A Vierendeel bridge is a bridge employing a Vierendeel truss. Such trusses do not have the usual triangular voids seen in a pin–joint truss bridge, rather employing rectangular openings and rigid connections in the elements, which (unlike a conventional truss) must also resist substantial bending forces. Owing to a lesser economy of materials and the difficulty of design before the advent of computers, this truss is rarely used in bridges outside Belgium. The form is more commonly employed in building structures where large shear walls or diagonal elements would interfere with the building's aesthetics or functionality. The first such bridge was built in steel at Avelgem in Arthur Vierendeel's native Belgium in 1902, following development of the truss form and a method to calculate its strength in 1896 by Arthur Vierendeel. There are many more examples in Belgium, also constructed in concrete, mostly designed by Vierendeel's many students in a long career as professor in civil engineering. The City of Glendale, California has three Vierendeel truss bridges: Geneva Street, Kenilworth Avenue, and Glenoaks Boulevard bridges, all two-lane bridges spanning 95 feet. They were built in 1937 as part of the Verdugo Flood Control Project, the first project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after passage of the Flood Control Act of 1936. The double deck cable-stayed Kap Shui Mun Bridge in Hong Kong uses a Vierendeel truss. Opened in 1997, the lower deck carries both rail and traffic, with the lack of diagonal members in the cross section allowing vehicles to drive through the openings provided by the Vierendeel design.

Several other photographers have posted this on flickr. Again, however, mine is different. I recreated the signage on this wall from old photos and again some squinting at some VERY obliterated ghost signs. Yes, it did say "WELCOME TO GLENDALE." Much has been made of this building's bizarre fenestration. In 1928, architects dealt with the L.A. earthquake issue by designing bunkers. This thing is steel beams and reinforced concrete poured one floor at a time. It could take a nuke hit. And so you have an architectural style not given to large windows, especially in walls that might be built up against anyway. Also, it has been said that the Masonic rituals often precluded windows to the outside world. For example, the completely windowless space behind the Coke sign is a vaulted lodge hall, and it would be pretty spectacular if restored properly. Perfect for weddings. Anyway, small windows were punched through in places where someone decided they did want one. There were different sizes for bathrooms, offices, etc. There's really no external logic to it. This fenestration makes the building quite dark and foreboding inside, and the owners intend to greatly open it up, while constructing seismic shear walls to maintain rigidity. The plans show a rather attractive design, though the historical people have asked for slightly more rounded arches on the new windows. You start to get an idea of the sheer massiveness of this structure. In a neighborhood of 1-story store fronts and 3-story retail spaces, its slab-sided walls can really loom.