PreTest - TOS

What does the term "dead load" primarily refer to?

• Permanent structural weight
• Live weight of occupants
• Wind load
• Snow load

Answer explanation

Dead load refers to the permanent weight of the structure, such as walls, floors, and roofs.

Example: The weight of a concrete slab.

Which type of load is considered dynamic?

• Live load
• Dead load
• Gravity load
• Tributary load

Answer explanation

Live loads vary over time, such as people walking or furniture placement.

Example: Movement of occupants in a building.

A beam fixed at one end and free at the other is called?

• Cantilever beam
• Simply supported beam
• Overhanging beam
• Continuous beam

Answer explanation

A cantilever beam is fixed at one end and free at the other.

Example: A balcony.

What is the function of a truss?

• To distribute loads effectively
• To resist only lateral forces
• To serve as a foundation
• To carry water pipes

Answer explanation

Trusses distribute loads across multiple elements using triangular patterns.

Example: Roof trusses in buildings.

What are tributary areas used for?

• Determining load distribution on beams
• Calculating beam lengths
• Measuring room area
• Designing support types

Answer explanation

Tributary areas help calculate how loads transfer to beams.

Example: A roof's load distribution on underlying beams.

Which structural member is designed to resist bending?

• Beam
• Column
• Truss
• Foundation

Answer explanation

Beams resist bending moments due to applied loads.

Example: A horizontal beam in a floor system.

How is the stability of a structure ensured?

• Adequate supports and proper load transfer
• Increasing dead loads
• Adding unnecessary members
• Ignoring lateral forces

Answer explanation

Stability depends on proper supports and effective load paths.
Example: Diagonal braces in frames.

What determines a truss's determinacy?

• m + r = 2j
• m - r = j
• m + r = j
• m / r = 2j

Answer explanation

A truss is statically determinate when A truss is statically determinate when m+r=2j, where m = members, r = reactions, j = joints.

Example: A simple triangular truss.

What type of support allows rotation but resists translation in any direction?

• Pin support
• Roller support
• Fixed support
• Hinged support

Answer explanation

Pin supports resist translation while allowing rotation.
Example: Door hinges.

Which component resists axial forces only?

• Truss member
• Beam
• Plate
• Shell

Answer explanation

Truss members resist axial forces, either tension or compression. Example: Members of a roof truss.