paint
Ans: C
88. Distemper is
A. Oil-based paint
B. Water-based paint
C. Chemical paint
D. Plastic paint
Ans: B
89. Toughened glass is produced by
A. Slow cooling
B. Chemical treatment
C. Rapid cooling
D. Annealing
Ans: C
90. Bakelite is a
A. Thermoplastic
B. Thermosetting plastic
C. Elastomer
D. Fiber
Ans: B
91. PVC is a
A. Thermoset
B. Thermoplastic
C. Metal
D. Ceramic
Ans: B
92. Glass wool is used as
A. Structural material
B. Thermal insulator
C. Waterproofing
D. Flooring
Ans: B
93. Fly ash is obtained from
A. Cement factory
B. Thermal power plant
C. Brick kiln
D. Lime kiln
Ans: B
94. Fly ash improves concrete by
A. Increasing heat
B. Increasing workability
C. Reducing durability
D. Reducing strength
Ans: B
95. Fiber reinforced concrete improves
A. Compressive strength
B. Tensile strength
C. Density
D. Weight
Ans: B
96. AAC blocks are
A. Heavy blocks
B. Lightweight blocks
C. Stone blocks
D. Solid blocks
Ans: B
97. Geopolymer concrete uses
A. Cement
B. Lime
C. Alkali activators
D. Gypsum
Ans: C
98. The main advantage of SCC is
A. Less cement
B. No vibration needed
C. Less curing
D. Low cost
Ans: B
99. FRP stands for
A. Fiber Reinforced Plastic
B. Flexible Resin Product
C. Fiber Resin Plate
D. Fine Reinforced Polymer
Ans: A
100. GGBS is a by-product of
A. Cement plant
B. Steel industry
C. Thermal plant
D. Brick kiln
Ans: B