e column concrete in this
manner, but no doubt a practical and an economical method will be
developed which will serve the same purpose. The writer knows of one
prominent reinforced concrete engineer, of acknowledged judgment, who
has applied for a patent in which expanded metal is used to effect this
very purpose; how well this method will succeed remains to be seen. At
any rate, reinforcement of this description seems to be entirely
rational, which is more than can be said for most of the current
standard types.

Mr. Godfrey's sixteenth point, as to the action in square panels, seems
also to the writer to be well taken; he recollects analyzing Mr.
Godfrey's narrow-strip method at the time it appeared in print, and
found it rational, and he has since had the pleasure of observing actual
tests which sustained this view. Reinforcement can only be efficient in
two ways, if the span both ways is the same or nearly so; a very little
difference tends to throw the bulk of the load the short way, for
stresses know only one law, namely, to follow the shortest line. In
square panels the maximum bending comes on the mid-strips; those
adjacent to the margin beams have very little bending parallel to the
beam, practically all the action being the other way; and there are all
gradations between. The reinforcing, therefore, should be spaced the
minimum distance only in the mid-region, and from there on constantly
widened, until, at about the quarter point, practically none is
necessary, the slab arching across on the diagonal from beam to beam.
The practice of spacing the bars at the minimum distance throughout is
common, extending the bars to the very edge of the beams. In this case
about half the steel is simply wasted.

In conclusion, the writer wishes to thank Mr. Godfrey for his very able
paper, which to him has been exceedingly illuminative and fully
appreciated, even though he has been obliged to differ from its
contentions in some respects. On the other hand, perhaps, the writer is
wrong and Mr. Godfrey right; in any event, if, through the medium of
this contribution to the discussion, the writer has assisted in
emphasizing a few of the fundamental truths; or if, in his points of
non-concordance, he is in coincidence with the views of a sufficient
number of engineers to convince Mr. Godfrey of any mistaken stands; or,
finally, if he has added anything new to the discussion which may help
along the solution, he will feel amp