ABSTRACT
For many years the assumption of uniform distribution of normal stresses over a
cross-section of a nonprismatic bar gave satisfactory results as long as no abrupt
changes in cross-section along the bar axis were involved. The general design
reliability was even better when, over many years, engineers utilized high factors
of safety. Although the presence of higher factors obscured some of the more ques-
tionable design details, the notion that smooth structural surfaces and limited changes
of shape provided a certain amount of reliability and safety was hard to dispute.
