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Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper is standing strong after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the island on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring at least 946 others.
Once known as the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Taipei 101 building uses a giant adjustable mass damper (basically a giant pendulum) to protect against earthquakes.
The 660-ton pendulum is suspended more than 1,000 feet above the ground, and its structure can withstand shaking and typhoon winds. The giant steel sphere moves back and forth slightly, enough to counter any movement.
According to creator and tester A+H Tuned, this device reduces tower movement by up to 40%.
“Tuned mass dampers, also known as harmonic absorbers, are a simple but effective mechanism that makes it possible to design and live in skyscrapers,” A+H Tuned says on its website. “Without them, the longevity, structural integrity and comfort of these high-rise buildings would be significantly reduced.”
Damper hanging between multiple floors
The golden mass damper is suspended in the center of Taipei 101 between the 87th and 92nd floors.
According to its website, the device is made up of 41 layers, each about 5 inches thick and about 18 feet in diameter. 92 steel cables are used for hanging, each measuring approximately 3.5 inches wide and approximately 138 feet long.
The sphere also uses bumper rings to limit back-and-forth sway to about 59 inches in the event of a severe earthquake or typhoon-force winds.
Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, this skyscraper was the world’s tallest building when it was completed in 2004. It held the title until 2009, when Dubai’s Burj Khalifa usurped it.
Why there are so many earthquakes in Taiwan
Taiwan is located in the Pacific Rim of Volcanoes, so it is prone to earthquakes. Tectonic zones are the source of 90% of the world’s earthquakes.
The densely populated island nation has a reputation for being well prepared for earthquakes, said Joseph Barbera, an emergency physician and professor of engineering management and systems engineering at George Washington University.
Barbera said without emergency services preparedness and strict enforcement of the country’s seismic building codes, the damage from Wednesday’s quake could be even worse. Other important buildings are built on foundations to protect them from shaking.
“There is a dramatic difference in building failure, not just building but structural failure, between Taiwan and other countries that experience earthquakes of similar magnitude,” Barbera told USA TODAY. “They have been serious about risk mitigation for decades.”
Contributors: John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci
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