Fluid Mechanics

Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic

University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
CE 241

Lecture 4

Hydrostatic Pressure Forces

on Plane Surfaces

1
 Outline
 Hydrostatic pressure distribution;
 Pressure forces on plane surfaces of constant widths;

 Pressure forces on plane surfaces of variable widths;

 Pressure forces on curved surfaces;

 Pressure forces on submerged bodies

Curved surfaces

Constant width Variable width

plane surfaces plane surfaces

Applications of hydrostatic
forces on plane surfaces
 Design of swimming pools;
 Design of hydraulic structures such as:
 Gates;
 Dams;
 Weirs;
 Spillways;
 Harbor births

2
 Pressure Distribution-Exercise 1
 It is required to draw the pressure
distribution for the shown swimming pool

d2
d2

Pressure Distribution-Exercise 1
 It is required to draw the pressure
distribution for the shown swimming pool

d1
d2

gwd1 gwd1
gwd2
gwd2

3
 Hydrostatic pressure forces on
constant width plan surfaces
In order to identify the force,
we need to know:
Its Magnitude;
Its Direction;
d Its Point of action (CP)
Fp
d/3

Fp = 0.5 x gwd x d x b
gwd
Fp = 0.5 gwd2 b

Hydrostatic pressure forces on constant

width plan surfaces-Exercise 2

It is required to Calculate the pressure forces on

surfaces: AB, EF and CD Knowing that d1 and d2 are
1 and 2.5m respectively.
F A

d1
d2
C B
gwd1 gwd1
E D
gwd2
gwd2

4
 Applications of hydrostatic
forces on plane surfaces
What force is necessary to hold the hatch
in place?

Hydrostatic forces on plane

surfaces
 To define the force, we need
 Magnitude
 Direction
 Line of Action

 Easiest is direction
 – What do you think?
 – Why?

5
 Hydrostatic force on an inclined
irregular plane surface - Magnitude

p  gy sin 
F   p dA F x
A
dA
  g y sin  dA
A y
y
 g sin   y dA ycp
A Centroid
Center of pressure
F  (g y sin  ) A
F p Ag h A
F  Press. at Centroid * Area

Hydrostatic force on a plane

surface - Note
The net pressure
force on the plane,
submerged surface
is:

FR  patm A  g  h dA  p
A
atm A

FR  g h A  p A Liquid Atmosphere

6
 Center of pressure on an inclined
plane surface -Line of action of F
 Does the resultant force pass through the
center of gravity?
 NO! Lies below centroid, since pressure
increases with depth
 Moment of the resultant force must equal the
moment of the distributed pressure force:
F ycp   y d F
A
F ycp   g sin  y 2 dA
A

Line of Action of Force

F ycp   y d F
A
F ycp   (g y 2 sin  ) dA p  gy sin 

A F x
ycp (g y sin  A)  g sin  I 0 dA
ycp ( yA)  I  y A
2
y
y
I
ycp  y  ycp
yA Centroid
Center of pressure

7
 Line of Action of Force – Center
of Pressure
 The location of the center of pressure is
independent of the angle 
 The center of pressure is always below the
centroid
 As the depth of immersion increases, the c.o.p.
approaches the centroid

Moment of Inertia for Common

Shapes

8
 Exercise 3
A rectangular gate (6m  4m) is F  pA  (gy sin  ) A
hinged at A and supported by a  9810 * (3  3 cos 30) * (4 * 6)
stopper as shown. Find the reaction  1,318,000 N

at the hinge neglecting the weight of

the gate I 4 * 63 / 12
RA ycp  y  
yA (6.464 * 24)
 0.4641 m

M  0
6  6 R A  (3  0.4641) F
3  0.4641
3-0.4641
RA  F
6
F  (0.42265)1318 kN
R A  557.05 kN