Structural Analysis MCQs Questions and Answers for All Competitive Examinations and Interviews
1. A structure is said to be statically determinate when
A) Number of unknowns is more than equilibrium equations
B) Structure is unstable
C) All reactions can be found using only equilibrium equations
D) Deformations are required for analysis
Answer: C
2. The primary function of a fixed support is to
A) Allow rotation only
B) Allow translation only
C) Resist vertical load only
D) Resist vertical, horizontal, and rotational movements
Answer: D
3. Which of the following loads acts perpendicular to the axis of a beam?
A) Axial load
B) Torsional load
C) Transverse load
D) Impact load
Answer: C
4. A simply supported beam has
A) One fixed and one roller support
B) One hinge and one roller support
C) Two fixed supports
D) One free and one fixed end
Answer: B
5. The bending moment at the free end of a cantilever beam is
A) Maximum
B) Zero
C) Always zero
D) Depends on loading
Answer: C
6. Which diagram represents variation of shear force along the beam?
A) BMD
B) SFD
C) Load diagram
D) Deflection curve
Answer: B
7. Point of contraflexure is the point where
A) Shear force is maximum
B) Deflection is zero
C) Bending moment changes sign
D) Load intensity is zero
Answer: C
8. In a statically indeterminate structure, reactions are found using
A) Only equilibrium equations
B) Only compatibility equations
C) Equilibrium and compatibility equations together
D) Energy methods only
Answer: C
9. Which support provides only one reaction force?
A) Fixed support
B) Hinged support
C) Roller support
D) Pinned support
Answer: C
10. The degree of static indeterminacy of a plane truss is given by
A) j + m – r
B) m + r – 2j
C) 2j – m – r
D) m – j + r
Answer: B
11. Which of the following is a determinate structure?
A) Fixed beam
B) Propped cantilever
C) Simply supported beam
D) Continuous beam
Answer: C
12. A member that carries only axial force is called
A) Beam
B) Column
C) Truss member
D) Frame member
Answer: C
13. Which diagram shows bending behavior of a beam?
A) Load diagram
B) SFD
C) BMD
D) Deflection diagram
Answer: C
14. For equilibrium of a plane structure, number of independent equations is
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 6
Answer: B
15. If bending moment at a section is zero, then
A) Shear force is also zero
B) The section may be a point of contraflexure
C) Beam must be free at that point
D) Deflection is zero
Answer: B
16. In a cantilever beam, maximum bending moment occurs at
A) Free end
B) Fixed end
C) Midspan
D) Point of zero shear
Answer: B
17. A uniformly distributed load produces a shear force diagram that is
A) Straight line
B) Parabolic curve
C) Rectangular
D) Hyperbolic
Answer: B
18. A uniformly distributed load produces a bending moment diagram that is
A) Straight line
B) Parabolic curve
C) Triangular
D) Rectangular
Answer: B
19. Which structure has more supports than required for stability?
A) Determinate structure
B) Indeterminate structure
C) Unstable structure
D) Perfect structure
Answer: B
20. Which internal force causes bending in beams?
A) Axial force
B) Torsional moment
C) Bending moment
D) Shear force
Answer: C
21. A hinge support can resist
A) Only vertical reaction
B) Only horizontal reaction
C) Vertical and horizontal reactions but no moment
D) Vertical reaction and moment
Answer: C
22. A roller support mainly allows
A) Vertical movement
B) Horizontal movement
C) Rotation only
D) No movement
Answer: B
23. The basic assumption of structural analysis is that
A) Materials are perfectly rigid
B) Structures behave elastically within working loads
C) Loads are always static
D) Deformation is zero
Answer: B
24. Which load causes sudden high stress in structures?
A) Dead load
B) Live load
C) Impact load
D) Wind load
Answer: C
25. In a perfect truss
A) m = 2j + 1
B) m = j – 1
C) m = 2j – 3
D) m = 3j – 2
Answer: C
26. A structure is considered unstable when
A) Number of reactions equals equilibrium equations
B) Structure has fixed supports
C) It cannot maintain its shape under load
D) It is statically indeterminate
Answer: C
27. The main purpose of shear force in a beam is to
A) Cause axial deformation
B) Cause torsion
C) Resist sliding of one part of the beam over another
D) Produce bending only
Answer: C
28. Which of the following is a redundant structure?
A) Simply supported beam
B) Propped cantilever beam
C) Cantilever beam
D) Perfect truss
Answer: B
29. In structural analysis, compatibility conditions ensure that
A) Forces are balanced
B) Moments are balanced
C) Deformations are continuous and consistent
D) Materials are elastic
Answer: C
30. The degree of static indeterminacy of a fixed beam is
A) 0
B) 1
C) 3
D) 2
Answer: C
31. Which of the following loads remains constant throughout the life of a structure?
A) Live load
B) Wind load
C) Earthquake load
D) Dead load
Answer: D
32. In a beam, the point where shear force is zero generally corresponds to
A) Zero deflection
B) Maximum or minimum bending moment
C) Zero bending stress
D) Point of contraflexure
Answer: B
33. A continuous beam is one which
A) Has one fixed end
B) Has no supports
C) Rests on more than two supports
D) Is free at both ends
Answer: C
34. The line of action of internal forces in a truss member is
A) Perpendicular to the member
B) Tangential to the joint
C) Along the axis of the member
D) Random
Answer: C
35. Which of the following methods is mainly used for statically indeterminate structures?
A) Method of joints
B) Method of sections
C) Flexibility or stiffness method
D) Graphical method
Answer: C
36. In structural analysis, linear behavior of materials means
A) Stress is independent of strain
B) Stress is directly proportional to strain
C) Stress is constant
D) Strain is zero
Answer: B
37. Which of the following causes twisting in a structural member?
A) Shear force
B) Bending moment
C) Axial force
D) Torsional moment
Answer: D
38. The reaction at a roller support acts
A) Parallel to the surface
B) Along the beam
C) Normal to the surface of contact
D) In any direction
Answer: C
39. A portal frame is an example of
A) Truss
B) Beam
C) Rigid frame structure
D) Cable structure
Answer: C
40. In a determinate structure, if one support is removed, the structure becomes
A) Indeterminate
B) Perfect
C) Unstable
D) Redundant
Answer: C
41. Which diagram is used to find the maximum bending moment in a beam?
A) Load diagram
B) SFD
C) BMD
D) Deflection diagram
Answer: C
42. The force that tries to pull or push a member along its length is called
A) Shear force
B) Bending force
C) Axial force
D) Torsional force
Answer: C
43. In a pin-jointed truss, joints are assumed to be
A) Rigid
B) Frictionless and hinged
C) Fixed
D) Welded
Answer: B
44. A beam subjected only to end moments and no transverse loads is called
A) Simple beam
B) Pure bending beam
C) Cantilever beam
D) Overhanging beam
Answer: B
45. Which of the following assumptions is made in truss analysis?
A) Members are subjected to bending
B) Loads act between joints
C) Loads act only at joints
D) Members are curved
Answer: C
46. The term “redundancy” in structures refers to
A) Extra strength
B) Extra load
C) Extra unknown reactions or forces
D) Extra deformation
Answer: C
47. A member subjected to compression is likely to fail by
A) Tension
B) Shear
C) Buckling
D) Torsion
Answer: C
48. The basic difference between a beam and a frame is that a frame
A) Carries only vertical loads
B) Has only axial forces
C) Has members resisting axial force, shear force, and bending moment
D) Has no joints
Answer: C
49. A cable structure mainly resists loads through
A) Bending
B) Shear
C) Compression
D) Tension
Answer: D
50. In structural analysis, superposition principle is valid when
A) Structure is indeterminate
B) Loads are dynamic
C) Material is plastic
D) Material behavior is linear and elastic
Answer: D
51. A structure that just satisfies the conditions of stability and determinacy is called
A) Unstable structure
B) Indeterminate structure
C) Perfect structure
D) Redundant structure
Answer: C
52. The bending moment at a hinge in a structure is always
A) Maximum
B) Variable
C) Zero
D) Infinite
Answer: C
53. Which internal force is responsible for change in length of a member?
A) Shear force
B) Bending moment
C) Torsional moment
D) Axial force
Answer: D
54. In a beam, positive bending moment causes
A) Top fibers in tension
B) Bottom fibers in compression
C) Top fibers in compression and bottom fibers in tension
D) No stress
Answer: C
55. A cantilever beam is statically
A) Indeterminate
B) Determinate
C) Unstable
D) Redundant
Answer: B
56. The deflection of a beam mainly depends on
A) Only loading
B) Only support type
C) Load, material, and cross-section
D) Length only
Answer: C
57. A structure having more reactions than required for equilibrium is called
A) Perfect structure
B) Unstable structure
C) Statically indeterminate structure
D) Determinate structure
Answer: C
58. The slope at the fixed end of a cantilever beam is
A) Maximum
B) Minimum
C) Zero
D) Infinite
Answer: C
59. In structural members, shear stress is caused mainly due to
A) Bending moment
B) Axial force
C) Shear force
D) Torsion
Answer: C
60. The number of unknown reactions at a fixed support in a plane structure is
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
Answer: C
61. The primary purpose of analysis of structures is to determine
A) Size of members only
B) Cost of structure
C) Internal forces and reactions
D) Architectural design
Answer: C
62. A beam supported at both ends and free to rotate is called
A) Fixed beam
B) Cantilever beam
C) Simply supported beam
D) Propped beam
Answer: C
63. Which diagram is always a straight line between two point loads?
A) BMD
B) SFD
C) Deflection diagram
D) Load diagram
Answer: B
64. The bending moment diagram under a point load on a simply supported beam is
A) Rectangular
B) Parabolic
C) Piecewise linear
D) Circular
Answer: C
65. Which member mainly carries compressive load?
A) Cable
B) Beam
C) Column
D) Tie
Answer: C
66. In truss analysis, zero-force members are identified to
A) Increase complexity
B) Reduce safety
C) Simplify calculations
D) Increase redundancy
Answer: C
67. The force in a truss member is tensile if the member
A) Pushes the joint
B) Pulls the joint
C) Rotates the joint
D) Bends the joint
Answer: B
68. The shape of deflection curve of a simply supported beam under UDL is
A) Straight line
B) Triangular
C) Parabolic
D) Rectangular
Answer: C
69. Which of the following is NOT an assumption of simple beam theory?
A) Plane sections remain plane
B) Material is homogeneous
C) Shear deformation is dominant
D) Stress is proportional to strain
Answer: C
70. The line joining the centroids of beam cross-sections after bending is called
A) Neutral axis
B) Elastic curve
C) Shear line
D) Load line
Answer: B
71. A beam having one end fixed and the other end simply supported is called
A) Cantilever beam
B) Simply supported beam
C) Propped cantilever beam
D) Continuous beam
Answer: C
72. A truss is said to be unstable when
A) m = 2j − 3
B) m > 2j − 3
C) m < 2j − 3
D) m = 3j − 2
Answer: C
73. Which force causes warping in a member?
A) Axial force
B) Shear force
C) Bending moment
D) Torsional moment
Answer: D
74. The stiffness of a beam increases when
A) Length increases
B) Load increases
C) Moment of inertia increases
D) Material becomes weaker
Answer: C
75. In a frame structure, members are subjected to
A) Only axial force
B) Only bending
C) Only shear
D) Axial force, shear force, and bending moment
Answer: D
76. The neutral axis in a beam section is the line where
A) Bending moment is maximum
B) Shear force is zero
C) Bending stress is zero
D) Deflection is maximum
Answer: C
77. The main reason for providing expansion joints in structures is to
A) Improve strength
B) Reduce cost
C) Improve appearance
D) Allow thermal expansion and contraction
Answer: D
78. In a cantilever beam under uniformly distributed load, the bending moment diagram is
A) Linear
B) Triangular
C) Parabolic
D) Rectangular
Answer: C
79. A structure is said to be kinematically unstable when
A) It has excess reactions
B) It has insufficient constraints to prevent movement
C) It is statically indeterminate
D) It has too many members
Answer: B
80. The force that resists relative sliding between adjacent layers of a beam is
A) Axial force
B) Shear force
C) Bending moment
D) Torsion
Answer: B
81. The bending stress in a beam is directly proportional to
A) Distance from neutral axis
B) Bending moment
C) Moment of inertia
D) Both bending moment and distance from neutral axis
Answer: D
82. Which support condition makes a beam statically indeterminate?
A) Simply supported at both ends
B) Cantilever beam
C) Fixed at both ends
D) One end fixed and other free
Answer: C
83. In structural analysis, the stiffness method is also called
A) Force method
B) Displacement method
C) Energy method
D) Graphical method
Answer: B
84. The flexibility method is mainly based on
A) Displacements as unknowns
B) Forces as unknowns
C) Stresses as unknowns
D) Strains as unknowns
Answer: B
85. A tie member in a structure always carries
A) Compression
B) Bending
C) Shear
D) Tension
Answer: D
86. Which load acts vertically downward and remains permanent in nature?
A) Live load
B) Wind load
C) Dead load
D) Snow load
Answer: C
87. In a simply supported beam, maximum deflection occurs at
A) One of the supports
B) Quarter span
C) Mid-span
D) Free end
Answer: C
88. The shear force at the free end of a cantilever beam is
A) Zero
B) Minimum
C) Equal to the total applied load
D) Infinite
Answer: C
89. Which of the following structures resists load mainly through compression?
A) Cable structure
B) Suspension bridge
C) Arch structure
D) Truss structure
Answer: C
90. In truss analysis, compression members are also called
A) Ties
B) Struts
C) Beams
D) Cables
Answer: B
91. The moment distribution method is used mainly for
A) Determinate structures
B) Indeterminate structures
C) Unstable structures
D) Perfect structures
Answer: B
92. In beams, hogging bending moment means
A) Bottom fibers in compression
B) Top fibers in tension
C) No bending
D) Zero stress
Answer: B
93. Which factor does NOT affect the deflection of a beam?
A) Load intensity
B) Span length
C) Modulus of elasticity
D) Color of the beam
Answer: D
94. The shear force diagram of a beam subjected to a point load shows
A) Curved variation
B) Sudden jump at the point load
C) No change
D) Smooth parabola
Answer: B
95. The bending moment diagram of a beam subjected to UDL is
A) Straight line
B) Triangular
C) Parabolic curve
D) Step curve
Answer: C
96. A support that prevents translation but allows rotation is
A) Fixed support
B) Roller support
C) Hinged support
D) Elastic support
Answer: C
97. The degree of redundancy in a structure refers to
A) Excess weight
B) Excess deformation
C) Excess unknown reactions or internal forces
D) Excess strength
Answer: C
98. In structural members, tensile stress tends to
A) Shorten the member
B) Bend the member
C) Twist the member
D) Elongate the member
Answer: D
99. A beam resting on three or more supports is called
A) Simply supported beam
B) Cantilever beam
C) Propped beam
D) Continuous beam
Answer: D
100. The main objective of structural analysis is to ensure
A) Beauty of the structure
B) Economy only
C) Safety and serviceability of the structure
D) Speed of construction
Answer: C