Test 40 - Integrated Engineering Geology Applications

Question 1 ప్రశ్న 1

A dam foundation lies in massive basalt with high intact compressive strength, but boreholes intersect continuous open cooling joints hydraulically connected to the proposed reservoir. Which finding should control the next engineering decision?

A Accept the foundation without treatment because basalt is an igneous rock. B Reject the site solely because open joints exist, without investigating whether they are treatable. C Map joint persistence and hydraulic connection, perform appropriate water-pressure tests, and assess seepage control and rock-mass stability before acceptance. D Use the low permeability of an intact basalt specimen as sufficient proof of low foundation permeability.

Question 2 ప్రశ్న 2

A tunnel route crosses shale containing abundant smectite-group clay, and exploratory samples show swelling on wetting. The same reach has groundwater-bearing joints. Which construction response best integrates these findings?

A Test swelling behaviour and groundwater conditions, then plan moisture control and support or lining capable of accommodating the assessed deformation. B Design support from dry intact-rock strength alone and omit swelling tests despite the wetting observations. C Use drainage alone without assessing whether swelling pressure will require additional structural allowance. D Defer support until visible convergence occurs, assuming wetting-related expansion will then cease.

Question 3 ప్రశ్న 3

A proposed reservoir extends across limestone outcrops that react strongly with dilute hydrochloric acid, and a nearby valley contains springs and mapped sinkholes. Which investigation should take priority before declaring the basin watertight?

A Assess only the intact strength of limestone, assuming nearby springs are unrelated to the reservoir. B Rely on surface carbonate mapping without establishing whether sinkholes connect hydraulically to springs. C Restrict leakage investigation to the dam axis without studying potential bypass routes through the rim. D Investigate karst passages and hydraulic links toward the springs using geological mapping, suitable drilling and tracer or other hydrogeological tests.

Question 4 ప్రశ్న 4

A planned water-supply tunnel has two possible orientations in schist. In the first, persistent mica-rich foliation daylights into the sidewall for a long reach; in the second, the tunnel crosses foliation more obliquely but encounters a short fractured zone. Which choice is the most defensible?

A Favor the foliation-following route solely because excavation would encounter a consistent structural direction. B Compare discontinuity-controlled block stability, excavation conditions and groundwater for both routes rather than relying on intact-rock strength or tunnel length alone. C Favor the crossing route solely because it cannot form unfavorable wedges in metamorphic rock. D Select between routes on RQD alone without examining directional joint or foliation geometry.

Question 5 ప్రశ్న 5

A proposed road cut has a slope face dipping 58 degrees toward east. A persistent clay-coated bedding plane dips 36 degrees east, with an assumed effective friction angle of 29 degrees and negligible cohesion for screening. What is the most appropriate preliminary finding?

A Planar sliding is kinematically possible because the plane daylights and its dip exceeds friction angle; a full stability assessment is still needed. B The bedding plane cannot be a sliding surface because it dips less steeply than the cut face. C A clay-coated bedding plane can slide only if an active tectonic fault crosses the cut. D The slope must certainly collapse because the three stated angles uniquely determine its factor of safety.

Question 6 ప్రశ్న 6

During pilot tunnelling, two intersecting joint sets define a detachable crown wedge, and water flows from one of the joints. Which response best addresses both structural and hydraulic risks?

A Select systematic shotcrete only, without investigating the bounding joints or their required reinforcement. B Rely on immediate rock-bolt installation without determining whether anchors extend beyond the potential wedge. C Determine wedge geometry and water head, then assess appropriately anchored bolts and surface support with suitable drainage or sealing. D Apply grouting alone as the permanent solution without assessing block release and hydraulic pressure.

Question 7 ప్రశ్న 7

A dam-abutment borehole has a high RQD, while excavation mapping reveals one long clay-filled shear surface dipping toward the valley and crossing the intended foundation contact. What should the engineer infer?

A Use the favorable RQD to exclude the mapped shear plane from the abutment stability model. B The persistent weak surface may control rock-block stability despite high RQD, so orientation, shear strength and groundwater pressure require specific assessment. C Classify the clay-filled plane as a watertight stabilizing surface without measuring pore pressures. D Determine overall foundation stability from the unconfined strength of sound core pieces alone.

Question 8 ప్రశ్న 8

A low-resistivity anomaly under an alluvial valley is proposed as a productive freshwater aquifer. Nearby wells contain saline water, and boreholes in an adjacent area intercepted clay lenses. What is the strongest next step?

A Treat the anomaly as a freshwater aquifer if its interpreted resistivity falls within a selected textbook range. B Interpret the anomaly as impermeable clay and omit drilling because nearby clay lenses are reported. C Use water chemistry from an existing well alone to infer the yield of the separate geophysical target. D Correlate the anomaly with borehole lithology, screened-interval hydraulic tests and groundwater chemistry before estimating usable yield.

Question 9 ప్రశ్న 9

In a granite upland, satellite imagery shows a lineament intersecting a valley. Resistivity data suggest a weathered zone, and one nearby borehole records a water-bearing fracture. Which decision follows logically?

A Treat the intersection as a promising but unconfirmed target, verify structural connectivity with mapping and targeted drilling, and evaluate yield by a pumping test. B Site production wells on the imaged lineament without checking whether fractures are connected at depth. C Extrapolate the nearby borehole water strike across the entire upland as a uniform transmissive horizon. D Adopt long-term abstraction rates from the depth of the single water strike without a pumping test.

Question 10 ప్రశ్న 10

A proposed tunnel passes beneath a buried valley. Seismic refraction indicates a fast upper unit, but boreholes show a softer, slower layer beneath it; resistivity data also vary laterally. What is the best interpretation strategy?

A Trust the first-arrival refraction section as a complete velocity profile despite the borehole evidence of inversion. B Treat every low-resistivity interval as a saturated sand layer even where clay has not been ruled out. C Recognize the seismic low-velocity-layer limitation, reconcile both surveys with boreholes and revise the geological model before choosing tunnel support. D Use the electrical inversion alone and discard the borehole data because seismic refraction has limitations.

Question 11 ప్రశ్న 11

A fractured rock tunnel passes below a piezometric surface at RL 164 m. Its exposed water-bearing joint is at RL 151 m, and the system is approximated as hydrostatic with water unit weight 10 kN/m3. Which pressure and engineering conclusion are consistent with these assumptions?

A 13 kPa; the pressure is too small to affect any discontinuity. B 130 kPa; water pressure on the discontinuity warrants assessment of inflow, block stability and groundwater control. C 1510 kPa; pressure equals the joint elevation multiplied by the water unit weight. D 0 kPa; pressure cannot exist in fractured rock beneath a tunnel.

Question 12 ప్రశ్న 12

A water-conveyance tunnel approaches a mapped fault with gouge, open peripheral fractures and evidence of high groundwater head. The alternative route adds length but avoids the fault zone. What comparison is most appropriate?

A Prefer the shorter route because additional fault-zone excavation support can be assumed negligible. B Assume the fault zone will behave like the intact parent rock once the tunnel has a permanent lining. C Commit to the fault-crossing route on the assumption that a grout curtain will eliminate every hydraulic risk. D Compare the extra length with fault-zone instability, inflow control, support demand, construction risk and the feasibility of treatment.

Question 13 ప్రశ్న 13

A tunnel through alternating sandstone and weak shale can follow the bedding for 500 m or cross the shale horizon obliquely in a much shorter intersection. Both routes meet hydraulic grade requirements. Which initial geological judgment is sound?

A Shorter exposure to weak shale may favor the crossing route, but the bedding and joint orientations, groundwater and construction impacts still need evaluation. B Prefer the bedding-following route because uniform lithology alone establishes stable excavation conditions. C Select the crossing route without evaluating joint-controlled wedges, assuming that high-angle crossing prevents all of them. D Base the alignment choice only on the permanent lining strength, ignoring temporary excavation stability.

Question 14 ప్రశ్న 14

After trial reservoir filling, a spring beyond a limestone ridge begins discharging water with a tracer previously introduced at a reservoir-side sinkhole. What should be inferred?

A Interpret the tracer recovery as proof that the seepage path lies only beneath the dam foundation. B Discount the tracer result because a seepage connection outside the dam footprint has no reservoir consequence. C A hydraulic connection through the reservoir rim is supported, requiring quantification of leakage and evaluation of practicable cutoff or site-management options. D Treat the observed connection as acceptable without quantifying discharge or pressure effects.

Question 15 ప్రశ్న 15

Two alternative dam axes are identified. Axis X crosses a fault with documented geologically recent displacement; Axis Y lies on less fractured rock but needs a larger excavation. Which investigation priority best reflects engineering geology?

A Ignore fault activity because stronger concrete can eliminate any future ground offset. B Assess potential surface-rupture hazard and foundation conditions before selecting an axis, including whether avoiding the fault outweighs the additional excavation. C Reject Y automatically because excavation quantity is the only site-selection criterion. D Classify all faults as harmless to dams if no groundwater spring is visible.

Question 16 ప్రశ్న 16

A dam abutment shows sound rock at the surface but a deep, connected fracture network from packer tests. A shallow clay-rich seam is also present near the founding level. Which treatment concept best matches the evidence?

A Use a single shallow cement skim as proof of mechanical and hydraulic adequacy. B Apply only a deep grout curtain and assume the weak seam gains sufficient shear strength without investigation. C Remove every jointed block over the entire valley regardless of extent. D Evaluate local weak-seam treatment separately from seepage-reduction grouting and pressure-relief drainage, with field verification of each objective.

Question 17 ప్రశ్న 17

Petrographic study of aggregate from a proposed quarry identifies abundant weathered particles and reactive sulfide minerals such as pyrite, while nearby foundation excavations show iron-stained acidic drainage. What should the project geologist recommend?

A Investigate sulfide oxidation and durability, test the aggregate for applicable concrete-use requirements, and assess water-quality or drainage controls rather than approving the rock solely for apparent hardness. B Approve the source from intact-rock strength alone, assuming that sulfide oxidation has no aggregate or drainage implications. C Reject every quartz-bearing aggregate as alkali-reactive without petrographic or performance testing. D Use the presence of iron staining alone to reject all quarry material without testing.

Question 18 ప్రశ్న 18

A reservoir access road and a nearby well platform are planned on granite that has weathered extensively to clay-rich material. A fresh granite core taken below the weathered zone is very strong. What is the most appropriate foundation decision?

A Adopt the fresh-rock laboratory strength for the shallow weathered zone because both derive from granite. B Accept the shallow footing without settlement testing because weathered granite retains the parent rock mineralogy. C Map the weathering profile and groundwater, obtain strength and compressibility information for the actual founding materials, and adjust foundation depth or treatment accordingly. D Classify the weathered zone as a productive aquifer on the basis of its clay content, without hydraulic testing.

Question 19 ప్రశ్న 19

A tunnel portal is proposed below an old landslide in smectite-bearing shale. Rainfall increases pore pressure along clay-rich bedding, and the planned road cut would remove support at the toe. Which approach is most appropriate?

A Classify the slope as stable because no movement has been recorded during the most recent dry season. B Excavate the toe before checking the weak bedding and groundwater response, then evaluate stability afterward. C Rely on surface shotcrete alone without checking the deep-seated slide mechanism. D Reassess slope stability under excavation and wet-season conditions; consider portal relocation, drainage, staged excavation and engineered reinforcement where justified.

Question 20 ప్రశ్న 20

A tunnel intersects a mapped fractured aquifer supplying hillside springs. The proposed excavation could act as a drain, while a resistivity survey shows several low-resistivity zones of uncertain lithology. What is the most suitable investigation plan?

A Use the resistivity anomaly alone to predict the magnitude and direction of changes in spring discharge. B Establish groundwater heads and spring baselines, investigate fault and joint connectivity, and use drilling and hydraulic tests to assess inflow and drawdown before designing sealing or drainage. C Assume groundwater inflow cannot affect spring levels if the aquifer has primarily fracture permeability. D Assess effects using intact-rock laboratory porosity but not groundwater heads or connectivity.

Question 21 ప్రశ్న 21

A pumping-station site occupies saturated, loose sand beside a river. A mapped active fault is nearby, and a seismic study indicates possible strong ground shaking. Which integrated hazard assessment is most appropriate?

A Omit liquefaction checks because the top metre of soil is seasonally unsaturated. B Evaluate only the distance to the fault and disregard the saturated sand and free-face conditions. C Assess shaking demand, liquefaction and lateral-spreading potential, and any surface-rupture exposure before selecting the foundation and ground-improvement strategy. D Use a regional shaking classification alone without assessing local density, saturation or lateral-spreading geometry.

Question 22 ప్రశ్న 22

A reservoir basin is underlain by gypsum-bearing beds with sinkholes, while a second candidate basin is underlain by comparatively intact granite with local joints. Which conclusion is most defensible for preliminary site selection?

A Select the gypsum basin from intact rock strength alone, assuming dissolution pathways cannot affect leakage. B Accept the granite basin from outcrop observations alone without investigating deeper joints. C Assume a cutoff only at the dam axis will intercept solution channels anywhere in the gypsum reservoir rim. D Give special weight to potential dissolution, leakage and collapse in the gypsum basin while investigating the granite site's discontinuities before comparing overall feasibility.

Question 23 ప్రశ్న 23

During rapid reservoir drawdown, a hillside containing an old translational slide shows high piezometric pressures that have not yet dissipated. A new access road would add fill near its crest. Which engineering action is most appropriate?

A Reevaluate stability under drawdown and added loading, and consider alignment adjustment, drainage and stabilization before adding the crest fill. B Treat reservoir drawdown as stabilizing regardless of delayed internal pore-pressure dissipation. C Place fill at the crest without calculating its contribution to driving forces on the known slide. D Use the high strength of sound rock fragments to discount the continuous weak slide surface.

Question 24 ప్రశ్న 24

Two piezometers in the SAME hydraulically connected unit are 400 m apart along a straight line. At A, ground RL is 142 m and depth to water is 6 m; at B, ground RL is 139 m and depth to water is 11 m. What is the average hydraulic-head gradient magnitude ALONG their connecting line, and where does head decrease?

A 0.0125, from B toward A. B 0.0075, from A toward B. C 0.020, from B toward A. D 0.020, from A toward B.

Question 25 ప్రశ్న 25

A city must choose among three water-conveyance tunnel and reservoir layouts. Layout I is shortest but crosses an active fault and gypsum karst; Layout II is longer through mapped competent rock with some treatable joints; Layout III crosses expansive shale and a water-bearing landslide zone. Which selection process is most defensible?

A Select Layout I solely from length and construction quantity, deferring fault and karst investigations until construction. B Select Layout III solely because an abundant groundwater supply is favorable to water conveyance. C Compare site-specific fault rupture, dissolution and leakage, swelling, instability, treatment feasibility, hydraulic requirements, environmental effects and whole-life cost, using further investigation where uncertainty matters. D Rank layouts exclusively by intact-rock strength and omit transient excavation stability or environmental constraints.

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