Optimal design with respect to the variable thickness of an elastic beam with unilateral supports under the criterion of minimal value of the maximal stress is presented in Part I. A dual formulation of the state problem (in terms of bending moments) is used and the convergence of some approximations proved.In Part III the variable thickness of an elastic or elasto-plastic plate unilaterally supported on a part of its edge is optimized. For elastic plates with parallel edges a primal finite element model is applied and a convergence result obtained.