UPSC CIVIL ENGINEERING SYLLABUS – IAS MAINS

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS
Check out the latest UPSC Mains Civil Engineering Syllabus 2017. Civil Engineering subject is
the one of the optional papers in UPSC IAS Mains Exam. Earlier we’ve provided UPSC Mains
Syllabus, Now we are providing UPSC Mains Optional Subject Syllabus of Civil Engineering
Paper. There is only “ONE” optional subject to choose from the list of optional subjects which
are given below. It comprises of two papers each of 250 marks. So, the optional paper has total
500 marks. In UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam,Civil Engineering is one of the Optional Subjects
and consists of 2 papers. Each paper is of 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. Find below the
UPSC Syllabus for Civil Engineering Optional Subject.

Also Check : UPSC Mains Optional Subjects List

UPSC SYLLABUS
UPSC Mains Part B – Optional Subjects
Subject : Civil Engineering Main Examination Syllabus

UPSC MAINS CIVIL ENGINEERING PAPER – I SYLLABUS

1. Engineering Mechanics, Strength of Materials and Structural Analysis:

1.1 Engineering Mechanics: Units and Dimensions, SI Units, Vectors, Concept of Force, Concept
of particle and rigid body. Concurrent, Non Concurrent and parallel forces in a plane, moment
of force, free body diagram, conditions of equilibrium, Principle of virtual work, equivalent
force system. First and Second Moment of area, Mass moment of Inertia. Static Friction.
Kinematics and Kinetics: Kinematics in Cartesian Co-ordinates, motion under uniform and non-
uniform acceleration, motion under gravity. Kinetics of particle: Momentum and Energy
principles, collision of elastic bodies, rotation of rigid bodies.

1.2 Strength of Materials: Simple Stress and Strain, Elastic constants, axially loaded
compression members, Shear force and bending moment, theory of simple bending, Shear
Stress distribution across cross sections, Beams of uniform strength. Deflection of beams:
Macaulay’s method, Mohr’s Moment area method, Conjugate beam method, unit load method.
Torsion of Shafts, Elastic stability of columns, Euler’s Rankine’s and Secant formulae.

1.3 Structural Analysis: Castiglianio’s theorems I and II, unit load method of consistent
deformation applied to beams and pin jointed trusses. Slopedeflection, moment distribution,
Rolling loads and Influences lines: Influences lines for Shear Force and Bending moment at a
section of beam. Criteria for maximum shear force and bending Moment in beams traversed by

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a system of moving loads. Influences lines for simply supported plane pin jointed trusses.
Arches: Three hinged, two hinged and fixed arches, rib shortening and temperature effects.
Matrix methods of analysis: Force method and displacement method of analysis of
indeterminate beams and rigid frames. Plastic Analysis of beams and frames: Theory of plastic
bending, plastic analysis, statical method, Mechanism method. Unsymmetrical bending:
Moment of inertia, product of inertia, position of Neutral Axis and Principle axes, calculation of
bending stresses.

2. Design of Structures: Steel, Concrete and Masonry Structures:

2.1 Structural Steel Design: Structural Steel: Factors of safety and load factors. Riveted, bolted
and welded joints and connections. Design of tension and compression member, beams of built
up section, riveted and welded plate girders, gantry girders, stancheons with battens and
lacings.

2.2 Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures: Concept of mix design. Reinforced Concrete:
Working Stress and Limit State method of design– Recommendations of I.S. codes Design of
one way and two way slabs, stair-case slabs, simple and continuous beams of rectangular, T and
L sections. Compression members under direct load with or without eccentricity, Cantilever and
Counter fort type retaining walls. Water tanks: Design requirements for Rectangular and
circular tanks resting on ground. Prestressed concrete: Methods and systems of prestressing,
anchorages, Analysis and design of sections for flexure based on working stress, loss of
prestress. Design of brick masonry as per I.S. Codes

3. Fluid Mechanics, Open Channel Flow and Hydraulic Machines:

3.1 Fluid Mechanics: Fluid properties and their role in fluid motion, fluid statics including forces
acting on plane and curved surfaces. Kinematics and Dynamics of Fluid flow: Velocity and
accelerations, stream lines, equation of continuity, irrotational and rotational flow, velocity
potential and stream functions. Continuity, momentum and energy equation, Navier-Stokes
equation, Euler’s equation of motion, application to fluid flow problems, pipe flow, sluice gates,
weirs.

3.2 Dimensional Analysis and Similitude: Buckingham’s Pi-theorem, dimensionless

parameters.

3.3 Laminar Flow: Laminar flow between parallel, stationary and moving plates, flow through
tube.

3.4 Boundary layer: Laminar and turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate, laminar sub layer,
smooth and rough boundaries, drag and lift. Turbulent flow through pipes: Characteristics of
turbulent flow, velocity distribution and variation of pipe friction factor, hydraulic grade line
and total energy line.

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3.5 Open channel flow: Uniform and non-uniform flows, momentum and energy correction
factors, specific energy and specific force, critical depth, rapidly varied flow, hydraulic jump,
gradually varied flow, classification of surface profiles, control section, step method of
integration of varied flow equation.

3.6 Hydraulic Machines and Hydropower: Hydraulic turbines, types classification, Choice of
turbines, performance parameters, controls, characteristics, specific speed. Principles of
hydropower development.

4. Geotechnical Engineering:

Soil Type and structure – gradation and particle size distribution – consistency limits. Water in
soil – capillary and structural – effective stress and pore water pressure – permeability concept
– field and laboratory determination of permeability – Seepage pressure – quick sand
conditions – Shear strength determination – Mohr Coulomb concept. Compaction of soil –
Laboratory and field tests. Compressibility and consolidation concept – consolidation theory –
consolidation settlement analysis. Earth pressure theory and analysis for retaining walls,
Application for sheet piles and Braced excavation. Bearing capacity of soil – approaches for
analysis – Field tests – settlement analysis – stability of slope of earth walk. Subsurface
exploration of soils – methods Foundation – Type and selection criteria for foundation of
structures – Design criteria for foundation – Analysis of distribution of stress for footings and
pile – pile group action-pile load test. Ground improvement techniques.

UPSC MAINS CIVIL ENGINEERING PAPER -II SYLLABUS

Construction Technology, Equipment, Planning and Management:

1.1 Construction Technology: Engineering Materials: Physical properties of construction

materials with respect to their use in construction – Stones, Bricks and Tiles; Lime, Cement,
different types of Mortars and Concrete. Specific use of ferro cement, fibre reinforced C.C, High
strength concrete. Timber, properties and defects – common preservation treatments. Use and
selection of materials for specific use like Low Cost Housing, Mass Housing, High Rise Buildings.

1.2 Construction: Masonry principles using Brick, stone, Blocks – construction detailing and
strength characteristics. Types of plastering, pointing, flooring, roofing and construction
features. Common repairs in buildings. Principles of functional planning of building for residents
and specific use – Building code provisions. Basic principles of detailed and approximate
estimating – specification writing and rate analysis – principles of valuation of real property.
Machinery for earthwork, concreting and their specific uses – Factors affecting selection of
equipments – operating cost of Equipments.

1.3 Construction Planning and Management: Construction activity – schedules- organization

for construction industry – Quality assurance principles. Use of Basic principles of network –
analysis in form of CPM and PERT – their use in construction monitoring, Cost optimization and

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resource allocation. Basic principles of Economic analysis and methods. Project profitability –
Basic principles of Boot approach to financial planning – simple toll fixation criterions.

2. Surveying and Transportation Engineering :

2.1 Surveying: Common methods and instruments for distance and angle measurement for CE
work – their use in plane table, traverse survey, leveling work, triangulation, contouring and
topographical map. Basic principles of photogrammetry and remote sensing.

2.2 Railway Engineering: Permanent way – components, types and their functions – Functions
and Design constituents of turn and crossings – Necessity of geometric design of track – Design
of station and yards.

2.3 Highway Engineering: Principles of Highway alignments – classification and geometrical

design elements and standards for Roads. Pavement structure for flexible and rigid pavements
– Design principles and methodology of pavements. Typical construction methods and
standards of materials for stabilized soil, WBM, Bituminous works and CC roads. Surface and
sub-surface drainage arrangements for roads – culvert structures. Pavement distresses and
strengthening by overlays. Traffic surveys and their applications in traffic planning – Typical
design features for channelized, intersection, rotary etc – signal designs – standard Traffic signs
and markings.

3. Hydrology, Water Resources and Engineering:

3.1 Hydrology: Hydrological cycle, precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration,

overland flow, hydrograph, flood frequency analysis, flood routing through a reservoir, channel
flow routing-Muskingam method.

3.2 Ground water flow: Specific yield, storage coefficient, coefficient of permeability, confined
and unconfined equifers, aquifers, aquitards, radial flow into a well under confined and
unconfined conditions.

3.3 Water Resources Engineering: Ground and surface water resource, single and multipurpose
projects, storage capacity of reservoirs, reservoir losses, reservoir sedimentation.

3.4 Irrigation Engineering:

(i) Water requirements of crops: consumptive use, duty and delta, irrigation methods and their
efficiencies.
(ii) Canals: Distribution systems for canal irrigation, canal capacity, canal losses, alignment of
main and distributory canals, most efficient section, lined canals, their design, regime theory,
critical shear stress, bed load.
(iii) Water logging: causes and control, salinity.
(iv) Canal structures: Design of, head regulators, canal falls, aqueducts, metering flumes and
canal outlets.
(v) Diversion headwork: Principles and design of weirs of permeable and impermeable

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foundation, Khosla’s theory, energy dissipation.
(vi) Storage works: Types of dams, design, principles of rigid gravity, stability analysis. (vii)
Spillways: Spillway types, energy dissipation.
(viii)River training: Objectives of river training, methods of river training.
4. Environmental Engineering:

4.1 Water Supply: Predicting demand for water, impurities of water and their significance,
physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis, waterborne diseases, standards for potable
water.

4.2 Intake of water: Water treatment: principles of coagulation, flocculation and

sedimentation; slow-; rapid-, pressure-, filters; chlorination, softening, removal of taste, odour
and salinity.

4.3 Sewerage systems: Domestic and industrial wastes, storm sewage–separate and combined
systems, flow through sewers, design of sewers.

4.4 Sewage characterization: BOD, COD, solids, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and TOC. Standards
of disposal in normal watercourse and on land.

4.5 Sewage treatment: Working principles, units, chambers, sedimentation tanks, trickling
filters, oxidation ponds, activated sludge process, septic tank, disposal of sludge, recycling of
wastewater.

4.6 Solid waste: Collection and disposal in rural and urban contexts, management of long-term
ill effects.
5. Environmental pollution:

Sustainable development. Radioactive wastes and disposal. Environmental impact assessment

for thermal power plants, mines, river valley projects. Air pollution. Pollution control acts.

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