Steel Design (IS 800) MCQ for GATE Civil Engineering
163 Questions5 Difficulty Levels20-25% in GATEFree Practice
Steel Design follows IS 800:2007 and carries 4-8 marks in GATE CE. The code uses the limit state method with partial safety factors γm0 = 1.10 (yielding) and γm1 = 1.25 (ultimate stress). Questions focus on tension member design (yielding of gross section, rupture of net section), compression member design (column buckling using Perry-Robertson curves), beam design (laterally supported and unsupported), and connection design (bolts and welds). Understanding section classification (Class 1-4) and its impact on moment capacity is crucial.
Difficulty Levels
L1 · Foundation · 54 Qs
L2 · Understanding · 25 Qs
L3 · Application · 40 Qs
L4 · Analysis · 23 Qs
L5 · GATE Ready · 4 Qs
Key Topics Covered
Tension members (Tdg, Tdn)
Column buckling (fcd, KL/r, buckling curves)
Laterally supported beams (Md)
Lateral torsional buckling
Bolt design (shear, bearing, kb)
Fillet weld design
Plastic analysis (shape factor, collapse load)
Key Formulas
Tdg = Ag·fy/γm0
fcd = χ·fy/γm0 (buckling)
Md = βb·Zp·fy/γm0 ≤ 1.2·Ze·fy/γm0
Vdsb = fub/(√3·γmb)·n·Anb
fw = fu/(√3·γmw·Mw)
GATE Exam Tip: Know the steel grades (E250 fy=250, E350 fy=350) and partial safety factors cold. Column buckling problems are the most common — practice computing KL/r, non-dimensional slenderness, and fcd from the buckling curve formula. For connections, the kb factor calculation for bearing capacity is frequently tested.
Select an answer and click "Check Answer" to see the explanation. For the full set of 163+ questions with progress tracking, use the interactive practice mode.
Q1 · Level 1 · SE-STL-1081
In the context of a welded joint's cross-section, what does the term 'throat' refer to?
Q2 · Level 1 · SE-STL-1041
The base diameter of the conical flare of a steel chimney is related to the diameter of the cylindrical section ('d') as follows:
Q3 · Level 1 · SE-STL-1049
Compared to rivets made at the construction site, rivets fabricated in a workshop possess which characteristic?
Q4 · Level 2 · SE-STL-1022
For rivets with a diameter up to 25 mm, what is the difference between the diameter of the rivet hole and its nominal diameter?
Q5 · Level 2 · SE-STL-0011
In IS 800:2007, the design strength of a tension member is the minimum of three values. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
Q6 · Level 2 · SE-STL-1113
What is the maximum permissible slenderness ratio for a steel column designed to resist wind or seismic loads?
Q7 · Level 3 · SE-STL-1109
As per the guidelines of IS : 800, the coefficient reflecting geometric imperfections in the Merchant Rankine formula is designated as:
Q8 · Level 3 · SE-STL-1018
For optimal cost of a roof truss, what should be the relationship between the expense of the truss structure and the cost of the purlins?
Q9 · Level 3 · SE-STL-1044
The permissible shear stress in the web of mild steel beams decreases as the 'h/t' ratio (where 'h' is the height and 't' is the thickness) does which of the following?
Q10 · Level 3 · SE-STL-1121
According to IS : 800, the coefficient that accounts for geometrical imperfections in the Merchant Rankine formula is quantified as:
Q11 · Level 3 · SE-STL-1017
In structural engineering practice, why are circular column sections generally not favored for use?
Q12 · Level 4 · SE-STL-1016
When compared to the thickness of the plates being joined, the actual thickness of a butt weld is typically:
Q13 · Level 4 · SE-STL-1082
For rivets with countersunk heads that are subjected to tensile forces, what is the adjustment to their tensile value?
Q14 · Level 4 · SE-STL-0027
An ISMB 350 beam (Zp = 836 cm³, Ze = 726 cm³) in E250 steel is laterally supported. The factored moment is 175 kN·m. Check if the beam is adequate.
Q15 · Level 4 · SE-STL-1056
Which type of riveted connection is designed to avoid bending stresses?
Q16 · Level 5 · SE-STL-0037
A simply supported ISMB 400 beam (Zp = 1095 cm³, Iy = 622 cm⁴, ry = 28.2 mm) in E250 steel spans 8 m with no intermediate lateral bracing. The beam carries a factored UDL of 25 kN/m. If λLT for this configuration is 1.35 and χLT = 0.42, determine:
(a) The factored bending moment
(b) The design bending capacity
(c) Whether the beam is adequate
Q17 · Level 5 · SE-STL-0038
For the beam in SE-STL-0037 (ISMB 400, 8 m span), if intermediate lateral bracing is provided at mid-span (reducing LLT to 4 m), and the new λLT = 0.72 giving χLT = 0.88, what is the revised Md and is the beam now adequate?
Q18 · Level 5 · SE-STL-0040
A portal frame of E250 steel is to be analyzed using plastic analysis. The frame has a span of 10 m and column height of 4 m. The beam is ISMB 400 (Zp = 1095 cm³) and columns are ISMB 300 (Zp = 611 cm³). The plastic moment capacity of the beam is Mp,beam and column is Mp,col. For the frame to form a valid collapse mechanism under a uniformly distributed load on the beam:
(a) What is Mp,beam?
(b) What section classification is required for plastic analysis?
(c) If the collapse load factor λ = 16Mp/(wL²) for a beam mechanism, and the factored UDL is 30 kN/m, is the beam adequate?
Q19 · Level 5 · SE-STL-0039
A bracket connection uses 6 mm site fillet welds (γmw = 1.50) to connect a plate to a column flange in E250 steel. The weld group consists of two vertical welds, each 200 mm long, spaced 150 mm apart. A factored vertical load of 100 kN acts at an eccentricity of 200 mm from the weld group centroid. Determine the maximum resultant stress on the weld and check adequacy.