Iowa Civil Engineer Examination
Advanced 100-Question Practice Exam
2026 | Questions & Answers with
Detailed Rationales | Complete Exam
Prep & Study Guide
1. A reinforced-concrete beam has a factored shear force of 180 kips at a
critical section. The concrete contribution is 70 kips and the required
strength reduction factor is 0.75. What nominal shear strength must be
provided by the concrete and shear reinforcement combined?
A. 135 kips
B. 180 kips
C. 240 kips
D. 250 kips
Answer: 240 kips
Rationale: The required nominal strength is Vn=Vu/ϕ=180/0.75=240 kips. The
concrete and shear reinforcement contributions must collectively provide at
least this nominal capacity.
, 2. A steel tension member has a gross area of 8.0 in² and a yield stress of 50
ksi. Ignoring other limit states, what is its gross-section yielding nominal
strength?
A. 250 kips
B. 300 kips
C. 400 kips
D. 500 kips
Answer: 400 kips
Rationale: Gross-section yielding is Pn=AgFy=(8.0)(50)=400 kips. The design
strength would additionally depend on the applicable resistance factor.
3. A 20-ft simply supported beam carries a uniformly distributed service load
of 2.0 kip/ft over the entire span. What is the maximum bending moment?
A. 50 kip-ft
B. 75 kip-ft
C. 100 kip-ft
D. 150 kip-ft
Answer: 100 kip-ft
Rationale: For a simply supported beam with uniform load, Mmax
=wL2/8=(2)(202)/8=100 kip-ft.
4. A rectangular reinforced-concrete column is subjected to significant axial
compression and biaxial bending. Which design approach is most
appropriate?
A. Design only for the larger bending moment
B. Use a uniaxial interaction diagram without modification
C. Evaluate combined axial load and biaxial moment interaction
D. Ignore axial load if both moments are below nominal capacity
Answer: Evaluate combined axial load and biaxial moment interaction
,Rationale: Column capacity depends on the interaction among axial
compression and moments about both principal axes. A biaxial interaction
procedure is required when both moments are significant.
5. A steel beam has an unbraced compression flange length that is increased
substantially while all other properties remain constant. What generally
happens to its lateral-torsional buckling resistance?
A. It increases
B. It decreases
C. It remains unchanged
D. It becomes controlled only by yielding
Answer: It decreases
Rationale: Increasing the unbraced length increases susceptibility to lateral-
torsional buckling and generally reduces the beam's flexural resistance.
6. A footing supports a column load of 600 kips. The allowable net soil bearing
pressure is 4 ksf. Neglecting footing self-weight, what minimum footing
area is required?
A. 100 ft²
B. 125 ft²
C. 150 ft²
D. 200 ft²
Answer: 150 ft²
Rationale: Required area is A=P/qallow=600/4=150 ft². A square footing would
therefore be approximately 12.25 ft by 12.25 ft before considering other design
requirements.
7. A soil has a saturated unit weight of 120 pcf and a water table at the
ground surface. Using a groundwater unit weight of 62.4 pcf, what is the
effective vertical stress at 20 ft depth?
, A. 1,152 psf
B. 1,200 psf
C. 2,400 psf
D. 3,648 psf
Answer: 1,152 psf
Rationale: Effective unit weight is 120−62.4=57.6 pcf. Therefore,
σ′=57.6(20)=1,152 psf.
8. A normally consolidated clay layer experiences a sudden increase in total
vertical stress. Immediately after loading, which condition is most
representative?
A. Effective stress increases by the entire applied load
B. Pore-water pressure rises significantly while effective stress changes little
C. Pore-water pressure immediately becomes zero
D. The clay experiences complete drainage
Answer: Pore-water pressure rises significantly while effective stress changes
little
Rationale: Immediately after rapid loading of saturated low-permeability clay,
drainage is limited. The excess load is initially carried primarily by pore-water
pressure, with effective stress increasing gradually as consolidation occurs.
9. Which laboratory test is most directly used to determine the drained shear
strength parameters c′ and ϕ′ of a soil?
A. Standard Proctor test
B. Consolidation test
C. Drained direct shear or triaxial test
D. Atterberg limits test
Answer: Drained direct shear or triaxial test
Advanced 100-Question Practice Exam
2026 | Questions & Answers with
Detailed Rationales | Complete Exam
Prep & Study Guide
1. A reinforced-concrete beam has a factored shear force of 180 kips at a
critical section. The concrete contribution is 70 kips and the required
strength reduction factor is 0.75. What nominal shear strength must be
provided by the concrete and shear reinforcement combined?
A. 135 kips
B. 180 kips
C. 240 kips
D. 250 kips
Answer: 240 kips
Rationale: The required nominal strength is Vn=Vu/ϕ=180/0.75=240 kips. The
concrete and shear reinforcement contributions must collectively provide at
least this nominal capacity.
, 2. A steel tension member has a gross area of 8.0 in² and a yield stress of 50
ksi. Ignoring other limit states, what is its gross-section yielding nominal
strength?
A. 250 kips
B. 300 kips
C. 400 kips
D. 500 kips
Answer: 400 kips
Rationale: Gross-section yielding is Pn=AgFy=(8.0)(50)=400 kips. The design
strength would additionally depend on the applicable resistance factor.
3. A 20-ft simply supported beam carries a uniformly distributed service load
of 2.0 kip/ft over the entire span. What is the maximum bending moment?
A. 50 kip-ft
B. 75 kip-ft
C. 100 kip-ft
D. 150 kip-ft
Answer: 100 kip-ft
Rationale: For a simply supported beam with uniform load, Mmax
=wL2/8=(2)(202)/8=100 kip-ft.
4. A rectangular reinforced-concrete column is subjected to significant axial
compression and biaxial bending. Which design approach is most
appropriate?
A. Design only for the larger bending moment
B. Use a uniaxial interaction diagram without modification
C. Evaluate combined axial load and biaxial moment interaction
D. Ignore axial load if both moments are below nominal capacity
Answer: Evaluate combined axial load and biaxial moment interaction
,Rationale: Column capacity depends on the interaction among axial
compression and moments about both principal axes. A biaxial interaction
procedure is required when both moments are significant.
5. A steel beam has an unbraced compression flange length that is increased
substantially while all other properties remain constant. What generally
happens to its lateral-torsional buckling resistance?
A. It increases
B. It decreases
C. It remains unchanged
D. It becomes controlled only by yielding
Answer: It decreases
Rationale: Increasing the unbraced length increases susceptibility to lateral-
torsional buckling and generally reduces the beam's flexural resistance.
6. A footing supports a column load of 600 kips. The allowable net soil bearing
pressure is 4 ksf. Neglecting footing self-weight, what minimum footing
area is required?
A. 100 ft²
B. 125 ft²
C. 150 ft²
D. 200 ft²
Answer: 150 ft²
Rationale: Required area is A=P/qallow=600/4=150 ft². A square footing would
therefore be approximately 12.25 ft by 12.25 ft before considering other design
requirements.
7. A soil has a saturated unit weight of 120 pcf and a water table at the
ground surface. Using a groundwater unit weight of 62.4 pcf, what is the
effective vertical stress at 20 ft depth?
, A. 1,152 psf
B. 1,200 psf
C. 2,400 psf
D. 3,648 psf
Answer: 1,152 psf
Rationale: Effective unit weight is 120−62.4=57.6 pcf. Therefore,
σ′=57.6(20)=1,152 psf.
8. A normally consolidated clay layer experiences a sudden increase in total
vertical stress. Immediately after loading, which condition is most
representative?
A. Effective stress increases by the entire applied load
B. Pore-water pressure rises significantly while effective stress changes little
C. Pore-water pressure immediately becomes zero
D. The clay experiences complete drainage
Answer: Pore-water pressure rises significantly while effective stress changes
little
Rationale: Immediately after rapid loading of saturated low-permeability clay,
drainage is limited. The excess load is initially carried primarily by pore-water
pressure, with effective stress increasing gradually as consolidation occurs.
9. Which laboratory test is most directly used to determine the drained shear
strength parameters c′ and ϕ′ of a soil?
A. Standard Proctor test
B. Consolidation test
C. Drained direct shear or triaxial test
D. Atterberg limits test
Answer: Drained direct shear or triaxial test
