Chapter 2.

FLUID STATICS

Pressure Prism Method

• Draw the pressure loading diagram, or pressure prism,

directly on the plane surface.
• The total force equals the volume of the pressure prism.
• The line of action is at the centroid of the pressure prism.

h1 1
p1 = γ h1
F

h2 F

p 2 = γ h2 C.G. p1 = γ h 1
C.G. of prism
of prism

2 α p2 = γ h 2 w l = length
l w = width
α

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

From the figure:

• The total force equals: γh1 + γh2

F = ∀p = ( ) (l)(w)
2
• The location of the line of action is at the centroid of the
pressure prism.
γh1
Fy = F1 y1 + F2 y 2
F γ(h 2 − h 1 )
(∀ p )y = (γh 1lw )y1 + ( lw )y 2
y1 2
F2
F1 y1 + F2 y 2
y y =
γ (h2 − h1 ) ∀p
γh2 y2
l
l
y1 = l
2
2
y2 = l
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Class examples:
What is the force required to hold the gate closed?
Neglect the gate weight. Solve by using the cent of
pressure formula and check by the pressure prism
method.
pivot 60°
4γ 4’ cg prism
cg gate
4 / sin60°= 4.61

8sin60° =6.93
F
y = 8.6'

yp = ?
8’

10. 93 γ

R= ?
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Method No. 1: Center of Pressure

A = 8(5) = 40 ft 2
y = 8 / 2 + 4 / sin 60° = 8.61 ft
I 213
yp = y + = 8.61+ =
yA 8.61(40)
= 8.61+ .617∴ yp = 9.227 ft

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Pressure:

Force on gate = F = p avg A = p A

4 γ + 10 .93 γ lb .
p = = 7 .47 γ = 7.47 (62 . 4 ) = 465
2 ft . 2
F = p A = 465 (8) (5 ) = 18 , 620 lb.
Take moments about the pivot

+ ∑ MH = 0: 18 , 620 ( 4.617 ) − R(8 ) = 0

R = 10 , 750
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Method No. 2: Pressure Prism Method

F=?
resultant yp
force F ′
F2 F1
4′
Force Magnitude Arm Moment 6.93 γ 2/ 3x8′

4.0' +640 γ 4γ
F1 4 γ (8)(5) = 160 γ
8′
F2 6.93 + 0 16' /3 +740γ
(γ )(5)(8) R
2
= 138.6 γ
R = ? 8 −8R

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

+ ∑ MH = 0: − 8R + 640 γ + 740 γ = 0
1380
R= (62 .4 ) = 10 , 750 lb.
8
Find where the resultant force F acts by moments about the
pivot
+640 γ + 740 γ = Fy p

+1380 γ = (160 + 138 .6 ) γ y p

1380 γ
yp = = 4.61 7 ′
298 .6 γ
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Class examples:

(a) (b)

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Class examples:

(c) (d)

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Class examples:

oil

X
H 2O

What would happen if a hole were here?

(e) (f)

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Example C: Determine the magnitude and location of the hydro-

static pressure force acting on one side of the vertically placed
triangle shown. Use center of pressure method.

x
+
yp
S = 0.82
y
6m
cp

xp

10m

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Force Components on Curved Surfaces

The pressure force at any point A

on the curved surface AB is a
function dF1 dA h5
(p = γh) of the depth below the dF2
dF3
free surface. B
y dF4

Consider the force at the level, dF5

h 5 , below the free +
X
surface: dF5 = γh5dA γ fluid
dFn
dF5 can be resolved into
components dFx ,dFy
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

The total force on the surface is: F ≅ ∑ dFi

i
Therefore,

F ≅ ∑ dFi = lim
dA→0 ∫ dF = ∫ dFx + ∫ dFy .
i

The simplest way to analyze forces on curved surfaces is

to consider the horizontal and vertical components
separately.

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Horizontal Forces

The horizontal force on a curved surface A-B equals

the force produced on a vertical projection ( A ′ − B ′ ) of
the curved surface subjected to the hydrostatic
pressure. Calculation proceeds as in the plane surface
analysis.
A′
A

vertical projection

cg

Fx
B
hB B ′
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Vertical Forces

The vertical force on a curved surface is equal to

the weight of the volume of liquid that stands (or would
stand) between the curved surface and the free surface.
The location of this force is A
through the centroid of the
virtual volume. The total force cg
is found by vector addition
F = Fx + Fy
A

Fx Fy
F
B B
Fy

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Example B: Determine the magnitude and location of the hydro-

static pressure force acting on the ellipsoidal gate shown below.
b.
min.

F
4m
2.5m x a.
Hinge maj.
H2 O
2m

π π
A= ab, Ix = a3b
4 4
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Example D: The width of the surface is six feet into the figure.
Find: The resultant force on the surface A-B
Solution: Analyze by resolving into horizontal and vertical
components.

3 ft
WATER
C A
3
ft
6 ft gate width
B

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Horizontal Force: Force on vertical projection of curve.

3γ A

FH 3 ft.

6γ B
FH = Volume of Pr essure Pr ism
3γ +6γ FH
FH = ( ) (3)(6 ) = ( 4 .5 γ )(18 ) = 81(62 .4 ) = 5050 lb = →
2
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Vertical Force: Weight of water between the shape and free

surface. Break volume into known shapes:

Fv1

A
Fv 2

Vol 1 = (3 )(3)(6 )γ = 54 γ lbs = Fv 1 B

2
Vol 2 = 1 / 4[ π(3 ) ]6 γ = .785 (9)(6 )(γ ) = 42 .4 γ lbs = Fv 2
Fv = Fv1 + Fv2 = ∀ p γ = (54 + 42.4)(62.4)
Fv = 6000 lb ↓
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Resultant Force: Vector sum of FH and FV

5050

6000 θ F 2 2
F= 6 + 5 .05 (1000 ) = 7842 .35 lb.
5 .05
Tan θ = = .842
6 .0
θ = 40 °

Acts through the center of gate curve, i.e. C’

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Example E (2.12 pg. 52):

Find For a 1 meter length of cylinder, determine the weight

of the cylinder and the force against the wall.
Solution:
A Analysis Concept:

Let’s break the curved

m
2

D
r=

B surface up into its

simplest non-compound
surfaces and then calcul-
C
ate the components of
Fx and Fy on each surface
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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Horizontal forces

vertical
projectio
A

FAB + 2γ + 2γ
B D
2γ B
FBC FCD
C C
4γ 4γ

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

2γ →
FAB = ∀ AB γ = (2)(1) = 19 ,600 N
2
2γ + 4γ →
FBC = ∀ BC γ = ( )(2)(1) = 58 ,836 N
2
2γ + 4γ ←
FCD = ∀ CD γ = ( )(2)(1) = 58 ,836 N
2
→
Fx = FAB + FBC + FCD = 19 ,600 N

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Vertical forces
FAB FBC
1
FCD
1
A

+ B
+ D
B FBC
2 FCD
2

C C
A
=
Net Virtual Volume
B D ∀ ABCD

2 74 C
 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Vertical forces continued

 2 
2 2 πr
Fy = ∀ ABCDγ = γ (πr ) + (r − )  (1) = 131,562 N↑
 4 

The location of the line of action is through the

centroid of ∀ ABCD. It is easier to locate the
centroids and forces of the elementary shapes
forming ∀ ABCD than it is to determine the single
value location.

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

Example: Sketch the pressure prism on the gate

A B

A
(a) (b)

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

A
A

(c) (d)

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 Chapter 2. FLUID STATICS

A B

oil

(e) water

mercury

(f)

(g)
2 78