Design load of a water tube ride, such as on a cruise ship

[AlaskaJoe73]

When designing the structure of an elevated water tube ride (water flows by gravity through a tube large enough to accommodate 2 people on a float, say 500 lb. max. and the volume of water is constant) how much effect does the object floating on the water have?

 

[anorlunda]

how much effect does the object floating on the water have?

have on what?

The more specific your question, the better quality answer we can give. Can you explain what you are trying to accoplish and why that question is important?

 

[fresh_42]

When designing the structure of an elevated water tube ride (water flows by gravity through a tube large enough to accommodate 2 people on a float, say 500 lb. max. and the volume of water is constant) how much effect does the object floating on the water have?

Hello and Welcome to PF!


I've moved your thread into our Classical Physics forum, as the introduction forum is meant as an opportunity to say some words about yourself, if you like to, and not for technical questions. But as @anorlunda already said: your question is rather vague, so we might move it again, e.g. into our engineering forum or DIY forum.

 

[AlaskaJoe73]

have on what?

The more specific your question, the better quality answer we can give. Can you explain what you are trying to accoplish and why that question is important?

Trying to determine if the design structure is based solely on the weight of the tube with a max volume of water or if the structural design criteria must include the weight of the object floating on the water's surface. The reason for the question is determine the correct answer to a conversation my son and I were having, as to whether the weight of the float distributed across the surface of the water has an impact on the structural requirements of the water tube supports. We estimated that the float was traveling 4 to 6 feet/second through 10 foot sections of tube. We clearly understand the safety factor in the design criteria of this device will far accede maximum possible load. We simply want to determine if the maximum weight (estimated at 500 lbs.) is factored into the design criteria.

 

[CWatters]

Arent people mostly made of water?

Why wouldn't they have a similar effect as an extra slug of water going down the tube?

I don't think it's safe to argue that they are floating so displace an equal mass of water.

My guess is that they have to allow for out of balance loads eg situations like start up where the tube may have more water in some places than normal or the flow may not be as uniform as normal.

 

[anorlunda]

You are asking about the design of structures which can cause injury or death.

We do not regulate who will answer, esp. not their expertise.
We cannot give statements with a potentially legal impact.
We are not certified.
We cannot know the entire situation, regardless how detailed your description might be. I.e. we have neither all variables nor enough statistical nor mechanical data, which a responsible judgement would require.
Even an informal answer cannot be given, as we do not have control over its usage.
So as in all of these cases, we strongly recommend to consult a local expert, who can inspect what you are talking about, has sufficient experience and data for comparison, plus most important: is certified, so that his expertise will be of legal value.Thread closed.