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Calculation of Pressure Forces on Submerged Rectangular Plates

In a nutshell: In the case of submerged rectangular plates, the total pressure force and its

location at the center of pressure lend to an alternative method not involving integration

of the pressure distribution as for the case of arbitrarily shaped plates. The table below

details the strategy involved using this alternative approach.

Strategy:

Step 1: Construct a figure showing the rectangular plate of width, w, and length, 2h, along with

its pressure distribution such as in the figure below with pressure prism A B C D.

Step 2: Break the trapezoidal pressure prism into a rectangle with constant pressure distribution

along with a triangular pressure distribution. See the figure below.