REVIEW – HYDRAULICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Base Units and Unit Pressures

Englis
Unit of Measure SI
h
𝑚𝑚 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓
Acceleration
𝑠𝑠 2 𝑠𝑠 2
Area 𝑚𝑚2 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 2
Energy N ·m
ft ·lb P: pressure gage
(Joules) Pabs: absolute pressure
Force Newton lb (If pressure is not specified, assume
Length m ft gage)
Mass kg Slug
Area Moment of Pabs = P + 1 atm
𝑚𝑚4
Inertia 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 4 1 atm = 14.7 psi = 101.3 kPa

Momentum 𝑚𝑚 lb·s The pressure head in meters of a

𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 ·
𝑠𝑠 specified fluid:
𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙
Power watts ft · 𝑷𝑷
𝑠𝑠 𝒉𝒉 =
𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝜸𝜸
Pressure Pa Given two fluids A and B, the pressure
𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 2
head is:
Time s s
𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑨𝑨
𝑚𝑚 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝒉𝒉𝑩𝑩 = 𝒉𝒉
Velocity 𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑩𝑩 𝑨𝑨
𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑠
Other Formula:
Volume 𝑚𝑚3 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 3 𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊ℎ𝑡𝑡
N ·m Unit weight: 𝛾𝛾 = = 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌
𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉
Work ft ·lb
(Joules) Density: 𝜌𝜌 =
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉
𝛾𝛾 𝜌𝜌
Specific Gravity: 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 = =
Manometers: 𝛾𝛾𝑤𝑤 𝜌𝜌𝑤𝑤

An instrument for measuring the pressure 𝑁𝑁 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘

𝛾𝛾𝑤𝑤 = 9810 𝜌𝜌𝑤𝑤 = 1000
acting on a column of fluid, especially 𝑚𝑚3 𝑚𝑚3
𝛾𝛾
one with a U-shaped tube of liquid. (For gases): 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 =
𝛾𝛾𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
𝑁𝑁
For a differential manometer, 𝛾𝛾𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 12
𝑚𝑚3
Typical Specific Gravity Values:
Freshwater = 1.0
Seawater = 1.03
Oil = 0.80
Mercury = 13.6

Relationship of density, pressure and

density for air and other gases.
𝑃𝑃 = ρRT
Where:
P = absolute pressure
ρ = density of gas
R = gas constant
T = temperature in Kelvin or Rankine

Σpressures, P = γh
Sample Problems:
1. One slug is equivalent to how many
kg?

2. What is the mass density of fresh

water in slugs per cubic foot?

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3. A body has a mass of 1.5 slugs in a P) at A and B is water and the specific
𝑚𝑚
place where 𝑔𝑔 = 9.81 2 , what is the mass gravity of mercury is 13.6.
𝑠𝑠
𝑚𝑚
in slugs where 𝑔𝑔 = 9.78 ?
𝑠𝑠 2

4. A liquid in a 1.31 m3 container has a

mass of 1345 kg.
a. What is its mass density?
b. What is its specific gravity?
c. What is its gravity force?

5. A reservoir of glycerine has a mass

of 1200 kg and a volume of 0.952 cu. M.
Find its:
a. weight
b. density
c. specific weight
d. specific gravity 13. Find the pressure at A.
e. specific volume

6. The specific gravity of certain oil

is 0.82. Calculate its:
a. specific weight in lb/ft3
b. specific weight in kN/m3
c. mass density in slugs/ft3
d. mass density in kg/m3

7. A volume of water weighs about 9.75N.

Calculate its mass in kilograms.
8. If an object has a mass of 22 kg at
sea level, what will be its weight at a
point where the acceleration due to
gravity is 9.75 m/s2? What will be its 14. Covert 98 gpm to cms.
mass at that point?
15. Oil is flowing in a 0.1 m Φ pipe at
9. A man weighs 70 kg. What is his 3.5 m/s.
weight in lb and in N? a. What is the discharge in cms?
b. Find the flow rate in mgd
10. The pressure gage in a given tank c. Find the weight flux in kN/s
reads 92 mmHg. Determine the equivalent
height of column of oil, sg = 0.84. 16. A gas is under pressure of 25 bar
absolute at 40 degree celcius.
11. CE Board May 1998. A pressure gauge a. Compute the pressure in kPa
at elevation 8m at the side of a tank b. Compute the gage pressure
containing a liquid reads 80 kPa. c. Compute the gas constant R in
Another gauge at elevation 3m. reads 120 m2/s2K if it has a unit weight of 360
kPa. Compute the following: N/m3
a. specific weight of the fluid
b. density of the fluid
c. specific gravity of the fluid

12. A U tube manometer measures the

pressure difference between two points A
and B in a liquid. The U tube contains
mercury (fluid Q). Calculate the
difference in pressure if h =1.5 m, h2 =
0.75 m and h1 = 0.5 m. The liquid (fluid

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Total Hydrostatic Pressures:
A. Plane Surfaces
� 𝑨𝑨
𝑭𝑭 = 𝜸𝜸𝒉𝒉
at c.p. (total hydrostatic pressure on
plane area A subjected to liquid)
The distance between the centroid (c)
and center of pressure (c.p.) along the
body is called eccentricity (e).
𝑰𝑰�
𝒆𝒆 =
𝑨𝑨𝒚𝒚�
� – distance of the centroid below the
𝒉𝒉
liquid surface on the vertical (m)
� – distance of the centroid below the
𝒚𝒚
liquid surface along the body (m)
𝑰𝑰� – moment of inertia of A with respect
to its centroidal axis (m4)
Sample Problems:
1. A triangular gate with a horizontal
base 1.2 m long and an altitude of 1.8 m
is inclined 45° from the vertical with
the vertex pointing upward. The hinged
horizontal base of the gate is 2.7 m
below the water surface.
a. Calculate the total force of the
water on the gate
b. How far is the said force from
the vertex measured along the gate?
c. What normal force must be applied
at the vertex of the gate to open it?
2. A vertical rectangular gate on the
face of the dam is 2 m wide and 4 m
high. The upper edge is 3 m below the
water surface.
a. Find the total force of water on
the gate
b. How far is the said force from
the bottom of the gate?
c. If the gate is hinged at top, how
much horizontal force applied at the
bottom is needed to open it?
3. From the liquid surface, determine
the distance of the center of pressure
of the following:
a. A triangle of base b and height d
as vertical and submerged in a liquid
with its vertex at the liquid surface.
b. A circular area of diameter d and
submerged in a liquid. Its upper edge
coincides with the liquid surface.
c. A vertical semi-circular area of
diameter d and radius r is submerged
and has its diameter in a liquid
surface.
4. Tank abcd is 2.4 m wide and 6 m
long.
a. Compute the magnitude of the force on
wall ab
b. Find the location of the force from
the bottom
c. Total force in the bottom of the
tank
B. Curved Surfaces
P = total hydrostatic pressure on a
curved surface
𝑃𝑃 = �𝑃𝑃ℎ 2 + 𝑃𝑃𝑣𝑣 2
𝑷𝑷𝒉𝒉 - horizontal component; total
hydrostatic pressure on plane area “A”
which is the projection of the curved
surface on the vertical
�A (projected area)
𝑷𝑷𝒉𝒉 = 𝜸𝜸𝒉𝒉
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Liquid above Surface

2. Curve “mn” shown is a quarter circle
with radius of 5 m. For a length of 3 m
perpendicular to the paper, determine:
a. The horizontal force acting on the
curve
b. The vertical force acting on the
curve
c. The total force on the curve

𝑷𝑷𝒗𝒗 - vertical component; weight of liquid

whose volume is traced by moving the
curve vertically upward until the liquid
surface (prolongation)
𝑷𝑷𝒗𝒗 = 𝜸𝜸𝜸𝜸𝜸𝜸𝜸𝜸

Liquid below Surface

Sample Problems:
1. The face of the 50-m long dam shown
is a quarter circle with radius 20 m.

a. Calculate the vertical component of

the force of water on the dam
b. Determine the angle of the
resultant force of water with respect
to the horizontal

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