Hydrostatic Forces on Submerged

Surfaces
 Force on Submerged Plane Surface
• There is a normal force on the surface of a body
immersed in a fluid due to hydrostatic pressure.
• For a fluid at rest, this force must be perpendicular to
the surface
• The point of application of the resultant force is
termed as centre of pressure.
• We consider force due to gauge pressure.
 DAMS

GATES

STORAGE TANK
OPENING PIPE VALVES
General Plane Area Inclined To The Free
Surface Of The Liquid
z

h y
hR hc

yc

x
xc
 θ

h y
 • At any given depth h, force on dA is :
dF = γ h dA

• The magnitude of resultant force, FR is

FR   dF   h dA

  .(y. sin ).dA

FR   sin   y.dA   sin  (y c .A)

θ FR  h c A
h y

Pressure at the centroid of the Area, A

Point of Action : Centre of Pressure
Equating moment due to F and due to elemental
forces
FR y R   y.dF
θ
  y. (y. sin ).dA

  sin   (y 2 .dA)
 sin   (y 2 .dA )
yR  yR
FR

 .dA)
2
( y
yR 
y c .A
  .dA)
2
( y Ix
yR  
y c .A ycA
From parallel axis theorem, moment of inertia about an axis
parallel to centroidal axis is,

Ix
I x  I xc  Ay c2

Substituting in yR,
Ix
c
y
c
I xc
yR   yc
ycA
 I xc
yR   yc
ycA
hc
θ
hR
In terms of depth h, h
y

hR I xc sin  h c
 
sin  hc A sin 

I xc sin 2 
hR   hc
Ahc

Centre of pressure is below the centroid of the area

An isosceles triangular plate of base 5m and
altitude 5m is immersed vertically in an oil of
specific gravity 0.8. The base of the plate is 1m
below the free surface. Determine :

1. Hydrostatic force on one side of the plate

2. Location of Centre of pressure
 SOLUTION Free Surface
z x
1m θ = 90 1m
hc
In this case 5/3 m
plane of the area is vertical.
θ = 90 and sin θ = 1. 5m

y y
Centroid of the triangle is at 5/3 from the base.

So, location of centroid from the free surface, hc

h c  1  5 / 3  2.67m
 Free Surface
z x
1m 1m
hc
5/3 m
Pressure at the centroid
= γhc Centroid
5m
=0.8x 9810 x 2.67
= 22. 52 kPa
y y

Force on the plate

FR = γhc A
=0.8x 9810 x 12.5 A  0.5x5x5  12.5m 2
= 281.55 kN
 b=5m

Location of centre of pressure is given by

I xc sin 2 
hR   hc h= 5m
Ahc

I xc
hR   hc , I xc  bh 3 / 36  17.36 m 4
Ahc
Substituting, in the expression for hR ,
17.36
hR   2.67  3.17 m
12.96 x 2.67

h R  3.17 m from the free surface

 Free Surface
z x

hR Centroid
(h + 4) FH h
(b/2 , h/2)
h=8m
FR
4m
L
y y
b=3m
Hinge

Moments of forces about the hinge has to be same

FR x (h+ 4 - hR ) = F x 4
Moment about the shaft = FR x (yR - yc)
Assume :
1. The car door is sealed, no water
leaks in.
2. The pressure inside the cabin is
atmospheric
3. Assume that the door is of
rectangular shape
4. Neglect any buoyancy effects.

Ans : (1) 101.23 kN

(2) 8.61m from free surface
The 200 kg , 5m wide rectangular gate shown in figure is hinged at B
and leans against the floor making an angle of 45 0 to the horizontal.
The gate is to be opened from its lower edge by applying normal
force at its center. Determine the minimum force F, required to open
the water gate.