TOTAL HYDROSTATIC FORCE ON

PLANE SURFACES
DERIVATION OF FORMULAS
LOCATION OF HYRDROSTATIC FORCE
EXAMPLES
𝐹 = 𝛾 ℎത 𝐴 𝐼𝑔
𝑒=
𝐴𝑦ത
2
ℎത = d 2
3 𝑦ത = ℎത = 𝑑
1 3
𝐴 = 𝑏𝑑 1
2 𝑏𝑑 3
𝑒= 36
2 1 1 2
𝐹 = 𝛾 ⨯ 𝑑 ⨯ 𝑏𝑑 𝑏𝑑
3 2 2 3𝑑
1
𝑒= 𝑑
𝑭 12
𝟏
= 𝜸𝒃𝒅𝟐
𝟑 𝑦𝑝 = ℎത + 𝑒

2 1
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑑 + 𝑑
3 12

𝟑
𝒚𝒑 = 𝒅
𝟒
𝐹 = 𝛾 ℎത 𝐴 𝐼𝑔
1 𝑒=
ℎത = d 𝐴𝑦ത
2 1
𝑦ത = ℎത = 𝑑
𝐴 = 𝑏𝑑 2
1
1 𝑏𝑑 3
𝐹= 𝛾 𝑑 𝑏𝑑 𝑒= 12
2 1
𝑏𝑑 2 𝑑
1
𝑭 𝑒= 𝑑
6
𝟏
= 𝜸𝒃𝒅𝟐
𝟐
𝑦𝑝 = ℎത + 𝑒
1 1
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑑 + 𝑑
2 6

𝟐
𝒚𝒑 = 𝒅
𝟑
𝐹 = 𝛾 ℎത 𝐴 𝐼𝑔
𝑒=
ℎത = 𝑟 𝐴𝑦ത
𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 1 4
𝜋𝑟
𝐹 = 𝛾 𝑟 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑒= 42
𝜋𝑟 𝑟
1
𝟑 𝑒= 𝑟
𝑭 = 𝜸𝝅𝒓 4

𝑦𝑝 = 𝑟 + 𝑒
1
𝑦𝑝 = 𝑟 + 𝑟
4

𝟓
𝒚𝒑 = 𝒓
𝟒
HYDROSTATIC FORCE
ON
CURVED SURFACES
 CASE 1:

LIQUID IS ABOVE
THE
CURVE SURFACE
 D C

dFy 
dAx dA  Fy
dF
dAy h 
dFx dF , P

C
CP
Fx B

Consider then the forces acting on the differential element shown in the figure
 Vertical Component

Rule #1:
  The vertical component of pressure
dF  PdA force on a curved surface is equal to

 hdA the weight of liquid vertically above
dF  hdA the curved surface and extending up
y x to the free surface or its extension.
but hdA  d
x
F    dV
y The line of action of this force is a
F  V ( acting downward ) long the center of mass of the fluid
y volume and act downward.
where :

 = unit weight of liquid

V  volume
 Horizonal Component:
Rule #2:
The horizontal component of pressure
dF   h dA force on a curved surface is equal to the
x y
 F    h dA pressure force exerted on the horizontal
x y
projection of the curved surface onto a
 F  h A  yA
h vertical plane normal to the component.
where :
The line of action is determined from the
 = unit weight of liquid plane surface formula
I
h = y is the depth of liquid above
y  y
cp yA
where :
thecenroid of the submerged area
I = is the second moment of the projected
A = area
area along the centroidal axis

A = projected area
 Total Hydrostatic Force

R  ( Fh ) 2  ( Fv ) 2

Direction of F

Fv
tan  
Fh
 EXAMPLE:
1. What is the force P needed to keep the gate from falling?

SOLUTION:

W  V

 ( 6 ) 2 (18)
W  ( 62.4 )( )
4

W  31757.7 lb
Horizontal Component: Moment at H
M
Fh  h A H 0

Fh ( 2 )  P ( 6 ) W ( 4 r )  0
 62.4 ( 3)(6 )(18) 3
4(6)
Fh  20217.6 lb  20217.6 ( 2 )  31757.7 ( ) P (6)
3

P  20217.59 lb
2. The tank in the figure is 3m wide into the paper. Neglecting atmospheric
pressure, compute the following. Use 9.79 kN/m3 as unit weight of water. r=5m
Find: Horizontal force, Vertical force, Resultant force and Angle that the resultant
makes with the horizontal
SOLUTION:

Weight
W  V

 ( 5 ) 2 ( 3)
W  ( 9.79 )( )
4

W  576.679 kN
Horizontal Component Vertical Component

Fh  h A Fv  V  W

9.79 ( 6.5 )(5 )(3) 9.79 ( 4 )(5 )(3)  576.679

Fh  954.5 kN Fv  1164.079 kN

Magnitude: Direction:
Fv
R  Fv2  Fh2 tan  
Fh
 (1164.079 ) 2  ( 954.5 ) 2
  tan 1 ( 1164.079 )
954.5
R  1505.37 kN
  50.6
 Case II

Liquid is below the curved surface

* The vertical component of the hydrostatic force is going
upward and equal to the volume of the imaginary liquid
above the surface.
 Example Problem
The gate shown is a quarter circle
2.5 m wide. Find the force F just
sufficient to prevent rotation about
hinge B. Neglect the weight of the
gate.
 Solution:
𝐹𝐻 = 𝛾 ℎത 𝐴
*Where ℎത is the depth of liquid above the centroid of the
submerged area
𝐹𝐻 =9.81(1)(2.5)(2)
𝐹𝐻 =49.05 kN

𝐹𝑣 = 𝛾𝑉𝐴𝐵𝐶
𝐹𝑣 =9.81[(2)(2)-0.25π(2)2 ](2.5)
π(𝑟)2
𝐹𝑣 =21.05 kN Area of a quarter circle =
4
Solve for z and x
Since the surface is circular,
Σ𝑀𝑜 = 0 due to 𝐹𝐻 and 𝐹𝑣
2
𝐹𝑣 (z)= 𝐹𝐻 (3)
z=1.55 m
x=2-z=2-1.55
x=0.45 m
Σ𝑀𝐵 = 0
2
𝐹𝐻 (3)+ 𝐹𝑉 𝑥 − 𝐹 2 = 0
2
2F = 49.05(3)+21.05(0.45)

F=21.09kN
TOTAL HYDROSTATIC
FORCES ON CURVED
SURFACES

Case III
• Determine the magnitude of the horizontal and vertical components of the total
force per meter length acting on the three-quarter cylinder gate shown
𝐹𝐻 𝐹𝑉
• The cylindrical tank shown has a hemispherical end cap. Compute the horizontal
and vertical components of the total force due to oil and water acting on the
hemisphere.
 𝑉𝑂 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝐹𝑉𝑊
𝑉𝑂 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑓 𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 − = 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒
1 + 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒
𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒
4
DAMS
• Dams are structures that block the flow of a river, stream or
other waterway. Some dams divert the flow of river water into
a pipeline, canal or channel. Others raise the level of inland
waterways to make them navigable by ships and barges.
Many dams harness the energy of falling water to generate
electric power. Dams also hold water for drinking and crop
irrigation and provide flood control.
Purpose of dams
 Dams are built for the following puposes:
• Irrigation and drinking water
• Power supply(hydroelectric)
• Navigation
• Flood control
• Multi purposes
Types of dams
• Gravity dams
use only the force of gravity to resist water pressure-
that is, they hold back the water by the sheer force of their
weight pushing downward. To do this gravity dams must consist
of a mass so heavy that the water in a reservoir cannot push the
dam downstream or tip it over.
• Embankment dam
gravity dam formed out of loose rock, earth or a
combination of these materials. The upstream and downstream
slopes of embankment dams are flatter than those of concrete
gravity dams. In essence, they more closely match the natural
slope of a pile of rocks or earth .
• Arch dams
concrete or masonry structures that curve upstream into
a reservoir, stretching from one wall of a river canyon to the
other. Arch dams require a relatively narrow river canyon with
solid rock walls capable of withstanding amount of significant
amount of horizontal thrust.
• Buttress dam
CONSIST OF A WALL, OR FACE, SUPPORTED BY
SEVERAL BUTTRESSES ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE. THE
VAST MAJORITY OF BUTTRESS DAMS ARE MADE OF
CONCRETE THAT IS REINFORCED WITH STEEL.
BUTTRESS DAMS ARE SOMETIMES CALLED HOLLOW
DAMS BECAUSE THE BUTTRESSES DO NOT FORM A
SOLID WALL STRETCHING ACROSS A RIVER VALLEY.
Analysis of gravity dams
 Steps of solution
• Step 1
Consider 1 unit length (1 m length) of dam
perpendicular to the cross section.
• Step 2
Determine all the forces acting:
A. Vertical forces
1.Weight of the dam=𝑊
2. Weight of water in the upstream side (if any)=𝐹𝑣
3. Hydrostatic uplift=𝑈
4. Weight of permanent structures on the dam
 B. Horizontal forces
1. Horizontal component of total hydrostatic force=𝐹𝐻
2. Wind pressure, wave action, floating bodies, earthquake load,
etc.
• Step 3
Solve for the reaction
A. Horizontal component of the reaction
𝑹𝒙 = σ 𝑭𝑯
B. Vertical component of the reaction
𝑹𝒚 = σ 𝑭𝒗
• Step 4
Moment about the toe
A. Righting moment,𝑅𝑀
𝑅𝑀=Sum of all rotation towards the upstream side
B. Overturning moment,𝑂𝑀
𝑂𝑀=Sum of all rotation towards the downstream side
• Step 5
Location of 𝑅𝑦 as measured from the toe
𝑹𝑴−𝑶𝑴
𝒙=
𝑹𝒚
 FACTors of safety
• Factor of safety against sliding, 𝐹𝑠𝑠
𝝁𝑹𝒚
𝑭𝒔𝒔 = > 𝟏. 𝟎
𝑹𝒙
• Factor of safety against overturning, 𝐹𝑠𝑜
𝐑𝐌
𝐅𝐬𝐨 = > 𝟏. 𝟎
𝐎𝐌
Where 𝜇=coefficient of friction between the base of the dam and
the foundation.
 Foundation Pressure
• For 𝑒 ≤ 𝐵Τ6
from combined axial and bending stress formula:
𝑃 𝑀𝑐
𝑞=− ± 𝑐 = 𝐵 Τ2
𝐴 𝐼
𝑅𝑦 (𝑅𝑦 𝑒)(𝐵Τ2)
𝑃 = 𝑅𝑦 𝑞=− ±
𝐵 𝐵3 /12
𝑅𝑦 6𝑅𝑦 𝑒
𝑀 = 𝑅𝑦 𝑒 𝑞=− ±
𝐵 𝐵2
1(𝐵)3
𝐼=
12
𝐑𝐲 𝟔𝐞
𝐪=− 𝟏± , where 𝐞 ≤ 𝐁Τ𝟔
𝐁 𝐁
• Note: use (+) to get the stress at point 𝑅𝑦 is neareast. IN the
diagram shown above, use (+) to get 𝑞𝑇 and (-) to get 𝑞𝐻 . A
negative stress indicates compressive stress and a positive
stress indicates tensile stress.

• Since soil cannot carry any tensile stress, the result is invalid
if the stress is positive . This will happen if 𝑒 > 𝐵Τ6.
• When 𝑒 > 𝐵Τ6
𝑥 = 𝑎 Τ3
𝑎 = 3𝑥
𝑅𝑦 = 1Τ2 (𝑎)(𝑞𝑒 )(1)
𝑅𝑦 = 1Τ2 (3𝑥)(𝑞𝑒 )

𝟐𝑹𝒚
𝒒𝒆 =
𝟑𝒙
Example: