1. Explain briefly the various methods of concrete curing?
Curing is the process of maintaining the moisture and temperature conditions for freshly deployed concrete. This is done for small duration of time to allow the hardening of concrete. The methods that are involved in saving the shrinkage of the concrete includes:
☛ (a) Spraying of water: on walls, and columns can be cured by sprinkling water.
☛ (b) Wet covering of surface: can be cured by using the surface with wet gunny bags or straw
☛ (c) Ponding: the horizontal surfaces including the slab and floors can be cured by stagnating the water.
☛ (d) Steam curing: of pre-fabricated concrete units steam can be cured by passing it over the units that are under closed chambers. It allows faster curing process and results in faster recovery.
☛ (e) Application of curing compounds: compounds having calcium chloride can be applied on curing surface. This keeps the surface wet for a very long time.
2. Do you know what are the different type of slump test indications?
Slump tests are performed to empirically measure the workability of fresh concrete. It is used to measure the consistency of the concrete. In general there are three different types of slumps that occur in slump tests. They are as follows:
► True Slump
► Shear Slump
► Collapse Slump
True Slump: This type of slump is characterized by the general drop of the concrete mass evenly without visible signs of deterioration or disintegration.
Shear Slump: It indicates that the concrete mix is deficient in cohesion. This type of slump leads to segregation and bleeding. Henceforth in the long run effecting the durability of the concrete.
Collapse Slump: This type of slump is indicates that the mix of concrete is simply too wet. The mix is considered to be harsh and lean.
3. Tell me why are pull-out tests performed for soil nails?
Pull out tests are performed for primarily the following reasons:
☛ In order to detect and the verification of the bond strength among the soil and the grout adopted during the design of soil nails. This is considered to be as the primary objective of performing pull out tests for soil nails.
☛ For the detection of any slippage or occurrence of creeps.
☛ To detect the elastic and deformations (plastic) of any of the test nails employed. Observations are made during the loading and unloading cycles of the soil nails repetitively.
☛ To achieve the perfect balance the test nails should always be loaded so that the ultimate soil/grout mixture with an upper limit of 80%.
4. Do you know what are your weaknesses for Construction site supervisor position?
Try not to be too critical when answering this question. Instead, pick one of your weaknesses and try to turn it into a positive.
For example, you could be a perfectionist, which means that you sometimes take longer on tasks, but you make sure that they are completed to a high quality. It is important to make a negative into a positive as it doesn't make you appear overly critical and shows you can reflect on your own performance.
5. Explain me your salary requirements?
Find out what the salary is for the job is that is possible ahead of time. If there is no salary posted then do some research. Find out what the market is paying and what you are worth. Make a reasonable salary offer based on this information. Do your best to avoid making a salary offer if you can. You can ask the employer if they have a salary range they plan to pay the person in this position.
6. Tell me a time you had to introduce important change in your last job?
Your ability to persuade and influence your employees or team members to accept change is key.
Show how you were able to gain support and commitment from them by using the appropriate communication style, by listening and responding to concerns and questions, by asking for their help and commitment and by providing support.
7. Tell me how do you go about dealing with bad employees?
Companies are looking to hire supervisors who understand that not every employee is perfect and to see how they handle a bad fit. Show them that you are encouraging and don't give up easily.
"I wish I could tell you that I've never experienced an employee who wasn't the right fit. But, that's not the case. In almost every job I've had, there's been at least one questionable hire. Because they were hired in the first place, it shows that we saw something in them that may not be shown at work. I start by scheduling a meeting with them to see what the issue may be. Many times it's not work related, just that personal issues are being brought into the work place. In that situation we work out a plan on how they should improve and I let them know that, while we are rooting for them they need to step up their game. In other cases where the employee doesn't seem to care at all about the job or they are getting noticed for not working hard, I will either request that they retake the training or that we part ways."
8. Do you know what are the steps involved in the concreting process, explain?
The major steps involved in the process of concreting are as follows:
1. Batching
2. Mixing
3. Transporting and placing of concrete
4. Compacting.
☛ Batching: The process of measurement of the different materials for the making of concrete is known as batching. batching is usually done in two ways: volume batching and weight batching. In case of volume batching the measurement is done in the form of volume whereas in the case of weight batching it is done by the weight.
☛ Mixing: In order to create good concrete the mixing of the materials should be first done in dry condition and after it wet condition. The two general methods of mixing are: hand mixing and machine mixing.
☛ Transportation and placing of concrete: Once the concrete mixture is created it must be transported to its final location. The concrete is placed on form works and should always be dropped on its final location as closely as possible.
☛ Compaction of concrete: When concrete is placed it can have air bubbles entrapped in it which can lead to the reduction of the strength by 30%. In order to reduce the air bubbles the process of compaction is performed. Compaction is generally performed in two ways: by hand or by the use of vibrators.
9. Explain under what circumstances should pot bearings be used instead of elastomeric bearings?
Pot bearings are preferred over elastomeric bearings in situations where there are chances of high vertical loads in combinations of very large angle of rotations. Elastomeric bearings always require a large bearing surface so that a compression is maintained between the contact surfaces in between the piers and the bearings. This is not possible to maintained in high load and rotation environment. Also the usage of elastomeric bearings leads to the uneven distribution of stress on the piers. This results in some highly induced stresses to be targeted at the piers henceforth damaging them. Due to the above reasons pot bearings are preferred over elastomeric bearings in such cases.
10. Explain why is the use of granular sub-base in concrete carriageways not preferred?
Some of the reasons why granular sub-base is not preferred in concrete carriageways:
☛ Sub bases are permeable and hence water can seep through them easily. The soil particles get pumped out through the joints on the application of traffic loads. This results in the creation of voids underneath the pavement structure. This leads to the weakening of the concrete surface and it can crack easily upon intense traffic loads.
☛ Instead if lean concrete is used for carriageways it greatly increases the strength of the roads and the load carrying capacity of the roads is increased.
☛ Sub-bases implementation requires a lot of workmanship which can lead to an un-uniform distribution of the sub-base. This can lead to the cracking of the carriageway when there is severe traffic loading.
11. Do you know the mechanism of cavitations in pipes and drains?
The formation of air bubbles in a fluid due to low pressure conditions lower than the saturation pressure is known as cavitations. This is considered to be a high potential damage condition where the strength and durability of the pipes can be greatly reduced. Cavitation works on the principle of Bernoulli's Equation. When fluids are at high velocities the pressure head of fluids reduce accordingly. But since the fluid pressure is lower than the saturation pressure the dissolved gases get released from the flowing fluid. These air bubbles suddenly collapse on entering a region of high pressure. This leads to the damage of the pipelines as a high level of dynamic pressure is created.
12. Explain why did you leave your last job?
Whatever the situation was from your previous job, you should always answer this question with a positive and enthusiastic response. If the reason for leaving your last job was redundancy, then you should talk about how your company had to restructure, instead of focusing on your own personal situation.
Under no circumstances should you criticise your previous employer, as this will appear unprofessional.
13. Explain me your supervisory style?
When answering supervisor interview questions around your personal supervisory style remember that there is no wrong or right supervisory style.
The only criteria is that it should be appropriate to the situation. Your ability to adapt your style to the demands of the person you are dealing with, the task at hand and the circumstances is key to success as a supervisor. Provide examples of how you have had to adapt your supervisory style to meet different needs.
14. Tell us what is most important for your store to run effectively?
Being a leader requires you to spend time developing your team and helping them work well together. Think about the things you like to see from your employees and from your own manager.
"The biggest thing that makes my stores run is teamwork. I truly believe that hiring the right people who work well together will give you an edge on the competition. We let our employees know that no one is too good for any tasks and that we are all working together to make the store a success. You can even find me washing the floors if we are short handed or busy. This type of environment encourages everyone to work hard and gives them a sense of pride in their work. "
15. Tell me how do you encourage your team?
Keeping your employees motivated is a major role of a supervisor. The interviewer is trying to see if your employees will respond to you and your encouragement. Use examples to show how your ideas have improved the workplace.
"I've always found great success with mini-competitions. I keep them small enough so that's there's no hard feelings, but big enough that the employees will work hard. For example, last Black Friday we held a contest to see who could have the most sales by the end of the day. The winner received a mini-spa day for all their hard work. This actually resulted in our most profitable Black Friday to date and the employees really got into it. It was the first time that no one really complained about working the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, they have requested to do more contests like that one. We've also done group contests. For example, we found that Wednesdays were our slowest days, so I gave them all a goal of raising Wednesday sales by three percent. If they did, they would each get a gift card to a local restaurant. It only took about three weeks for them to meet the goal. "
16. Tell me what do you understand by "preset" during the installation process of bridge bearings?
During the installation of bridge bearings the size of the upper plates is reduced to save the material costs. This process is known as preset. Generally the upper bearing plate comprises of the following components:
☛ Length of bearing
☛ 2 x irreversible movement.
☛ 2 x reversible movement.
The bearing initially is placed right in the middle point of the upper bearing plate. No directional effects of irreversible movement is considered. But since the irreversible movement usually takes place in one direction only the displaced direction is placed away from the midpoint. In such cases the length of the upper plate is equal to the length of the length of the bearing + irreversible movement + 2 x reversible movement.
17. Tell me in case if concrete box girder bridges how is the number of cells determined?
When the depth of a box girder bridge exceed 1/6th or 1/5th of the bridge width then the design recommended is that of a single cell box girder bridge. But in case the depth of the bridge is lower than 1/6th of the bridge width then a twin-cell or in some cases multiple cell is the preferred choice. One should also note that even in the cases of wider bridges where there depths are comparatively low the number of cells should be minimized. This is so as there is noticeably not much improvement in the transverse load distribution when the number of cells of the box girder is higher than three or more.
18. Tell me why is propping required for long structures once the formwork is removed?
Once the process of concreting is performed the striking of the formworks should be done as soon as possible as delay in this process can lead to the discoloration of the concrete structures. In case of long structures particularly long span structures once the structures have attained enough strength to support themselves it is essential to provide them with propping as creep deflection can take place which can greatly reduce the integrity of the structure. Due to the above mentioned reasons propping should be done after the removal of formwork. Also the props should not be made to stand long as it can lead to overstress for the structures.
19. Tell me what would you like to be doing five years from now?
The safest answer contains a desire to be regarded as a true professional and team player. As far as promotion, that depends on finding a manager with whom you can grow. Of course, you will ask what opportunities exist within the company before being any more specific: "From my research and what you have told me about the growth here, it seems operations is where the heavy emphasis is going to be. It seems that's where you need the effort and where I could contribute toward the company's goals." Or, "I have always felt that first-hand knowledge and experience open up opportunities that one might never have considered, so while at this point in time I plan to be a part of [e.g.] operations, it is reasonable to expect that other exciting opportunities will crop up in the meantime."
20. Explain about a time you had to coach an employee to perform a task?
Coaching and developing others is part of the supervisor function. Supervisor interview questions about the development of employees should include your ability to agree on the outcomes and methods of coaching with the employee, to explain and demonstrate task performance, to observe and provide constructive feedback.
21. Explain how do you go about solving conflict between team members?
Not everyone on your team will get along, and how you solve conflicts will reflect the type of manager you will be. The interviewer is looking to see if you can handle your employees bickering.
"While I've never had a very serious issue with employees not getting along, I have seen what happens when people on your team do not seem to work well together. If it's something small, like a work miscommunication, I will call them both into my office and we will hash it out. I've see that type of resolution work well. But, if it's something bigger, like personal drama, I usually approach them separately and ask that they leave any personal issues at the door. Then, I make note to not schedule them in the same shift. I keep my time and my employee's time at work as professional as possible."
22. What is equilibrium reinforcements?
This type of reinforcements are required where several anchorages exist where the prestressing loads are applied in a sequential manner.
23. Tell me why concrete barriers have curved surface profiles?
The concrete safety fencings are made to contain vehicles in their carriageway being travelled so as to reduce the chances of rebounding into the roads leading to more hazards. In the case of normal fencings upon vehicle crashes the fencings give away so as to absorb as much energy as possible henceforth reducing the impact on the vehicles. But in the case of concrete barriers their purpose is not to absorb energy of vehicles crashing into the barrier but to retain them. They have a curved design so as to allow the vehicles that hit them to slightly go up on the barrier but not overturn. They also prevent the vehicle from again getting back on the road by rebounds. This helps in vastly reducing the chances of other vehicle hazards.
24. Explain bout a short term plan you developed for your department/team/group?
These supervisor interview questions explore your ability to plan and organize. Your interview answer should demonstrate your ability to set priorities, establish objectives and milestones, schedule activities and plan proper use of resources.
Some of the most common arrangements of wing walls in cases of bridge arguments are as follows:
☛ Wing walls parallel to abutments: This method is considered to take least amount of time to build and is simple as well. But on the downside this method is not the most economical. The advantage of this type of design being that they cause the least amount of disturbance to the slope embankment.
☛ Wing walls at an angle to abutments: This design method is considered to be the most economical in terms of material cost.
☛ Wing walls perpendicular to abutments: The characteristic of this design is it provides an alignment continuous with the bridge decks lending a support to the parapets.
