IMPORTANT MCQs WITH ANSWERS RELATED TO THUMB RULE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
1. What is the thumb rule for calculating the depth of foundation for a single-story residential building?
a) 1 meter
b) 2 meters
c) 3 meters
d) 4 meters
Answer: a) 1 meter
2. What is the thumb rule for estimating the concrete quantity required for a column in a building?
a) Length × Width × Height
b) Length × Width × Depth
c) Length × Depth × Height
d) Width × Depth × Height
Answer: b) Length × Width × Depth
3. What is the thumb rule for estimating the quantity of steel reinforcement required in a slab?
a) 1% of concrete volume
b) 2% of concrete volume
c) 0.5% of concrete volume
d) 3% of concrete volume
Answer: b) 2% of concrete volume
4. How can you estimate the number of bricks required for a wall using a thumb rule?
a) Wall area ÷ Brick area
b) Wall length × Wall height
c) Wall volume ÷ Brick volume
d) Wall perimeter × Wall height
Answer: a) Wall area ÷ Brick area
5. What is the thumb rule for calculating the slope of a staircase in a residential building?
a) 25° to 30°
b) 30° to 35°
c) 35° to 40°
d) 40° to 45°
Answer: b) 30° to 35°
6. What is the thumb rule for estimating the water requirement for construction purposes?
a) 5 liters per square meter
b) 10 liters per square meter
c) 15 liters per square meter
d) 20 liters per square meter
Answer: b) 10 liters per square meter
7. What is the thumb rule for calculating the width of a staircase landing in a building?
a) Half the width of the staircase
b) Equal to the width of the staircase
c) Double the width of the staircase
d) One-third the width of the staircase
Answer: b) Equal to the width of the staircase
8. What is the thumb rule for estimating the curing period for concrete structures?
a) 3 days
b) 7 days
c) 14 days
d) 28 days
Answer: d) 28 days
9. What is the thumb rule for calculating the safe bearing capacity of soil for shallow foundations?
a) 5 tons per square meter
b) 10 tons per square meter
c) 15 tons per square meter
d) 20 tons per square meter
Answer: b) 10 tons per square meter
10. What is the thumb rule for estimating the volume of concrete required for a beam in a building?
a) Length × Width × Depth
b) Length × Width × Height
c) Length × Depth × Height
d) Width × Depth × Height
Answer: a) Length × Width × Depth
11. What is the thumb rule for calculating the minimum headroom clearance for a staircase?
a) 1.8 meters
b) 2.0 meters
c) 2.2 meters
d) 2.4 meters
Answer: b) 2.0 meters
12. What is the thumb rule for determining the number of dowel bars in a concrete pavement joint?
a) 1 dowel bar per meter
b) 2 dowel bars per meter
c) 3 dowel bars per meter
d) 4 dowel bars per meter
Answer: c) 3 dowel bars per meter
13. What is the thumb rule for estimating the height of a parapet wall on a roof?
a) 0.6 meters
b) 0.9 meters
c) 1.2 meters
d) 1.5 meters
Answer: c) 1.2 meters
14. What is the thumb rule for calculating the thickness of the wall for a single-story building?
a) 100 mm
b) 150 mm
c) 200 mm
d) 250 mm
Answer: b) 150 mm
15. What is the thumb rule for determining the spacing of expansion joints in a concrete pavement?
a) 5 meters
b) 10 meters
c) 15 meters
d) 20 meters
Answer: c) 15 meters
16. What is the thumb rule for estimating the width of a door opening in a residential building?
a) 800 mm
b) 900 mm
c) 1000 mm
d) 1100 mm
Answer: b) 900 mm
17. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a door in a building?
a) 1.8 meters
b) 2.0 meters
c) 2.1 meters
d) 2.2 meters
Answer: a) 1.8 meters
18. What is the thumb rule for estimating the length of a cantilever beam in a building?
a) One-third of the main span
b) Half of the main span
c) Equal to the main span
d) Twice the main span
Answer: a) One-third of the main span
19. What is the thumb rule for determining the maximum spacing between stirrups in a column?
a) 150 mm
b) 200 mm
c) 250 mm
d) 300 mm
Answer: c) 250 mm
20. What is the thumb rule for estimating the height of a retaining wall for soil stabilization?
a) One-third of the total height
b) Half of the total height
c) Two-thirds of the total height
d) Equal to the total height
Answer: b) Half of the total height
21. What is the thumb rule for calculating the width of a retaining wall base?
a) One-fourth of the wall height
b) One-third of the wall height
c) Half of the wall height
d) Equal to the wall height
Answer: b) One-third of the wall height
22. What is the thumb rule for estimating the spacing of transverse reinforcement in a beam?
a) 150 mm
b) 200 mm
c) 250 mm
d) 300 mm
Answer: b) 200 mm
23. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a baluster in a railing?
a) 800 mm
b) 900 mm
c) 1000 mm
d) 1100 mm
Answer: c) 1000 mm
24. What is the thumb rule for determining the minimum thickness of a slab in a building?
a) 75 mm
b) 100 mm
c) 125 mm
d) 150 mm
Answer: b) 100 mm
25. What is the thumb rule for estimating the number of steps in a staircase flight?
a) 10 to 15 steps
b) 15 to 20 steps
c) 20 to 25 steps
d) 25 to 30 steps
Answer: a) 10 to 15 steps
26. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a riser in a staircase?
a) 150 mm
b) 160 mm
c) 170 mm
d) 180 mm
Answer: a) 150 mm
27. What is the thumb rule for estimating the volume of excavated soil during foundation digging?
a) 25% increase in volume
b) 50% increase in volume
c) 75% increase in volume
d) 100% increase in volume
Answer: a) 25% increase in volume
28. What is the thumb rule for determining the maximum spacing between parallel bars in a beam?
a) 200 mm
b) 250 mm
c) 300 mm
d) 350 mm
Answer: c) 300 mm
29. What is the thumb rule for estimating the length of an expansion joint in a concrete pavement?
a) One-fourth of the pavement width
b) One-third of the pavement width
c) Half of the pavement width
d) Equal to the pavement width
Answer: a) One-fourth of the pavement width
30. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a boundary wall for a residential plot?
a) 1.5 meters
b) 1.8 meters
c) 2.0 meters
d) 2.5 meters
Answer: c) 2.0 meters
31. What is the thumb rule for estimating the slope of a roof for rainwater drainage?
a) 1 in 20
b) 1 in 30
c) 1 in 40
d) 1 in 50
Answer: b) 1 in 30
32. What is the thumb rule for determining the minimum clearance under a beam for a vehicle passage?
a) 2.4 meters
b) 2.7 meters
c) 3.0 meters
d) 3.3 meters
Answer: a) 2.4 meters
33. What is the thumb rule for calculating the depth of a septic tank for a residential building?
a) 1 meter
b) 1.2 meters
c) 1.5 meters
d) 1.8 meters
Answer: b) 1.2 meters
34. What is the thumb rule for estimating the width of a window opening in a residential building?
a) 600 mm
b) 750 mm
c) 900 mm
d) 1200 mm
Answer: c) 900 mm
35. What is the thumb rule for determining the maximum spacing between longitudinal reinforcement bars in a slab?
a) 100 mm
b) 150 mm
c) 200 mm
d) 250 mm
Answer: b) 150 mm
36. What is the thumb rule for estimating the length of a cantilever retaining wall?
a) One-third of the total length
b) Half of the total length
c) Two-thirds of the total length
d) Equal to the total length
Answer: d) Equal to the total length
37. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a compound wall for security purposes?
a) 1.5 meters
b) 1.8 meters
c) 2.0 meters
d) 2.5 meters
Answer: c) 2.0 meters
38. What is the thumb rule for estimating the thickness of a damp-proof course in a building?
a) 25 mm
b) 50 mm
c) 75 mm
d) 100 mm
Answer: a) 25 mm
39. What is the thumb rule for determining the maximum spacing between ties in a column?
a) 150 mm
b) 200 mm
c) 250 mm
d) 300 mm
Answer: c) 250 mm
40. What is the thumb rule for estimating the depth of a soak pit for rainwater disposal?
a) 1 meter
b) 1.2 meters
c) 1.5 meters
d) 1.8 meters
Answer: a) 1 meter
41. What is the thumb rule for calculating the length of a truss member in a roof structure?
a) One-third of the span
b) Half of the span
c) Equal to the span
d) Twice the span
Answer: a) One-third of the span
42. What is the thumb rule for estimating the height of a chain link fence for security?
a) 1.5 meters
b) 1.8 meters
c) 2.0 meters
d) 2.5 meters
Answer: b) 1.8 meters
43. What is the thumb rule for determining the maximum spacing between shear studs in a concrete slab?
a) 300 mm
b) 400 mm
c) 500 mm
d) 600 mm
Answer: b) 400 mm
44. What is the thumb rule for estimating the depth of a well for water supply purposes?
a) 5 meters
b) 10 meters
c) 15 meters
d) 20 meters
Answer: c) 15 meters
45. What is the thumb rule for calculating the height of a boundary wall for privacy?
a) 1.5 meters
b) 1.8 meters
c) 2.0 meters
d) 2.5 meters
Answer: b) 1.8 meters
46. What is the thumb rule for estimating the thickness of a plaster layer on walls?
a) 10 mm
b) 15 mm
c) 20 mm
d) 25 mm
Answer: b) 15 mm
47. What is the thumb rule for determining the minimum thickness of a foundation slab?
a) 100 mm
b) 150 mm
c) 200 mm
d) 250 mm
Answer: c) 200 mm
48. What is the thumb rule for estimating the width of a landing in a staircase?
a) Half the width of the staircase
b) Equal to the width of the staircase
c) Double the width of the staircase
d) One-third the width of the staircase
Answer: a) Half the width of the staircase
49. What is the thumb rule for calculating the depth of a swimming pool?
a) 1 meter
b) 1.5 meters
c) 2 meters
d) 2.5 meters
Answer: c) 2 meters
50. What is the thumb rule for estimating the spacing of vertical reinforcement bars in a column?
a) 150 mm
b) 200 mm
c) 250 mm
d) 300 mm
Answer: d) 300 mm
Please note that these thumb rules are meant to provide rough estimates and are not substitutes for detailed
