Chapter 3: Hydrostatic Forces on
submerged surfaces
By: Arjun Gautam
Course Contents
3. Hydrostatic Forces on submerged surfaces
- Introduction
- Total pressure and centre of pressure (horizontal,
vertical and inclined plane and curve surfaces)
- Pressure diagram (horizontal, vertical and inclined
plane and curve surfaces)
- Computation of pressure forces on gates, dams,
head water tank and other hydraulic structures
(plane and curve)
PRESSURE ON SUBMERGED SURFACE
• Total pressure and center of pressure
• Total pressure is the force exerted by a static fluid on a surface (either plane
or curved) when the fluid comes in contact with the surface.
• Since for a fluid at rest no tangential force exists, the total pressure acts in the
direction normal to the surface.
• The point of application of the total pressure on the surface is known as
center of pressure.
• The center of pressure is always expressed in terms of depth from the liquid
surface
Total Pressure on a Horizontal Plane Surface:
- Consider a plane surface immersed in a static mass of
liquid of [Link]. =ϓ such that it is held in horizontal
position at a depth h below the free liquid surface.
Since every point of the surface is at a same depth
below the free liquid surface, the pressure intensity is
constant over the entire plane surface being equal to
- Pressure intensity over the entire surface p = ϓ h
Where, p = pressure intensity
ϓ = specific weight of liquid
h = depth of the plane from the free
surface of the liquid
A = total surface area The direction of this force is normal to
the surface, as such it is acting towards
the surface in the vertical downward
Total pressure (P) = p A = (ϓ h) A --------- (1) direction at the centroid of the surface
= ϓAh