Earthquake and Seismic Design MCQs 2026

Richter scale measures

1. A Magnitude of earthquake energy release ✓
2. B Surface damage intensity only ✓
3. C Wind speed ✓
4. D River discharge ✓

Mercalli intensity scale describes

1. A Seismic energy at focus only ✓
2. B Observed effects and damage at location ✓
3. C Groundwater depth ✓
4. D Bitumen grade ✓

PGA stands for

1. A Permanent Ground Alignment ✓
2. B Pavement Gradation Analysis ✓
3. C Peak Ground Acceleration ✓
4. D Public Green Area ✓

Response spectrum shows

1. A Peak response of SDOF systems versus period ✓
2. B Rainfall hyetograph ✓
3. C Traffic flow curve ✓
4. D BOQ summary ✓

Base isolation reduces seismic force by

1. A Removing all structural mass ✓
2. B Increasing fundamental period and adding damping ✓
3. C Using only brittle materials ✓
4. D Ignoring ground motion ✓

Ductility in seismic design allows

1. A Only elastic behaviour until failure brittle ✓
2. B Zero deformation always ✓
3. C Immediate collapse at yield ✓
4. D Inelastic deformation without collapse ✓

Pakistan seismic zone 2B in BCP corresponds roughly to

1. A Moderate seismic hazard regions ✓
2. B Zero seismic hazard ✓
3. C Highest zone 4 everywhere ✓
4. D Only offshore harbour ✓

Epicenter is point on surface

1. A At deepest mantle always ✓
2. B Random on map ✓
3. C Only in ocean always ✓
4. D Directly above focus ✓

Focus or hypocenter is

1. A Building foundation ✓
2. B Dam crest ✓
3. C Point within earth where rupture initiates ✓
4. D Runway threshold ✓

Liquefaction occurs in

1. A Solid granite mountain always ✓
2. B Saturated loose sand during strong shaking ✓
3. C Fresh concrete always ✓
4. D Steel rail always ✓

Shear wall resists lateral load by

1. A In-plane shear and bending like cantilever ✓
2. B Only axial tension only ✓
3. C Only torsion only without bending ✓
4. D Only gravity load only ✓

Moment resisting frame relies on

1. A Only masonry infill without design ✓
2. B Only glass curtain without frame ✓
3. C Beam-column flexural connections for lateral strength ✓
4. D Only soil pressure only ✓

Damping dissipates

1. A Structural mass only ✓
2. B Vibration energy during earthquake ✓
3. C Building height only ✓
4. D Wind speed only ✓

Natural period of building depends on

1. A Only paint colour ✓
2. B Only window count only without structure ✓
3. C Only zoning FAR only ✓
4. D Mass and stiffness distribution ✓

2005 Kashmir earthquake magnitude was about

1. A 4.0 only ✓
2. B 7.6 Mw ✓
3. C 9.5 maximum ever globally always ✓
4. D 2.0 minor ✓

Attenuation relationship predicts

1. A Ground motion versus distance and magnitude ✓
2. B Bitumen ageing ✓
3. C Concrete curing heat ✓
4. D Harbour silting ✓

Seismic microzonation maps

1. A Only political boundaries ✓
2. B Only cricket grounds ✓
3. C Only airport lounges ✓
4. D Local variation of hazard within city ✓

Soft soil site amplifies

1. A All periods equally always zero ✓
2. B Only high frequency always reduced always ✓
3. C Long period ground motion ✓
4. D Only wind not earthquake ✓

Importance factor in seismic code increases design force for

1. A Critical structures like hospitals ✓
2. B Temporary sheds only always reduced ✓
3. C Abandoned buildings ✓
4. D Decorative fences only ✓

Response modification factor R accounts for

1. A Only dead load factor ✓
2. B Ductility and overstrength of system ✓
3. C Only wind direction ✓
4. D Only live load reduction only ✓

Near fault directivity effect causes

1. A Zero motion always ✓
2. B Only vertical wind ✓
3. C Pulse-like ground motion toward fault ✓
4. D Only tidal wave in desert ✓

Seismic gap in urban planning refers to

1. A Parking gap only for cars ✓
2. B Gap in BOQ numbering ✓
3. C Cricket field gap ✓
4. D Open zone limiting building along active fault ✓

Pakistan Building Code BCP SP 2007 seismic provisions based on

1. A UBC-type approach adapted for region ✓
2. B Only railway RDSO ✓
3. C Only harbour manual only ✓
4. D No seismic rules ✓

Horizontal seismic force coefficient depends on

1. A Only floor area FAR ✓
2. B Zone factor importance and structural response ✓
3. C Only paint cost ✓
4. D Only window tint ✓

Time history analysis uses

1. A Only static wind load ✓
2. B Only dead load alone ✓
3. C Recorded or synthetic ground motion records ✓
4. D Only temperature gradient only ✓

Pushover analysis evaluates

1. A Concrete slump flow ✓
2. B Bitumen penetration ✓
3. C Soil liquid limit ✓
4. D Capacity curve under incremental lateral load ✓

Confined column core with ties improves

1. A Ductility and shear capacity ✓
2. B Only fire paint colour ✓
3. C Only roof waterproof brand ✓
4. D Only tile pattern ✓

Strong column weak beam hierarchy ensures

1. A Columns fail first always desired ✓
2. B Plastic hinges form in beams not columns ✓
3. C Simultaneous brittle failure everywhere ✓
4. D No hinges anywhere ✓

Lap splice length in seismic zones increased to

1. A Reduce steel use always to zero ✓
2. B Eliminate all bars ✓
3. C Replace with wood ✓
4. D Ensure bond under cyclic loading ✓

Expansion joint in building separates

1. A Only water pipes aesthetically ✓
2. B Only electrical wires only ✓
3. C Sections to avoid hammering during shake ✓
4. D Only paint layers ✓

Nonstructural damage in earthquakes includes

1. A Only foundation soil liquefaction always only item ✓
2. B Only deep mantle motion ✓
3. C Only ocean tide ✓
4. D Cladding partitions and equipment ✓

Seismic retrofit of old building may add

1. A Shear walls jacketing or base isolation ✓
2. B Only fresh paint only ✓
3. C Only new carpet only ✓
4. D Only signage only ✓

Pounding between adjacent buildings occurs when

1. A Buildings never move ✓
2. B Insufficient separation gap during sway ✓
3. C Only wind on harbour ✓
4. D Only train vibration ✓

Torsional irregularity in plan causes

1. A Perfect symmetric response always ✓
2. B Only vertical load increase ✓
3. C Uneven lateral displacement and damage ✓
4. D Only thermal expansion only ✓

Soft storey collapse common in

1. A Open ground floor parking buildings ✓
2. B Single storey warehouse with uniform walls ✓
3. C Basement fully braced ✓
4. D Underground tunnel ✓

Short column damage occurs when

1. A Column very long and slender ✓
2. B Column absent entirely ✓
3. C Only beam exists ✓
4. D Partial masonry infill reduces effective height ✓

Masonry building seismic performance improved by

1. A Removing all mortar ✓
2. B Increasing height without limits ✓
3. C Reinforcement bands and through-stones ✓
4. D Opening all walls completely ✓

Earthquake early warning uses

1. A Weather forecast rain only ✓
2. B P-wave detection before destructive S-waves arrive ✓
3. C Traffic camera only ✓
4. D Harbour tide gauge only ✓

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis gives

1. A Annual exceedance probability of ground motion ✓
2. B Deterministic single earthquake only always ✓
3. C Only historical flood ✓
4. D Only wind gust ✓

Fault scarp visible at surface indicates

1. A Only erosion by rain always ✓
2. B Recent tectonic displacement ✓
3. C Only animal burrow ✓
4. D Only construction cut only always ✓

Strike-slip fault example near Pakistan region

1. A Mid ocean ridge only in Atlantic far away ✓
2. B Only artificial canal ✓
3. C Chaman fault system ✓
4. D Only highway crack ✓

Seismic coefficient horizontal in BCP depends on zone

1. A Same in all zones always zero ✓
2. B Inversely with building height always without rules ✓
3. C Only on paint colour ✓
4. D Higher in zone 4 than zone 1 ✓

Vertical seismic component in design often taken as

1. A Fraction of horizontal per code ✓
2. B Always zero ignored always everywhere without exception ✓
3. C Ten times horizontal always ✓
4. D Only for bridges never buildings ✓

Soil structure interaction modifies

1. A Only wind on antenna ✓
2. B Effective input motion to foundation ✓
3. C Only temperature in slab ✓
4. D Only traffic on bridge deck only without seismic ✓

Inertial force in seismic design equals

1. A Weight divided by velocity only ✓
2. B Moment times curvature only without mass ✓
3. C Mass times acceleration ✓
4. D Pressure times area only static ✓

Ductile detailing prohibits

1. A Any steel use ✓
2. B Any concrete use ✓
3. C Any design calculation ✓
4. D Brittle failure modes before yielding ✓

Aftershocks following major earthquake

1. A Can damage already weakened structures ✓
2. B Never occur scientifically ✓
3. C Only help strengthen buildings ✓
4. D Only occur at sea exclusively ✓

Tsunami risk in Pakistan primarily associated with

1. A Only Punjab plains inland ✓
2. B Makran subduction zone coastal events ✓
3. C Only desert Quetta only ✓
4. D Only northern glaciers ✓

Seismic isolation bearings made of

1. A Only plain concrete block ✓
2. B Only timber sleepers ✓
3. C Rubber layers with steel shims ✓
4. D Only harbour fenders ✓

Fundamental mode of building usually has

1. A Zero contribution always ✓
2. B Only torsional motion always ✓
3. C Only vertical only ✓
4. D Largest participation factor in response ✓