Mechanical Engineering Science 1: Fluid Mechanics

Tutorial 7 - Hydrostatic Forces

1. A masonry dam has a rectangular cross-section 6m high by 3m as shown in the figure below.
Assuming that the water in the reservoir is level with the top of the dam, calculate the magnitude
and position of the force per meter width of the dam due to water pressure on the dam face. If the
specific gravity of the masonry is 1.76, find the magnitude and the position and the magnitude
of the resultant force per meter on the base of the dam, due to water pressure and the weight of
the dam. Determine whether the dam is stable against overturning.

Figure 1: Question 5
d
Vertical Face: ⇒ h̄ = 2
Hydrostatic pressure force, F :

d
F = ρgAh̄ = ρgA
2

6
F = 103 × 9.81 × 6 × 1 ×
2

F = 176.6 kN per m width

Centre of Pressure, depth yp :

Ic
yp = h̄ +
Aȳ
where

bd3 1 × 63
Ic = = = 18 m2
12 12

6 18
yp = + =4 m
2 6×1×3
Therefore the hydrostatic pressure force, F = 176.6 kN/m and acts at a depth, yp = 4 m
Weight of dam, W :

W = 1.76 × 103 × 9.81 × 6 × 3 = 310.8kN/m

Resultant Force, R:
√
R= F2 + W2

√
R= 176.62 + 310.82 = 357.4 KN/m

Angle, θ:
µ ¶
−1 W
θ = tan
F
µ ¶
−1 310.8
θ = tan = 60.4◦
176.6
Position on base:

x0 = 2 × tan(90 − 60.4) = 1.136

x = 1.5 − 1.136 = 0.36 m

Clockwise turning about 0, overturning moment:

Mclockwise = 176.6 × 2

Mclockwise = 353.2 kN m/m

Anticlockwise turning about 0, righting moment:

Manticlockwise = 310.8 × 1.5

Manticlockwise = 466.2 kN m/m

Answer: The righting moment is greater than the overturning moment and therefore the dam
is stable.

2. The face of a dam is vertical to a depth of 6m below the water surface and then slopes at an
angle of 30◦ to the vertical. If the depth of the water is 15m, specify completely the resultant
force per meter run acting on the face of the dam.
Can either solve for F by method A or B as below:
Method A

H = ρgAȳ

Where ȳ is the depth of the centroid of projected face vertically.

d 6+9
H = ρgA = 103 × 9.81 × 15 × 1 ×
2 2

⇒ H = 1103.63 kN/m

2
yf = × d = 10 m
3
V = Weight of volume of fluid above sloped surface

V = ρgv

V = 103 × 9.81 × [(5.2 × 6) + (0.5 × 9 × 5.2)] = 535.63 kN/m

√ √
R= V 2 + H2 = 535.632 + 1103.632 = 1226.74 kN/m

µ ¶ µ ¶
−1 V −1 535.63
α = tan = tan
H 1103.63

⇒ α = 25.89◦

x00 H
=
5 V

1103.63
⇒ x00 = × 5 = 10.3 m
535.63
Taking the Moments about point A

5.2 5.2
V x 0 = v1 × + v2 ×
2 3
µ ¶ µ ¶
9 0 9 × 5.2 5.2
6+ × 5.2 × x = (6 × 5.2) × 2.6 + ×
2 2 3

⇒ x0 = 2.23 m

x0 + x00 = 12.53 m

Answer: Therefore the resultant force is 1226.74kN per meter width of the dam, acting at an
angle of 25.89◦ to the horizontal, at 12.53m from point A, toe of the dam.
Method B

F1 = ρgAz̄ = 103 × 9.81 × 6 × 1 × 3 = 176.6 kN/m

2 2
y F1 = · z̄ = · 6 = 4 m
3 3
µ ¶
3 9
F2 = ρgAz̄ = 10 × 9.81 × 10.4 × 1 × 6 + = 1071.25 kN/m
2

Ic bd3 1 1 d2
yF2 = ȳ + = ȳ + · · = ȳ +
Aȳ 12 bd ȳ 12ȳ
µ ¶
10.4 10.42
y F2 = 6.93 + + ¡ 10.4
¢ = 12.87 m
2 12 × 6.93 + 2

⇒ y 0 = 10.4 + 6.93 − 12.87 = 4.46 m

Horizontal Force

F2H = F2 cos30◦ = 1071.25 × 0.866 = 927.73 kN/m

Vertical Force

F2V = F2 sin30◦ = 1071.25 × 0.5 = 535.625 kN/m

Total Horizontal Forces

FH = F1 + F2H = 176.6 + 927.73 = 1104.3 kN/m

Total Vertical Forces

FV = F2V = 535.63 kN/m

Resultant Force
 q √
R= FH2 + FV2 = 1104.32 + 535.632 = 1226.74 kN/m

µ ¶ µ ¶
−1 FV −1 535.63
α = tan = tan = 25.89◦
FH 1104.3

To find where R acts, take moments about A:

F1 × 11 + F2 × y 0 = R × z

176.6 × 11 = 1071.25 × 4.46 = 1226.74 × z

⇒ z = 5.48 m

z 5.48
x= = = 12.55 m
sinα sin25.89
Answer: This is the same answer as Method A