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GATE CE Strength of Materials — practice questions

Explore 19 free Strength of Materials questions in GATE CE Civil Engineering. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Strength of Materials questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–19 of 19.

Stress is defined as:Read the answer and worked solution →Working stress (allowable stress) is obtained as:Read the answer and worked solution →For an isotropic linear elastic material, only how many independent elastic constants are needed?Read the answer and worked solution →Strain energy stored in an axially loaded member is:Read the answer and worked solution →For a hollow circular shaft (outer dia D, inner dia d), polar moment of inertia J =Read the answer and worked solution →For cantilever beam with UDL w along entire length L:Read the answer and worked solution →Relationship between shear force V and bending moment M along beam length:Read the answer and worked solution →Maximum shear stress in a rectangular beam relative to average shear stress is:Read the answer and worked solution →Differential equation of elastic curve (Euler-Bernoulli):Read the answer and worked solution →Max deflection at center of simply-supported beam with central P:Read the answer and worked solution →Effective length L_e for fixed-free (cantilever) column is:Read the answer and worked solution →Slenderness ratio of a column is:Read the answer and worked solution →Principal planes are characterized by:Read the answer and worked solution →Maximum shear stress occurs on planes oriented at ___ to principal planes:Read the answer and worked solution →For pure shear (σ_x = σ_y = 0, τ_xy = τ), principal stresses are:Read the answer and worked solution →For thin cylinder under internal pressure p (diameter d, thickness t):Read the answer and worked solution →For a thin sphere under internal pressure p:Read the answer and worked solution →Yield strength of structural mild steel (IS 226):Read the answer and worked solution →Modulus of elasticity for concrete (per IS 456):Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

Stress is defined as:

  1. Volume × pressure
  2. Force per unit area (F/A); SI unit pascal (Pa = N/m²)
  3. Force × Area
  4. Force/length
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Correct answer: B. Force per unit area (F/A); SI unit pascal (Pa = N/m²)

Stress σ = F/A. Tensile, compressive, shear are basic types. Pa = N/m². **Typical magnitudes:** steel yield ~250-500 MPa concrete compressive ~20-40 MPa.

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Working stress (allowable stress) is obtained as:

  1. Yield (or ultimate) stress DIVIDED by factor of safety
  2. No formula
  3. Multiplied yield by FS
  4. Add safety to yield
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Correct answer: A. Yield (or ultimate) stress DIVIDED by factor of safety

Working stress = yield/FS or UTS/FS. Factor of safety > 1 provides margin. **Typical FS:** steel against yield 1.5-1.67 concrete against compressive 3-4. Higher for brittle materials or critical structures.

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For an isotropic linear elastic material, only how many independent elastic constants are needed?

  1. 2 (any two of E, G, K, ν fully specify the material)
  2. 3
  3. 1
  4. 4
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Correct answer: A. 2 (any two of E, G, K, ν fully specify the material)

**Isotropic:** 2 independent constants. E = 2G(1+ν) = 3K(1-2ν) relate them. **So knowing E + ν, can find G and K. For anisotropic (e.g., wood, composites): up to 21 independent constants for fully anisotropic.**

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GATE Civil — Core Topics