Two-dimensional elastica analysis of equilibrium shapes of single-anchor inflatable dams

Several types of in~atable dams are considered[ These are long\ air!in~ated\ cylindrical structures on a rigid foundation[ Sometimes one of the long edges of a sheet is folded back to the other edge\ and then the two edges are clamped to the foundation along a single anchoring line[ A second con_guration can be modeled as two sheets attached along two long edges\ with one edge anchored and the other free to lift as air pressure is applied between the sheets[ Another device treated here is a hinged spillway gate lifted by an in~atable bladder[ The cross section of the dam or bladder is analyzed as an inextensible elastica[ The governing equations and boundary conditions are formulated for each case\ and shooting methods are utilized to obtain numerical solutions for the equilibrium shapes[ The e}ects of the internal air pressure and the external water height are investigated