REVIEW – HYDRAULICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Base Units and Unit Pressures

Englis
Unit of Measure SI
h
𝑚 𝑓𝑡
Acceleration
𝑠2 𝑠2
Area 𝑚2 𝑓𝑡 2
Energy N ·m P: pressure gage
ft ·lb
(Joules) Pabs: absolute pressure
Force Newton lb (If pressure is not specified, assume
Length m ft gage)
Mass kg Slug
Area Moment of Pabs = P + 1 atm
𝑚4
Inertia 𝑓𝑡 4
1 atm = 14.7 psi = 101.3 kPa

Momentum 𝑚 lb·s The pressure head in meters of a

𝑘𝑔 ·
𝑠 specified fluid:
𝑙𝑏
Power watts ft · 𝑷
𝑠 𝒉=
𝑙𝑏 𝜸
Pressure Pa Given two fluids A and B, the pressure
𝑓𝑡 2
head is:
Time s s
𝑺𝑮𝑨
𝑚 𝑓𝑡 𝒉𝑩 = 𝒉
Velocity 𝑺𝑮𝑩 𝑨
𝑠 𝑠
Other Formula:
Volume 𝑚3 𝑓𝑡 3 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
N ·m Unit weight: 𝛾 = = 𝜌𝑔
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
Work ft ·lb
(Joules) Density: 𝜌 =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
𝛾 𝜌
Specific Gravity: 𝑆𝐺 = =
Manometers: 𝛾𝑤 𝜌𝑤

An instrument for measuring the pressure 𝑁 𝑘𝑔

𝛾𝑤 = 9810 𝜌𝑤 = 1000
acting on a column of fluid, especially 𝑚3 𝑚3
𝛾
one with a U-shaped tube of liquid. (For gases): 𝑆𝐺 =
𝛾𝑎𝑖𝑟
𝑁
For a differential manometer, 𝛾𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 12
𝑚3
Typical Specific Gravity Values:
Freshwater = 1.0
Seawater = 1.03
Oil = 0.80
Mercury = 13.6

Relationship of density, pressure and

density for air and other gases.
𝑃 = ρRT
Where:
P = absolute pressure
ρ = density of gas
R = gas constant
T = temperature in Kelvin or Rankine

Σpressures, P = γh
Sample Problems:
1. One slug is equivalent to how many
kg?

2. What is the mass density of fresh

water in slugs per cubic foot?

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3. A body has a mass P) at A and B is water and the specific

𝑚
of 1.5 slugs in a place where 𝑔 = 9.81 2 , gravity of mercury is 13.6.
𝑠
what is the mass in slugs where 𝑔 =
𝑚
9.78 2 ?
𝑠

4. A liquid in a 1.31 m3 container has a

mass of 1345 kg.
a. What is its mass density?
b. What is its specific gravity?
c. What is its gravity force?

5. A reservoir of glycerine has a mass

of 1200 kg and a volume of 0.952 cu. M.
Find its:
a. weight
b. density
c. specific weight 13. Find the pressure at A.
d. specific gravity
e. specific volume

6. The specific gravity of certain oil

is 0.82. Calculate its:
a. specific weight in lb/ft3
b. specific weight in kN/m3
c. mass density in slugs/ft3
d. mass density in kg/m3

7. A volume of water weighs about 9.75N.

Calculate its mass in kilograms.
8. If an object has a mass of 22 kg at
sea level, what will be its weight at a
14. Covert 98 gpm to cms.
point where the acceleration due to
gravity is 9.75 m/s2? What will be its
mass at that point? 15. Oil is flowing in a 0.1 m Φ pipe at
3.5 m/s.
9. A man weighs 70 kg. What is his a. What is the discharge in cms?
weight in lb and in N? b. Find the flow rate in mgd
c. Find the weight flux in kN/s
10. The pressure gage in a given tank
reads 92 mmHg. Determine the equivalent 16. A gas is under pressure of 25 bar
height of column of oil, sg = 0.84. absolute at 40 degree celcius.
a. Compute the pressure in kPa
11. CE Board May 1998. A pressure gauge b. Compute the gage pressure
at elevation 8m at the side of a tank c. Compute the gas constant R in
containing a liquid reads 80 kPa. m2/s2K if it has a unit weight of 360
Another gauge at elevation 3m. reads 120 N/m3
kPa. Compute the following:
a. specific weight of the fluid
b. density of the fluid
c. specific gravity of the fluid

12. A U tube manometer measures the

pressure difference between two points A
and B in a liquid. The U tube contains
mercury (fluid Q). Calculate the
difference in pressure if h =1.5 m, h2 =
0.75 m and h1 = 0.5 m. The liquid (fluid

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 REVIEW – HYDRAULICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

a. Calculate the total force of the

water on the gate
Total Hydrostatic Pressures: b. How far is the said force from
A. Plane Surfaces the vertex measured along the gate?
c. What normal force must be applied
at the vertex of the gate to open it?

2. A vertical rectangular gate on the

face of the dam is 2 m wide and 4 m
high. The upper edge is 3 m below the
water surface.
a. Find the total force of water on
the gate
b. How far is the said force from
the bottom of the gate?
c. If the gate is hinged at top, how
much horizontal force applied at the
bottom is needed to open it?
𝑭 = 𝜸𝒉̅𝑨
at c.p. (total hydrostatic pressure on 3. From the liquid surface, determine
plane area A subjected to liquid) the distance of the center of pressure
The distance between the centroid (c) of the following:
and center of pressure (c.p.) along the a. A triangle of base b and height d
body is called eccentricity (e). as vertical and submerged in a liquid
̅𝑰 with its vertex at the liquid surface.
𝒆= b. A circular area of diameter d and
𝑨𝒚 ̅
submerged in a liquid. Its upper edge
̅
𝒉 – distance of the coincides with the liquid surface.
350-mm
centroidriser pipe the
below c. A vertical semi-circular area of
eliquid surface on the diameter d and radius r is submerged
vertical (m) and has its diameter in a liquid
𝒚̅ – distance of the surface.
3.6 m centroid below the
liquid surface along the 4. Tank abcd is 2.4 m wide and 6 m
body (m) long.
𝑰̅ –
b c
a. Compute the magnitude of the force on
moment water wall ab
of 1.8 m b. Find the location of the force from
the bottom
c. Total force in the bottom of the
inertia of A with respect to its tank
a
centroidal axis (m4)
d
B. Curved Surfaces
P = total hydrostatic pressure on a
curved surface

𝑃 = √𝑃ℎ 2 + 𝑃𝑣 2
𝑷𝒉 - horizontal component; total
hydrostatic pressure on plane area “A”
which is the projection of the curved
surface on the vertical
Sample Problems: ̅A (projected area)
𝑷𝒉 = 𝜸𝒉
1. A triangular gate with a horizontal
base 1.2 m long and an altitude of 1.8 m
is inclined 45° from the vertical with
the vertex pointing upward. The hinged
horizontal base of the gate is 2.7 m
below the water surface.

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b. Determine the angle of the

Liquid above Surface resultant force of water with respect
to the horizontal

2. Curve “mn” shown is a quarter circle

with radius of 5 m. For a length of 3 m
perpendicular to the paper, determine:
a. The horizontal force acting on the
curve
b. The vertical force acting on the
curve
c. The total force on the curve

𝑷𝒗 - vertical component; weight of liquid

whose volume is traced by moving the
curve vertically upward until the liquid
surface (prolongation)
𝑷𝒗 = 𝜸𝑽𝒐𝒍

Liquid below Surface

3. Curve wall ABC is a quarter circle 9ft

into the paper.

a. Compute the horizontal hydrostatic

force on the wall
b. Compute the vertical hydrostatic
Sample Problems:
force on the wall.
1. The face of the 50-m long dam shown
c. Compute the line of action (angle
is a quarter circle with radius 20 m.
from the horizontal) of the resultant
force.

a. Calculate the vertical component of

the force of water on the dam

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