Another displacemenet and weight question?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the weight capacity of a barge-style boat with specific dimensions. Participants explore how to calculate the weight the barge can support without sinking, considering its volume and the weight of water displaced. The scope includes practical application and mathematical reasoning related to buoyancy and weight support in water.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the weight capacity of a barge with dimensions of 15 feet wide, 25 feet long, and 4 feet high, emphasizing the absence of a deck.
  • Another participant suggests that the weight capacity can be calculated by finding the volume of the barge and multiplying it by the weight of water per cubic foot, approximated at 60 pounds.
  • A participant calculates the volume as 1500 cubic feet and suggests that this corresponds to a weight capacity of 90,000 pounds, questioning if this total includes the weight of the barge itself.
  • Another participant estimates that if fully submerged, the barge could hold 45 tons, and if half-submerged, 22.5 tons, noting the need to subtract the weight of the barge from this total.
  • There is a reiteration of the volume calculation and confirmation that the calculated weight capacity does take into account the weight of the barge.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the method of calculating the weight capacity based on volume and displacement but do not reach a consensus on the exact weight the barge can handle after accounting for its own weight. There are multiple interpretations of how to apply the calculations.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not clarify the weight of the barge itself, which is necessary for a complete understanding of the total weight capacity. The discussion also does not resolve how the absence of a deck affects the calculations.

christoph8025
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I posted a question the other day about pontoons and the weight it could support and you guys did great with that. We actually found because of you guys that we wouldn't be able to build what we wanted.

Hopefully you guys can answer the same question with this new item we want to purchase.

We are looking to get a barge style boat. The dimensions of the boat are 15 foot wide and 25 feet long with 4 foot sides. Now it isn't your typical bage with a deck on top. This will not have a deck. We will be building the structure subsank into the barge.

Hopefully some one can answer the question of how much weight we can have in this thing without it sinking.

Cant wait to hear the response. thanks

Chris
 
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This should be easy for you to solve yourself. In order to find how much weight any thing will support in water you just find the volume and then find how much that much water will weigh. In other words find the volume of that shape and multiple by 60 (approximate weight in pounds of a cubic foot of water).
 
DaleSwanson said:
This should be easy for you to solve yourself. In order to find how much weight any thing will support in water you just find the volume and then find how much that much water will weigh. In other words find the volume of that shape and multiple by 60 (approximate weight in pounds of a cubic foot of water).

So the dimensions are 25 x 15 x 4= 1500 x 60 = 90,000.

So is that the total weight that the barge can handle ( taking into acount the weight of the bage itsself)?
 
So fully submerged it could hold 45 tons; half-submerged, 22.5 tons. You'll want to subtract from this the weight of the barge itself, probably a few tons.
 
christoph8025 said:
So the dimensions are 25 x 15 x 4= 1500 x 60 = 90,000.

So is that the total weight that the barge can handle ( taking into acount the weight of the bage itsself)?

Yes.
 

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