Civil Engineering Licensing Exam Syllabus

Nepal Engineering Council Registration Examination

Civil Engineering Syllabus (ACiE)

Chapters 1-4 are fundamentals/principles of concepts in civil engineering; chapters 5-9 are related to application of engineering principles in practice; and the last (10th) chapter is related to project planning, design and implementation.

Chapter 1

1. Basic Civil Engineering                                                                                          (ACiE01)
   1. Engineering materials: Properties (physical, chemical, mechanical and thermal); types, characteristics, composition, selection, and usage/function of engineering materials (stones, bricks, tiles, cement, lime, timber, metals/alloys, paints/varnishes, and asphalt/bitumen/tar).        (ACiE0101)
   2. Standards (NS & IS) and tests for civil engineering materials: tests of brick (water absorption and compressive tests), tests of cement (consistency, setting time, soundness, and compressive strength); test of aggregate (bulking of sand); test of rebar (tensile test).                                                (ACiE0102)
   3. Building technology: Building construction technology (brick and stone masonry, carpentry, painting, plastering, concrete roofing, flooring, damp proof course); Building by laws.      (ACiE0103)
   4. Geometric properties of sections: Axes of symmetry; centre of gravity of different sections (e.g., built-up plane figures, standard steel sections); moment of inertia; radius of gyration        (ACiE0104)
   5. Surveying and levelling: Fundamentals of surveying; measurements (linear distance, vertical distance, and angle and directions); levelling; topographic survey (principles and applications); Simple circular curves, principles and applications of GPS/GIS.                                                                      (ACiE0105)
   6. Estimating, costing, and valuation: types of estimate; methods of estimating; rate analysis; specifications (purpose, importance and types), valuation.                                                                (ACiE0106)

Chapter 2

2. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering                                                         (ACiE02)
   1. Soil properties and laboratory tests: tests for strength, permeability, compressibility, phase relationships; determination of index and engineering properties of soils; soil classification (descriptive, textural, ISI, MIT, USCS); boring log interpretation; sieve analysis and interpretation of results; determination of Atterberg limits of soils.                                                                                                                        (ACiE0201)
   2. Stresses on soil and seepage: effective stress (factors affecting effective stress, capillary rise, and quick sand conditions); seepage analysis [Seepage pressure, flow nets and their applications]; soil compressibility (including various indices) and compaction (definition, affecting factors). (ACiE0202)
   3. Shear strength of soil and stability of slopes: Concept of shear strength, principal planes and principal stresses; Mohr-Coulomb theory of shear strength; calculation of normal and shear stresses at different planes; relation of principle stress at failure condition; types of shear tests; stability of slopes. (ACiE0203)
3. 4. Soil exploration, earth pressure and retaining structures: soil exploration (methods, planning, soil sampling and samplers, field tests, site investigation reports); earth pressure theories; stability analysis of retaining walls; techniques to increase stability of retaining walls.                               (ACiE0204)
   5. Fundamentals of foundation: Definition, Types (Shallow and Deep), functions, factor affecting, site investigation of foundation, concept of spread and mat foundation.                           (ACiE0205)
   6. Bearing capacity and foundation settlements: bearing capacity (types, effects of various factors); modes of foundation failure; Terzaghi’s general bearing capacity theory; ultimate bearing capacity of cohesion-less and cohesive soils; consolidation (concept, types and tests); settlement (types, nature, effects and calculations)       (ACiE0206)

3. Basic Water Resources Engineering                                                                      (ACiE03)
   1. Fluids and their properties: types of fluids; fluid properties (mass density, specific weight, specific gravity, specific volume, viscosity, compressibility, capillarity, surface tension, cavitation and vapour pressure.      (ACiE0301)
   2. Hydrostatics: pressure and head; Pascal’s law; pressure-depth relationship; manometers; pressure force and centre of pressure on submerged bodies (plane and curved surfaces, practical applications); pressure diagrams; buoyancy; stability of floating/submerged bodies.                                                       (ACiE0302)
   3. Hydro-kinematics and hydro-dynamics: classification of fluid flow; conservation of mass (continuity equation) and momentum equations and their applications; Bernoulli’s equation and its application; flow measurement.                                                                                                              (ACiE0303)
   4. Pipe flow: types, governing equations, major and minor head losses; HGL and TEL lines; design; pipe network problems; unsteady flow in pipes and relief devices.                                     (ACiE0304)
   5. Open channel flow: geometrical properties; various types of flows; energy and momentum principles (Specific Energy and Specific Force); Types of gradually varied flow profiles; hydraulic jump (types, theory for horizontal and rectangular) flow in mobile boundary channel (design principles/approaches; inception motion condition; Shield diagram).                                                                                          (ACiE0305)
   6. Hydrology: hydrologic cycle and water balance components; flow measurement and rating curves; hydrographs analysis and synthetic unit hydrographs; rainfall-runoff analysis; flood hydrology (flood frequency analysis and design flood); groundwater hydrology.                                                    (ACiE0306)

Chapter 4

4. Structural Mechanics                                                                                               (ACiE04)
   1. Shear forces and bending moments: Axial forces, shear forces, and bending moments; loads and load superposition; relationship and diagram Interpretation (AF, SF, BM).                          (ACiE0401)
   2. Stress and strain analysis: normal and shear stresses; principal stresses and principal planes; maximum shear stress and corresponding plane; stress-strain curves; torsion                               (ACiE0402)
   3. Theory of flexure and columns: co-planar and pure bending; elastic curve; angle of rotation; radius of curvature and flexural stiffness; deflection; bending stress; Euler’s formula for long column. (ACiE0403)
5. 4. Determinate structures-1: Degree of determinacy, Energy Methods, Virtual Work Method, Deflection of beams and portal frame.                                                                                              (ACiE0404)
   5. Determinate structures-2: Influence Lines for Simple Structures with point loads and UDL; analysis of two hinged arches.                                                                                                              (ACiE0405)
   6. Indeterminate structures: Flexibility Method, Two-Hinged Parabolic Arches, Slope Deflection Method, Moment Distribution Method, Stiffness method, Influence Lines for Continuous Beams, Elementary Plastic analysis.                                                                                                                       (ACiE0406)

Chapter 5

5. Design of Structures                                                                                               (ACiE05)
   1. Loads and load combinations: Dead Load, Imposed Load, Wind Load, Snow Load, Earthquake Load.      (ACiE0501)
   2. Concrete technology: concrete technology (materials, properties, mix design, testing, quality control, and codes (IS and NS)).                                                                                               (ACiE0502)
   3. RCC structures-1: working stress and limit state methods; design of beams and slabs; analysis of RC beams and slabs in bending, shear, deflection, bond and end anchorage; RCC; NS & IS codes.

(ACiE0503)

1. 4. RCC structures-2: design of columns and isolated/combined footings; pre-stressed concrete; NS & IS codes.                                                                                                                          (ACiE0504)

1. 5. Steel structures: standard and built-up sections; design of bolted and welded connections; design of simple elements such as ties, struts, axially loaded columns, and column bases; NS and IS codes.

(ACiE0505)

1. 6. Timber and masonry structures: design principles of timber beams and columns; Design of masonry structures (Mandatory rules of thumb, Nepal Building Code (NBC), properties), Failure modes of masonry structure, mud mortar, lime mortar and cement mortar and its properties.

(ACiE0506)

Chapter 6

6. Water Supply, Sanitation and Environment                                                          (ACiE06)
   1. Water sources, water quality and water demand: sources of water (surface and groundwater) and their selection; impurities in water (suspended, colloidal, dissolved); hardness and alkalinity; living organisms in water; water-related diseases and prevention measures; drinking water quality standards; water demand estimation.                                                                                                                   (ACiE0601)
   2. Intake and distribution systems: Types of intakes, factor affecting while selection of location of intake; types and purposes of pipe materials, joints, valves and fittings; break pressure tanks; service reservoirs and their capacity determination; design of branch and looped water distribution systems.

(ACiE0602)

1. 3. Water treatment process and technologies: various treatment process and their purposes; screening; plain sedimentation; sedimentation with coagulation; flocculation; filtration; disinfection; softening; and miscellaneous treatments (aeration, removal of iron and manganese, removal of color

/odour / taste).                                                                                                              (ACiE0603)

1. 4. Design and construction of sewers: estimation of quantity of waste water; sewerage system and types; design criteria of sewers; shapes of sewers; sewer materials; design of sewers for separate and combined systems; construction of sewers and sewer appurtenances.                                                        (ACiE0604)
   5. Treatment and disposal of wastewater: characteristics and examination of sewage; decomposition of wastewater; BOD and COD; primary treatment processes and design of grit chamber; secondary or biological treatment process; sewage filtration; activated sludge process; oxidation ponds; waste water disposal by dilution (oxygen sag curve; Streeter Phelp’s equation); waste water disposal by land treatment; sludge and solid waste disposal methods; latrine and septic tank.                                                                    (ACiE0605)
   6. Concept of environmental assessment: BES; IEE; EIA; government’s act, rules/regulations/ procedures for BES/IEE/EIA; Types of disaster and its mitigation.                                                      (ACiE0606)

Chapter 7

7. Irrigation and Drainage                                                                                         (ACiE07)
   1. Water demand estimation: crop water and irrigation water requirements; water availability for irrigation; command areas; irrigation intensity; duty, delta and their relationship; water losses and irrigation efficiencies; effective rainfall; soil-moisture-irrigation relationship; depth and frequency of irrigation; design discharge for canals.                                                                                                                         (ACiE0701)
   2. Design of canals: canal types, network and alignment; tractive force approach of canal design;

design of stable canals, alluvial canals (Kennedy’s and Lacey’s theory), and lined canals. (ACiE0702)

1. 3. Diversion headworks: components of headwork; seepage theories and their applications (Bligh’s, Lane’s, Khosla’s); design of silt control structures (excluder, ejector and settling basins); design of weir/barrage (crest, length and thickness of impervious floor); design of energy dissipaters. (ACiE0703)
2. 4. River training works: river stages and need of river training; design of river training works (guide bund and launching aprons, levees and spurs); watershed management                                      (ACiE0704)
   5. Regulating and cross-drainage structures: functions of various types of regulators, design of regulators and escapes (crest, length and thickness of impervious floor); design of pipe outlet (free and submerged); design of vertical drop (crest, length, and thickness of impervious floor); design of cross-drainage structures.      (ACiE0705)

1. 6. Water logging and drainage: causes, effects and preventive measures; design of surface and sub- surface drainage systems;                                                                                                         (ACiE0706)

Chapter 8

8. Hydropower                                                                                                            (ACiE08)
   1. Planning of hydropower projects: power potential (gross, technical, economic) of Nepal and the world; stages of hydropower development, hydropower development in Nepal (history, policy, acts & regulation.)      (ACiE0801)
   2. Power and energy potential study: power and energy potentials; methods of fixing installed capacity of a plant; types of hydropower plants on various basis; components of different types of hydropower projects; reservoirs and their regulation.                                                                                     (ACiE0802)
   3. Headworks of storage plants: components of a typical storage plant; dams (types, functions, selection, design, failure modes and remedies); stability analysis of gravity dam, seepage control and foundation treatment in dams; design of intake, spillway and energy dissipaters; gates (types and locations).        (ACiE0803)
   4. Headworks of run-of-river (ROR) plants: components of a typical ROR plant; design of intake; methods of bed and suspended load handling; design of settling basin (practice and concentration approach), estimation of sediment volume in settling basin, flushing of deposited sediment, estimation of flushing frequency for sediments.                                                                                                                    (ACiE0804)
   5. Water conveyance structures: hydraulic tunnels, x-sections, and hydraulic design (velocity and sizing); tunnel lining; design of forebay and surge tanks; design of penstocks and pressure shaft; hydraulic transients (water hammer).                                                                                                          (ACiE0805)
   6. Hydro-electric machines and powerhouse: hydro-mechanical equipment and their functions; types of turbines and performance characteristics; selection of turbine and their specific speed; preliminary design of Francis and Pelton turbines; scroll case and draft tubes; generators (types, rating); governs; pumps and their performance characteristics; powerhouse (types, general arrangements, dimensions). (ACiE0806)

Chapter 9

9. Transportation                                                                                                        (ACiE09)
   1. Highway planning and survey: Modes of transport, history of road development in Nepal; classification of roads; road survey; highway alignment and controlling factors; evaluating alternate alignments; Road Standards of Nepal.                                                                                                                     (ACiE0901)
   2. Geometric design of highway: basic design control and criteria; elements of highway cross- section; highway curves; super elevation; average and ruling gradients; stopping sight distance; design considerations for horizontal and vertical alignments, extra widening, and set back distance; design of road drainage structures; design considerations for hill roads.                                                                            (ACiE0902)
   3. Highway materials: types of aggregates and tests on their gradation, strength, durability; binding materials and their tests; design of asphalt mixes; evaluation of subgrade soil.                           (ACiE0903)
   4. Traffic engineering and safety: impact of human and vehicular characteristics on traffic planning; traffic operations and regulations; traffic control devices; traffic studies (volume, speed, O&D, traffic capacity, traffic flow characteristics, parking, accident, flow); road intersections (types, configurations, design); traffic lights; factors influencing night visibility, road safety measures. (ACiE0904)
10. 5. Road pavement: different types of pavement; design methods for flexible and rigid pavements (DOR Guidelines); loads and other factors controlling pavement design; stress due to load, temperature.   (ACiE0905)
    6. Road construction & maintenance: activities, techniques, tools, equipment and plants used in road construction; preparation of road subgrade; field compaction control and soil stabilization; construction of asphalt concrete layers; construction procedure for penetration macadam, bituminous bound macadam and plain cement concrete pavements; road maintenance, repair and rehabilitation. (ACiE0906)