Abstract: A compliant bearing of the fixed or movable type for supporting heavy loads in compression, as advantageously used for coupling piers and scaffolds of a bridge or viaduct, has been developed using multiple layers of polychloroprene and fluorocarbon resin. A steel base plate provided with a recessed seat contains in ascending order: a first sheet of a fluorocarbon resin having a low coefficient of sliding friction, a thick layer of pressed polychloroprene having on its upper part a peripheral seat wherein at least one peripheral weather strip is arranged, and a second sheet of fluorocarbon resin also having a low coefficient of sliding friction, and an upper steel plate located upon the second sheet of fluorocarbon resin. Fixed, unidirectional, and multidirectional horizontal displacement configurations are described.