But, by design, a pyramid is wider at the bottom than the top, and it's incredibly stable. If there's a temblor, a pyramid actually settles down even stronger. Elevated highways, despite their mass and size, are like a house of cards. But earthquakes can make an elevated highway shimmy and shake.
Sections can pop off their risers and plunge below.
And the risers can collapse, bursting from internal pressures if they're twisted in place. Many have lost their lives when this happens, particularly in California. Which brings us to Honolulu's highways. Although we're not a high-risk earthquake zone, it can happen. A kind of giant hinge is attached to the joint between the elevated section and the riser so it can slip apart.