There is concern that large buildings including bridges will collapse when earthquakes occur. The Seto Ohashi Bridge, which connects Honshu and Shikoku, has a structure that can withstand a magnitude 8-class earthquake, and disc springs help make this possible. When an earthquake occurs, elastic anchorage devices attached to the piers change the horizontal load into a vertical load, which is then absorbed by the disc springs in the shoes. The structure is made up of 34 pairs of 70-cm disc springs stacked in opposite-facing directions, and is capable of absorbing loads of 5,400 tons. So you can see that springs also play a useful role in realizing a safe and secure life.
