Hull Analysis

This year, one of the greatest foci of team is the stability of canoe. Canoe is needed to calculate
whether it will tip over or remain in an upright position when placed in a water. The center of
buoyancy C may take different positions with respect to the center of gravity G depending on the
shape of the canoe and position in which it is floating. When the center of gravity G is above the
center of buoyancy C, it would appear that the canoe is unstable and could be flip over. When the
position of C and G after the canoe has taken a small angle of heel, the center of gravity C is in
the same position, and the center of buoyancy has moved outward of the center of gravity, thus
producing a right moment. A canoe having such characteristic is stable. The reason for the
change in the center of buoyancy for the canoe is that part of original buoyant volume is
transferred to a new buoyant volume. Because the buoyant center must move laterally. The point
of intersection of lines of action of the buoyant force before and after heel is called the
metacenter M, and the distance GM is called the metacentric height. If GM is positive, the canoe
is stable. If GM is negative, the canoe is unstable.
The metacentric height is
=

(Equation 1)

GM: the metacentric height

I: moment of inertia of the area
V: the total volume displaced
CG: is distance from the center of buoyancy to the center of gravity.
The team has three hull alternatives for concrete canoe. However, based on hull design and
structural analysis, hull alternative two is selected. From table 1 shows the stability number for
each hull alternative, and the hull alternative two are the most stable.
Alt. 1
Alt.2
Alt. 3
Stability number
8.0
8.1
7.7
Table 1: The Stability Number for Each Hull Alternative.
The concrete canoe team would performed its canoe analysis in Sap2000 to establish the
maximum stresses, the required concrete tensile and compressive strength, as well as an adequate
canoe thickness. Hand calculations were performed to determine the depth of water the canoe
would sit in, and to verify the SAP200 results as shown in Appendix B.
The concrete canoe was modeled in AutoCAD and then imported into SAP2000 to analyze the
stresses on the canoe. The analysis was divided into two different paddler loading cases: Case 1
is two people coupled with self-weight and the resulting buoyancy force. Conservative point of
180 lbs. for each paddler was placed at 4.2 feet and 16.8 feet from the bow for the two paddler
loading case. Case 2 is two additional point loads were placed at 8.4 feet and 12.6 feet from the
bow for the four paddler loading case. The maximum stresses for each case can be found in table
2 and 3.

The water pressure was computed using equation 2 below, and was determined to be 0.1625 psi
for case 1 with water depth of 4.38 inches and 0.1047 psi for case 2 with water depth of 2.9
inches.
=
Where:

(Equation 2)

is the density of water

g is the gravitational constant
h is the depth in the water
Case 1
Case 2
Max Compressive Stress (psi) 271 psi
139 psi
Max Tensile Stress (psi)
80.8 psi
54.4 psi
Table 2: Max Stress Results for Alternative 2

Case 1 gave the maximum compressive stress of 271 psi and the maximum tensile stress of 80.8
psi. Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 show case 2 and 3 respectively as analyzed in SAP2000 (Appendix B).
The SAP2000 results determined the design goals for strengths of the concrete mix are to be
greater than 80.8 psi for tensile strength and 271 psi for the compressive strength and determined
a 1 inch hull thickness was more than adequate for the canoe design. It is concluded that the
stresses on the canoe are low enough that only minimal reinforcement would be required to
account for temperature and shrinkage.
To assist in design a hull, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is also used to analyze how
the canoe moves in water. Specifically, the drag was calculated for the selected design. The
profile and length of the canoe are main constrains effecting drag on the canoe. When a canoe is
design properly, it allows water to be displaced ideally in the form of an airfoil, minimizing
turbulence. The formula used for drag can be found using equation 3, where Cd is drag
coefficient, is the density of water, V is velocity of water across the surface and A is the total
frontal area of the canoe. The results of these calculation are shown on figure 5.
Fd = 1/2 Cd V2A

(Equation 3)

In order to ensure the upmost quality of the canoe, the hull alternative two is analyzed using hand
calculations to ensure the loads, and the maximum stresses are reasonable as shown in Appendix
B.

Appendix B:

Figure 1: Compressive Stress Results for Case 1 of Alternative 2

Figure 2: Tensile Stress Results for Case 1 of Alternative 2

Figure 3: Compressive Stress Results for Case 2 of Alternative 2

Figure 4: Tensile Stress Results for Case 2 of Alternative 2

Drag (lb)

Drag
20.00
18.00
16.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
0

Speed (knots)

Figure 6: Drag Force versus Speed.

Hand Calculations:
Determine the stability number for hull alternative 2.
Step 1: Define variables
Volume V = 5.33 ft3, the unit weight of concrete canoe = 59.4 lb/ft3, thickness t = 1 in,
length L = 21 ft, width w = 26 in, and height h = 14 in
Step 2: Determine the depth of water that canoe submerged in water.
Apply force equilibrium
= 0
-Total Weight + buoyant force = 0
Weight of concrete canoe + Weight of 4 paddlers = buoyant force
( canoe).(Vcanoe) + (180 lb).(4) =( w).(Vsubmergence)
(5.33 ft3).(59.4 lb/ft3) + 720 lb = (62.4 lb/ft3).( 21 ft).(1 ft/ 12 in).(26 in)(d)
d = 4.38 in
Step 3: Determine the stability number.
=
=

3
12

263
12

(2112)

14

= (4.38)(2112)(26) ( 2

4.38
2

= 8.1 > 0
Because the metacentric height is positive, the hull alternative two will be stable.
Determine the stability number for hull alternative 3.
Step 1: Define variables
Volume V = 5.70 ft3, the unit weight of concrete canoe = 59.4 lb/ft3, thickness t = 1 in,
length L = 21ft, width w = 26 in, and height h = 14 in
Step 2: Determine the depth of water that canoe submerged in water.
Apply force equilibrium
= 0
-Total Weight + buoyant force = 0
Weight of concrete canoe + Weight of 4 paddlers = buoyant force
( canoe).(Vcanoe) + (180 lb).(4) =( w).(Vsubmergence)
(5.70 ft3).(59.4 lb/ft3) + 720 lb = (62.4 lb/ft3).( 21 ft).(1 ft/ 12 in).(26 in)(d)
d = 4.50 in

Step 3: Determine the stability number.

=
=

3
12

263
12

(2112)

14

= (4.50)(2112)(26) ( 2

4.50
2

= 7.7 > 0
Because the metacentric height is positive, the hull alternative three will be stable.
Determine the maximum stresses for the hull alternative two
Assumption:
- The concrete canoe is modeled as a two dimensional simply supported beam in static
equilibrium.
- The maximum moment occurred at the middle of the beam at 10.5 ft.
- Assumed the cross section at the maximum moment is rectangular with the thickness of
1.0 inch.
The concrete canoe is divided two main loading cases.
Case 1: Four paddler sit on the concrete canoe with the depth of water 4.38 inches as shown below

Step 1: Define variables

Thickness t = 1 inch, height = 14 inches, width w = 26 inches.
Step 2: Determine the neutral axis

1
2

261 +(141)1(

141
+1)2
2

261+(141)12

= = 4

= 4
= = 10

Step 3: Moment of Inertia

1

1
14 2
=
26 3 + 26 ( )2 + 2 ( (14 )3 + (14 ) (14 (
)) )
12
2
12
2
= 1005.3 in4
Step 4: Determine the maximum moment
Water pressure = (h is the water depth of 4.38 inches that the canoe submerged)

Water pressure = 62.4 3 4.38 12 = 22.776 2 = 0.158

w = water pressure * width
12
= 0.158 26
= 49.3 /
1

Take a cut at the center of the canoe.

= + 180 2. 1 + 180 (4.2 + 2.1 ) 49.3
= 1206 .

10.5
10.5
= 0

Step 5: Determine internal stresses.

12
1206 .
10

1
=
=
= 144 ()

1005.3 4
12
1206 .
(4)

1
=
=
= 57.6 ()

1005.3 4
Case 2: Two paddler sit on the concrete canoe

Step 1: Determine the depth of water that the concrete canoe submerged with two paddler.

Apply force equilibrium

= 0
-Total Weight + buoyant force = 0
Weight of concrete canoe + Weight of 2 paddlers = buoyant force
( canoe).(Vcanoe) + (180 lb).(2) =( w).(Vsubmergence)
(5.33 ft3).(59.4 lb/ft3) + 360 lb = (62.4 lb/ft3).( 21 ft).(1 ft/ 12 in).(26 in)(d)
d = 2.85 in
Step 3: Determine the maximum moment
Water pressure = (h is the water depth of 2.9 inches that the canoe submerged)

Water pressure = 62.4 3 2.85 12 = 14.82 2 = 0.103

w = water pressure * width
12
= 0.103 26 1 = 32.1 /
Take a cut at the center of the canoe.
= + 180 (10.5 4.2 ) 32.1
= 667.
Step 5: Determine internal stresses.

10.5
10.5
= 0

12
667 .
10

1
=
=
= 79.6 ()

1005.3 4
12
667 .
(4)

1
=
=
= 31.8 ()

1005.3 4