because the compression on a horizontal plane is greater than that on a vertical plane.  This idea concerning the action of stirrups falls under the ban of Mr. Godfrey’s statement, that any member which “cannot act until failure has started, is not a proper element of design,” but this is not necessarily true.  For example, Mr. Godfrey says “the steel in the tension side of the beam should be considered as taking all the tension.”  This is undoubtedly true, but it cannot take place until the concrete has failed in tension at this point.  If used, vertical tension members should be considered as taking all the vertical shear, and, as Mr. Godfrey states, they should certainly have their ends anchored so as to develop the strength for which they have been calculated.

The writer considers diagonal reinforcement to be the best for shear, and it should be used, especially in all cases of “unit” reinforcement; but, in some cases, stirrups can and do answer in the manner suggested; and, for reasons of practical construction, are sometimes best with “loose rod” reinforcement.

J.C.  MEEM, M. AM.  SOC.  C. E. (by letter).—­The writer believes that there are some very interesting points in the author’s somewhat iconoclastic paper which are worthy of careful study, and, if it be shown that he is right in most of, or even in any of, his assumptions, a further expression of approval is due to him.  Few engineers have the time to show fully, by a process of reductio ad absurdum, that all the author’s points are, or are not, well considered or well founded, but the writer desires to say that he has read this paper carefully, and believes that its fundamental principles are well grounded.  Further, he believes that intricate mathematical formulas have no place in practice.  This is particularly true where these elaborate mathematical calculations are founded on assumptions which are never found in practice or experiment, and which, even in theory, are extremely doubtful, and certainly are not possible within those limits of safety wherein the engineer is compelled to work.

The writer disagrees with the author in one essential point, however, and that is in the wholesale indictment of special reinforcement, such as stirrups, shear rods, etc.  In the ordinary way in which these rods are used, they have no practical value, and their theoretical value is found only when the structure is stressed beyond its safe limits; nevertheless, occasions may arise when they have a definite practical value, if properly designed and placed, and, therefore, they should not be discriminated against absolutely.