Pavement Materials and Design MCQs 2026

Optimum binder content in Marshall design balances

1. A Only cheapest binder always ✓
2. B Zero binder always ✓
3. C Only maximum flow always ✓
4. D Stability flow voids and VMA ✓

Penetration grade bitumen 60/70 means

1. A Softening point 60°C only ✓
2. B Penetration 0.1 mm at 25°C between 60 and 70 ✓
3. C Viscosity 70 poise only ✓
4. D Density 60 g/cm³ ✓

Ductility test measures

1. A Distance bitumen stretches before breaking at specified temperature ✓
2. B Compressive strength of aggregate ✓
3. C CBR of subgrade ✓
4. D Wind speed on runway ✓

Softening point ring and ball test indicates

1. A Freezing point of water ✓
2. B Boiling point of steel ✓
3. C Temperature at which bitumen softens under load ✓
4. D Flash point of diesel only ✓

Aggregate gradation for asphalt affects

1. A Only paint colour of road ✓
2. B Only toll rate ✓
3. C Only lane marking font ✓
4. D Density voids stability and durability ✓

Marshall stability test measures

1. A Maximum load resisted by compacted bituminous specimen ✓
2. B River discharge ✓
3. C Wind drift ✓
4. D Seismic PGA ✓

Marshall flow value indicates

1. A Air void only ✓
2. B Deformation at maximum load ✓
3. C Aggregate crushing only ✓
4. D Penetration of needle only ✓

Air voids in compacted HMA typically target about

1. A 30 to 40 percent ✓
2. B Zero percent always impossible practically ✓
3. C 3 to 5 percent ✓
4. D 50 percent ✓

VMA stands for

1. A Vertical Mix Asphalt ✓
2. B Voids in Mineral Aggregate ✓
3. C Variable Marshall Analysis ✓
4. D Vehicle Mass Axle ✓

Aggregate impact value test indicates

1. A Bitumen penetration ✓
2. B Softening point ✓
3. C Wind erosion ✓
4. D Resistance to sudden impact loading ✓

Los Angeles abrasion test measures

1. A Resistance to degradation by impact and grinding ✓
2. B Liquid limit of clay ✓
3. C Concrete slump ✓
4. D Harbour tide ✓

Flakiness index measures

1. A Roundness of bitumen ✓
2. B Colour of tar ✓
3. C Smell of diesel ✓
4. D Proportion of thin elongated particles ✓

Polished stone value PSV relates to

1. A Marshall stability only ✓
2. B Skid resistance of aggregate ✓
3. C Penetration grade only ✓
4. D Wind load only ✓

Modified bitumen with polymer improves

1. A Elastic recovery and temperature susceptibility ✓
2. B Always reduces cost to zero ✓
3. C Makes mix unusable always ✓
4. D Eliminates need for aggregate ✓

RAP in pavement recycling is

1. A Random Aggregate Powder ✓
2. B Railway Axle Profile ✓
3. C Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement ✓
4. D River Alluvial Plain ✓

Maximum RAP percentage limited by

1. A Stiffness aging and workability concerns ✓
2. B Unlimited always without test ✓
3. C Zero always banned ✓
4. D Only colour of old pavement ✓

Subgrade treatment with lime improves

1. A Bitumen penetration always ✓
2. B Plasticity and bearing capacity of clay ✓
3. C Wind speed always ✓
4. D Harbour depth always ✓

Cement stabilization of base course increases

1. A Only colour to grey only without strength ✓
2. B Only permeability always increases harmful always ✓
3. C Strength and durability of granular layer ✓
4. D Only organic content ✓

Moisture susceptibility of HMA evaluated by

1. A Penetration test on bitumen only ✓
2. B Wind tunnel on car ✓
3. C Seismic shake table on building ✓
4. D Immersion Marshall or TSR test ✓

Anti-stripping agents are

1. A Only water spray on road ✓
2. B Lime or amine additives improving adhesion ✓
3. C Only sand without binder ✓
4. D Only diesel fuel ✓

Bitumen emulsion used for

1. A Cold mix surface dressing tack coat ✓
2. B Only structural RCC dam ✓
3. C Only railway sleeper ✓
4. D Only airport ILS ✓

Cutback bitumen uses

1. A Water only without chemical ✓
2. B Cement paste ✓
3. C Solvent to reduce viscosity for cold application ✓
4. D Steel powder ✓

PG grading system classifies binder by

1. A Only penetration at 25 always alone ✓
2. B Only colour ✓
3. C Only smell ✓
4. D Performance at high and low pavement temperature ✓

Nominal maximum aggregate size in mix affects

1. A Only toll plaza design ✓
2. B Only building FAR ✓
3. C Layer thickness minimum and gradation control ✓
4. D Only harbour berth ✓

Aggregate crushing value ACV indicates

1. A Ductility of bitumen ✓
2. B Wind drift ✓
3. C Tidal range ✓
4. D Resistance to crushing under compressive load ✓

Soundness test of aggregate uses

1. A Salt or water saturation cycles ✓
2. B Marshall hammer only ✓
3. C Penetration needle ✓
4. D Softening ring ✓

Specific gravity of aggregate needed for

1. A Only paint coverage ✓
2. B Mix design volumetric calculations ✓
3. C Only staff scheduling ✓
4. D Only legal fees ✓

Absorption of aggregate affects

1. A Only wind load on sign ✓
2. B Only seismic zone ✓
3. C Effective binder content and moisture sensitivity ✓
4. D Only runway length ✓

HMA production temperature hot mix about

1. A 25°C ambient only ✓
2. B 500°C always ✓
3. C 0°C frozen ✓
4. D 150 to 170°C at plant ✓

Compaction of asphalt layer by

1. A After complete cooling to ambient always wrong ✓
2. B Roller while mix above minimum temperature ✓
3. C Only manual foot always for highway ✓
4. D Only water flooding ✓

Segregation in asphalt mix causes

1. A Non-uniform gradation and early failure ✓
2. B Improved skid always ✓
3. C Lower cost always beneficial always ✓
4. D Higher CBR subgrade ✓

Bleeding on pavement surface means

1. A Insufficient binder always opposite ✓
2. B Excess binder flushed to surface ✓
3. C Only aggregate visible always ✓
4. D Only water ponding only ✓

Rutting in wheel paths related to

1. A Permanent deformation of mix or subgrade ✓
2. B Only paint fade ✓
3. C Only lane width error only ✓
4. D Only guardrail height ✓

Fatigue cracking in flexible pavement from

1. A Single static load once only always ✓
2. B Only wind pressure ✓
3. C Only tidal action ✓
4. D Repeated tensile strain in bound layers ✓

Reflection cracking occurs when

1. A New pavement on new subgrade only always ✓
2. B Only on railway track ✓
3. C Cracks in old pavement telegraph through overlay ✓
4. D Only on harbour wall ✓

Open graded friction course OGFC provides

1. A Impermeable seal always opposite purpose ✓
2. B Only increase rut always purpose ✓
3. C Only railway ballast function ✓
4. D Drainage of surface water reducing spray ✓

Stone matrix asphalt SMA has

1. A High coarse aggregate skeleton gap filled with mastic ✓
2. B Only sand without coarse ✓
3. C Only clay without binder ✓
4. D Only water ✓

Bitumen grade harder for Pakistan hot southern plains often means

1. A Higher penetration softer always for hot always wrong ✓
2. B Zero binder ✓
3. C Lower penetration or higher PG high temp ✓
4. D Only emulsion always ✓

Aggregate gradation curves plotted on

1. A Wind rose ✓
2. B Semi-log sieve size versus percent passing ✓
3. C Mohr circle only soil ✓
4. D Harbour tide chart ✓

Fillers in asphalt mix such as cement or limestone dust

1. A Improve mastic stiffness and void filling ✓
2. B Replace all coarse aggregate ✓
3. C Eliminate need for bitumen completely ✓
4. D Only decorative colour ✓

Pre-coated chips used in

1. A RCC dam face always primary ✓
2. B Surface dressing chip seal ✓
3. C Railway track always ✓
4. D Building column always ✓

Cationic emulsion preferred for

1. A Always dry stone only without exception opposite sometimes ✓
2. B Underwater concrete always ✓
3. C Damp aggregate surfaces ✓
4. D Steel welding always ✓

JMF job mix formula approved after

1. A Random guess without test ✓
2. B Only visual colour check ✓
3. C Only contractor verbal promise ✓
4. D Trial mix meets Marshall or Superpave criteria ✓

NHA Pakistan specifies materials for

1. A Only airport runway exclusively without road ✓
2. B National highway pavement layers ✓
3. C Only harbour fender ✓
4. D Only dam spillway ✓

Field density of asphalt checked by

1. A Only penetration test ✓
2. B Only wind vane ✓
3. C Only tide staff ✓
4. D Nuclear gauge or core extraction ✓

Core sample from pavement evaluates

1. A Thickness density and mix properties ✓
2. B Only subgrade CBR without asphalt ✓
3. C Only building rebar ✓
4. D Only river flow ✓

Geotextile under granular base may

1. A Increase moisture pumping always harmful always purpose wrong ✓
2. B Replace all structural layers always ✓
3. C Separate subgrade fines and provide filtration ✓
4. D Only paint protection ✓

Prime coat on granular base rate about

1. A 0.7 to 1.5 litres per square metre typical range ✓
2. B 100 litres always without limit ✓
3. C Zero always ✓
4. D Only kg per tonne aggregate confusing units ✓

Tack coat application rate before overlay about

1. A 10 litres always harmful ✓
2. B 0.2 to 0.5 litres per square metre residual ✓
3. C Zero bond intended wrong ✓
4. D Only cubic metres ✓

Warm mix asphalt technology reduces

1. A Always increases temperature 300°C ✓
2. B Eliminates all binder ✓
3. C Only uses water freezing ✓
4. D Production and compaction temperature ✓

Rejuvenator in high RAP mix restores

1. A Aggregate crushing value ✓
2. B Subgrade CBR ✓
3. C Aged binder properties ✓
4. D Wind load ✓

Absorption capacity test on bitumen aggregate mix checks

1. A Only colour fade ✓
2. B Potential moisture damage susceptibility ✓
3. C Only noise ✓
4. D Only toll revenue ✓

Gradation within specification envelope ensures

1. A Random voids always desired ✓
2. B Zero compaction possible ✓
3. C Workability and volumetric properties in mix ✓
4. D Only aesthetic appearance ✓

Hydrostatic compression test on aggregate rare for roads; strength more commonly

1. A Los Angeles or crushing value ✓
2. B Wind tunnel ✓
3. C Penetration bitumen confused as aggregate ✓
4. D Liquid limit clay ✓

Blending aggregates from different sources aims to

1. A Increase cost only purpose ✓
2. B Always single size only without blend ✓
3. C Ignore spec always ✓
4. D Meet target gradation and properties economically ✓

Stockpile moisture management prevents

1. A Incorrect binder content and segregation in plant ✓
2. B Improved bitumen penetration grade change magically ✓
3. C Wind erosion of highway pavement placed ✓
4. D Harbour silting ✓

Calculated voids in mineral aggregate VMA formula uses

1. A Only bitumen weight alone ✓
2. B Only wind speed ✓
3. C Bulk volume of aggregate including voids ✓
4. D Only axle load ESAL alone ✓

Viscosity grade bitumen VG-30 suited for

1. A Only pedestrian paths only always ✓
2. B Hot climates and heavy traffic routes ✓
3. C Underwater dam face always wrong ✓
4. D Railway sleeper coating always wrong ✓

Aggregate elongation index measures

1. A Bitumen flash point ✓
2. B Concrete air content ✓
3. C Wind pressure on building ✓
4. D Proportion of particles with length much greater than mean dimension ✓