stresses involved in complete continuity, there is usually a
considerable margin of safety, from the fact of the lack of possible
fixedness of the beams at the supports. The criticism is evidently aimed
at practice not to be recommended.

As to the eighth point, the necessary width of a beam in order to
transfer, by horizontal shear, the stress delivered to the concrete from
the rods, it might be well worth while for the author to take into
consideration the fact that while the bonding stress is developed to its
full extent near the ends of the beam, it very frequently happens that
only a portion of the total number of rods are left at the bottom, the
others having been bent upward. It may be that the width of a beam would
not be sufficient to carry the maximum bonding stress on the total
number of rods near its center, and yet it may have ample shearing
strength on the horizontal planes. The customary method of determining
the width of the beams so that the maximum horizontal shearing stress
will not be excessive, seems to be a more rational method than that
suggested by Mr. Godfrey.

Referring to the tenth and fourteenth points, it would be interesting to
know whether the author proportions his steel to take the remaining
tension without regard to the elongation possible at the point where it
is located, considering the neutral axis of the section under the
combined stress. Take, for instance, a chimney: If the section is first
considered to be homogeneous material which will carry tension and
compression equally well, and the neutral axis is found under the
combined stresses, the extreme tensile fiber stress on the concrete will
generally be a matter of 100 or 200 lb. Evidently, if steel is inserted
to replace the concrete in tension, the corresponding stress in the
steel cannot be more than from 1,500 to 3,000 lb. per sq. in. If
sufficient steel is provided to keep the unit stress down to the proper
figure, there can be little criticism of the method, but if it is worked
to, say, 16,000 lb. per sq. in., it is evident that the result will be a
different position for the neutral axis, invalidating the calculation
and resulting in a greater stress in compression on the concrete.

L.J. MENSCH, M. AM. SOC. C. E. (by letter).--Much of the poor practice
in reinforced concrete design to which Mr. Godfrey calls attention is
due, in the writer's opinion, to inexperience on the part of the
designer.

It is true, howeve