HYDRAULICS

Hydrostatic Forces on Surfaces

- Total Hydrostatic Pressure on Plane Surfaces
- Forces on Submerged Plane Surfaces Semi-Graphical Approaches
- Forces on Submerges Curved-Surfaces

TOTAL PRESSURE on Plane Surfaces

The total hydrostatic pressure on any plane surface is equal to the product of the area
of the surface and the unit pressure at the center of its gravity.

A vertical plane submerged in a liquid

! = #$
Where p= uniform pressure & A= area.
In an inclined plane submerged in a liquid at an angle !, to solve for the total Force “F” we will
consider an elementary strip of the area dA, in a horizontal element the pressure is uniform in the
given Area:

ENGR. VERNA LIZA MANINANG- BERMIDO MODULE in Hydraulics

Instructor 1|PAGE
 !" = $ !&
Where: $ = '( ( = ) *+, -
$ = ' ) *+,-
!" = ' ) *+, -
. !/ = ' ) *+, - !&
By Integration
" = ' *+, - . ) !& 0(1 020&3 451**651 7, &8

BUT:

" # %& = ()(*+, )- ./*. -/)( ,ℎ* %*-1+1,1)+ )- 2. 4.

ENGR. VERNA LIZA MANINANG- BERMIDO MODULE in Hydraulics

Instructor 2|PAGE
CENTER OF PRESSURE

Any plane surface subjected to hydrostatic pressure it is subjected to infinite number of

parallel forces in which the magnitude varies with depth. All of the parallel force can be
replaced by a single resultant P or F, where it acts at the center of pressure. If the “TOTAL
Hydrostatic Pressure on any surface were applied at the center of pressure it will produce
the same effect if we consider a free body with distributed pressure.

ENGR. VERNA LIZA MANINANG- BERMIDO MODULE in Hydraulics

Instructor 3|PAGE
Sample Problems:

Water stands on one side of the vertical gate, the gate as shown in the figure. Find by
integration the total pressure on each gate and the location of the center of pressure.

Consider the strip

%& = ' ) %* + = & %* %& = 'ℎ %*

+ = ' - ) %*
23
+ = 9.81 ∗ - ) %*
4!
!
23
+ = 9.81 ! ∗ - ) ∗ 1.2 %)
4 "
23 )#
+ = 9.81 ! ∗ 1.24 ∗ 7 8 9:;4 0 =; 3
4 2
! = #$. &' )*

ENGR. VERNA LIZA MANINANG- BERMIDO MODULE in Hydraulics

Instructor 4|PAGE
Find for the center of pressure

+ ?& = - ) %&
= ∫ ) (' ) %*)
%* = 1.2 %)
= ' (1.2 4) - ) # %)
23 )!
= 9.81 ! ∗ 1.24 7 8 9:;4 0 =; 3
4 3
105.95 23. 4
?& = = 2.0 4
(52.97 4)

ENGR. VERNA LIZA MANINANG- BERMIDO MODULE in Hydraulics

Instructor 5|PAGE