Abstract: The paper describes the development of a general program for the optimum design of shapes and profiles in large structural systems. Such problems occur frequently in design of concrete dams, turbine blades, pressure vessel nozzle junctions, pump vanes, etc. where stress conditions and/or material economy control the design. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear constrained optimization problem. For optimization an improved version of sequential linear programming with move limits is used. This method has been found to be faster in comparison to the conventional method with move limits and has slightly better control of the optimization procedure when the design vector goes into infeasible domain. The program needs user supplied subroutines to generate finite element mesh automatically if design variables are supplied. It also needs user's supplied subroutine to generate side constraint which arise due to manufacturing limitations, architectural considerations, governing code restrictions, etc. In the finite element analysis for evaluation of stress conditions, curved isoparametric elements are used. The program can handle plane stress, plane strain and axisymmetric problems and is suitable even for multiple load cases. With very little changes the program can be used both for volume minimization and minimization of stress concentration factor. Problems of latter type occur when repeated loads are present. Experience of the authors in using this program for shape optimization of fillet are presented. Some difficulties which are likely to occur in problems of this type are discussed.