Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper Taipei 101 suffered the recent 7.4 earthquake with minimal damage. According to CNN, this is thanks to the large yellow pendulum at the building’s centre which helped absorb the shock. The pendulum is called “Damper Baby,” a 660-metric-tonne steel sphere suspended over 1,000 feet above the ground at the building’s centre. This is because, during an earthquake or strong winds, the sphere sways to counteract the building’s movement, reducing its sway by up to 40%, as per the Taipei 101 website.
According to the website, the pendulum hangs between the 87th and 92nd floors and is constructed from 41 steel layers. It’s nearly 18 feet in diameter and swings within a limit of 59 inches to prevent excessive movement. Taipei 101 was once the world’s tallest building and remains a landmark skyscraper in Taiwan.
The spherical damper installed in Taipei 101 moves back and forth during earthquakes or typhoons, common occurrences on the island. This movement absorbs the force of any intense swinging, as stated on the Taipei 101 website. Engineers of the damper claim it can reduce the building’s movement by up to 40 percent, thereby lessening the discomfort felt by those inside.
According to the Washington Post, Taiwan is especially susceptible to earthquakes because of its location within the world’s most seismically active zone, known as the Ring of Fire. Nine people were killed and more than 900 injured in Wednesday’s earthquake, the strongest to strike the island in 25 years. A 7.6-magnitude tremor struck central Taiwan in 1999, killing more than 2,400 people.
