3.

Static forces on surfaces

3.1 Introduction

Pressure = Force/Area

When fluid pressure acts on a solid boundary, the force, δF, exerted on a
small element of area A is pδA, and since the fluid is at rest, this force
will act at right angles to the boundary or plane at the point under
consideration.

1
 A

F

The resultant force R = Sum of forces on all elements of area

= p1 δA1 + p2δA2+ … + pnδAn

The resultant force acts at right angles to the plane through a

point called the centre of pressure.

2
3.2 Resultant force and centre of pressure

Resultant force and centre of pressure on a horizontal surface under

uniform pressure

The pressure p on a plane horizontal surface in a fluid at rest will be the

same at all the points, and will act vertically downwards at right angles to
the surface. If the area of the plane surface is A,
Resultant force = pA

It will act vertically downwards and the centre of pressure will

be the centroid of the surface.

3
Resultant force and centre of pressure on a plane surface totally
immersed in a liquid

The figure shows a plane surface of area A totally immersed in a liquid

of density  inclined at an angle  to the free surface. Considering one
side only, there will be a force due to fluid pressure p acting on each
element of area δA. The magnitude of p will depend on the vertical depth
h of the element below the free surface.

4
Taking pressure at free surface as zero,
The force on each element of area, δA = pδA
= ghδA
The resultant force due to uniformly increasing hydrostatic pressure can
therefore be evaluated by summing all the forces on all such elements
over the whole surface:
The resultant force would be given by:
R = ghcgA
Where hcg is the depth of the centroid below the free surface.

From the above equation, it can be concluded that the resultant force due
to uniformly increasing hydrostatic pressure can most simply be
evaluated by imagining the pressure at the centroid to extend uniformly
over the whole area and computing the force accordingly.

5
The point of application, ycp, of the resultant force

The point of application of the resultant force would be the center of

pressure and it would not coincide with the centroid of the area.
The center of pressure would be given by:
I cg
ycp = ycg + Ay cg

Where Icg is the second moment of area about the centroid.

So, knowing the centroid, the resultant force and the center of
pressure can be calculated.

6
 d 2
Area, A = bh A= A=
bh
2 4
d 4
Icg = bh12 Icg = Icg =
3
bh 3
36 64

7
Summary to this part:

The resultant force would be given by:

R = ghcgA

Where hcg is the depth of the centroid below the free surface.

The center of pressure, where R would act, would be given by:

I cg
ycp = ycg + Ay cg

Another way of obtaining same results (in certain specific cases only)

The resultant force and center of pressure can be found graphically for
walls and other surfaces of constant vertical height for which it is
convenient to calculate the horizontal force exerted per unit width.

8
Example:

Consider the vertical wall of a tank containing a liquid.

y
p=gy
2/3 H

R
Liquid
density,  P

B C

gH

Pressure diagram

The pressure at y is gy. There is a linear relationship between p and y

which can be represented by the triangle ABC. The area of this triangle

9
would be the product of depth and pressure and would represent the
resultant force R.

Area of pressure diagram = ½ AB × BC

= ½ H × gH
Therefore, the resultant force, R = gH2/2.

R would act through the centroid P of the pressure diagram which at a

depth of 2/3 H from A.

Principles of Moments
The turning effect of a force is known as the moment.

It is the product of the force multiplied by the perpendicular

distance from the line of action of the force to the pivot or point
where the object will turn.

10
E.g:

SMALL MOMENT LARGE MOMENT

The distance from the fulcrum to the line The distance from the fulcrum to the line
of action of force is very small of action of force is large

11
Principle of Moments

The principle of moments states that when in equilibrium the total

sum of the anti clockwise moment is equal to the total sum of the
clockwise moment.

When a system is stable or balance it is said to be in equilibrium as

all the forces acting on the system cancel each other out.

In equilibrium

Total Anticlockwise Moment = Total Clockwise Moment

12
Clockwise moment is a moment which is in clockwise direction
around the pivot. Anticlockwise moment is a moment which is in
anticlockwise direction around the pivot.

E.g of a system in equilibrium:

13
A couple is a pair of forces, equal in magnitude but opposite in
direction, whose lines of motion do not coincide.
•Will still rotate as there is a net moment
•As forces are equal and opposite, resultant force is zero and so
there is no linear acceleration

Torque(Moment of a couple) is the product of one of the forces

and the perpendicular distance between their lines of action of the
forces.
Τ = r×F
•Can take moment from any point

14
Problem 1
The tank shown below is 2 m wide into the paper. Neglecting
atmospheric pressure, find the resultant hydrostatic force and its location
on panel BC. Determine the position of the centre of pressure.

15
Resultant force on BC, R = ghcgA
hcg= (3 + 3/2) m = 4.5 m
A = 5x2 = 10 m2
Therefore, R = 1000x10x4.5x10 = 450 kN
I cg
ycp = ycg + Ay cg

16
Problem 2
A 60-cm square gate has its top edge 12 m below the water surface. It is
on a 450 angle and its bottom edge is hinged as shown in Fig. below.
What force P is needed to just open the gate?

17
Solution:

18
Problem 3
The 4-m-diameter circular gate is located in the inclined wall of a large reservoir
containing water ( =9.80 kN/m3). The gate is mounted on a shaft along its
horizontal diameter, and the water depth is 10 m above the shaft.
Determine
(a) the magnitude and location of the resultant force exerted on the gate by the
water and
(b) the moment that would have to be applied to the shaft to open the gate.

19
(a)Resultant force, R = ghcgA
= 1000 x 9.81 x 10 x 4
= 1.23MN
Location:
I
ycp = ycg + Ay
cg

cg

d
=4 m4
4

Icg = 64

ycp = (10/sin600) + 4/(4 x ycg)

=11.63 m
 Location of center of pressure along gate
below the shaft = 0.087 m.
(b) Moment = R x 0.87 Nm

20
Force on curved surface due to hydrostatic pressure

If a surface is curved, the forces produced by fluid pressure on the small

elements making up the area will not be parallel and, therefore, must be
combined vectorially.

It is therefore convenient to calculate the horizontal and the vertical

components of the resultant force and simplify the curved surface into a
horizontal and a vertical surface.

Situation 1:

In the figure below, AB is the immersed surface and Rh and Rv are the
horizontal and vertical components of the resultant force R of the liquid
on one side of the surface, lying above the immersed surface.

21
Since the liquid is in equilibrium;
The resultant force P on AC = Rh , the horizontal component of the force
exerted by the fluid on AB, because there are no other horizontal forces
acting.

Also, for equilibrium, P and Rh must act on the same horizontal line and
Rh would act through the center of pressure of the projection of AB on a
vertical plane.

AB can be projected on this

E D
vertical plane. O will be at
the same height as that of the
B centroid of the vertical plane
C
G
P Rh
O
θ

R
A Rv

22
The vertical component of R would be entirely due to the weight of the
fluid in the area ABDE lying vertically above AB.

Therefore, Rv = Weight of fluid vertically above AB and would act

vertically downwards through the center of gravity G of ABDE.

The resultant force will be given by:

R = √(Rh2 + Rv2) and it will act through O at an angle θ = Rv/Rh.

23
Situation 2:

E D

θ B
C

Rh P
O

R
F
A Rv

24
Since the system is in equilibrium, the horizontal component R h is equal
to the resultant force P on the projection BF of the curved surface AB on
a vertical plane and acts through the center of pressure of this projection.

If space AB were removed and the space ABDE filled with the liquid,
this liquid would be in equilibrium under its own weight and the vertical
force in the boundary AB.

Therefore,
Vertical component, Rv = weight of the volume of the same fluid which
would lie vertically above AB.

Again the resultant force will be given by:

R = √(Rh2 + Rv2) and it will act through O at an angle θ = Rv/Rh.

25
26
Example 1
A sluice gate consists of a quadrant of a circle, AB, of radius 1.5 m pivoted at its
centre O, as shown in fig. 1. Its centre of gravity is at G. When the water is level
with the pivot O, calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant force, R,
on the gate due to the water and the turning moment required to open the gate.
The width of the gate is 4 m and it has a mass of 8000 kg.

27
 1.5 m

B
O
W 0.6 m
G
0.6 m Water 1.5m

Answer
Horizontal component of force, RH, on gate = ghcgA
= 1000×9.81×075×4×1.5
= 44145 N
Vertical component of force, RY, on gate = Equivalent weight of

28
 water above gate
= ¼ ××1.52×4×1000×9.81
= 69343 N
Resultant, R = (683432 + 441452)
= 82.2 kN

Direction,  = tan-1 (69343/44145)

= 57.50

Moment required to open the gate = 0.6 ×8000×9.81 (Since R passes through
origin)
= 47.1 kNm

Example 2

29
 Water

6m A

2m

Gate

A 3-m-long curved gate is located in the side of a reservoir containing

water as shown in Fig. above. Determine the magnitude of the horizontal
and vertical components of the force of the water on the gate. Calculate
the magnitude of the resultant force on the gate and explain the direction
in which this force will pass through it.

30