Detailed Syllabus Breakdown (Code 398)

UNIT I: Building Materials and Construction Practices

• Properties of Engineering Materials: Brick, Stone, Aggregates, Cement, Concrete, Steel, Timber, Plastics, Composites, Geosynthetics.
• Construction Practices: Brick Masonry, Stone Masonry, Types of Floors, Roofs, Doors, Windows, Ventilators.
• Plastering, Pointing, Painting, Varnishing, Damp Proofing, Termite Proofing.
• Scaffolding, Shoring, Underpinning, Formwork.

UNIT II: Engineering Survey

• Surveying Basics: Chain Surveying, Compass Surveying, Plane Table Surveying.
• Leveling: Levels and Staves, Differential Leveling, Reciprocal Leveling, Contouring.
• Theodolite & Tacheometry: Measurement of Angles, Tacheometric Constants, Analytic Lens.
• Modern Surveying: Total Station, GPS, GIS, Remote Sensing (Basics).
• Curves: Simple, Compound, Reverse, and Transition Curves.

UNIT III: Strength of Materials

• Stress and Strain: Hooke's Law, Elastic Constants, Principal Stresses and Strains, Mohr's Circle.
• Bending & Shear: Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams (SFD & BMD), Theory of Simple Bending.
• Torsion: Torsion of Circular Shafts, Power Transmission.
• Deflection: Slope and Deflection of Beams (Macaulay's Method, Moment Area Method).
• Columns: Euler's and Rankine's Formulas.

UNIT IV: Structural Analysis

• Indeterminate Beams: Propped Cantilevers, Fixed Beams, Continuous Beams.
• Energy Methods: Strain Energy, Castigliano's Theorems.
• Matrix Methods: Stiffness and Flexibility Matrix Methods.
• Arches & Suspension Bridges: Three-Hinged and Two-Hinged Arches.
• Moving Loads and Influence Lines.

UNIT V: Geotechnical Engineering

• Soil Classification: Three-Phase System, Index Properties, Soil Classification Systems (IS).
• Soil Hydraulics: Permeability, Darcy's Law, Seepage Analysis, Flow Nets.
• Consolidation & Shear Strength: Terzaghi's Theory, Mohr-Coulomb Failure Theory.
• Foundation Engineering: Bearing Capacity (Terzaghi's & IS Methods), Pile Foundations, Earth Pressure Theories (Rankine & Coulomb).

UNIT VI: Environmental Engineering and Pollution Control

• Water Supply: Water Demand, Sources, Quality Standards, Treatment (Sedimentation, Filtration, Disinfection).
• Wastewater Engineering: Sewerage Systems, Characteristics of Sewage, Treatment (Activated Sludge Process, Trickling Filters, Septic Tanks).
• Pollution Control: Air Pollution (Sources, Effects, Control), Noise Pollution, Solid Waste Management.

UNIT VII: Design of Reinforced Concrete, Prestressed Concrete, and Steel Structures

• RCC Design (LSM & WSM): Beams, Slabs (One-way & Two-way), Columns, Footings.
• Prestressed Concrete: Materials, Pre-tensioning vs Post-tensioning, Losses in Prestress.
• Steel Structures: Connections (Riveted, Bolted, Welded), Tension Members, Compression Members, Beams, Plate Girders, Roof Trusses.

UNIT VIII: Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering

• Fluid Mechanics: Properties of Fluids, Fluid Statics, Buoyancy, Fluid Kinematics, Bernoulli's Equation.
• Flow in Channels: Open Channel Flow, Hydraulic Jump, Weirs and Notches.
• Pumps & Turbines: Centrifugal Pumps, Reciprocating Pumps, Pelton, Francis, and Kaplan Turbines.
• Hydrology: Rainfall, Runoff, Hydrographs, Groundwater Hydrology.
• Irrigation: Crop Water Requirements, Canal Design, Dams and Spillways.

UNIT IX: Urban and Transportation Engineering

• Highway Engineering: Geometric Design (Cross Section, Sight Distances, Super Elevation), Pavement Design (Flexible & Rigid), Traffic Engineering.
• Railway Engineering: Permanent Way, Sleepers, Ballast, Points and Crossings.
• Airport & Harbour: Runway Design, Zoning Laws, Docks and Harbours.
• Urban Planning: Zoning, Town Planning Concepts.

UNIT X: Project Management and Estimating

• Construction Management: PERT and CPM, Network Analysis, Crashing of Networks.
• Estimation: Types of Estimates, Analysis of Rates, Specifications.
• Valuation: Depreciation, Sinking Fund, Valuation Methods.
• Contracts and Tenders.

Note: This syllabus corresponds to Subject Code 398 for Degree Standard. Candidates should refer to official TNPSC notifications for any minor amendments.