How the Tallest Building in Taiwan Resisted the Earthquake

Taiwan experienced the strongest earthquake in 25 years, resulting in at least nine deaths, building collapses, and tsunami warnings. However, amidst this chaos, strange footage emerged of the tallest building on the island, Taipei 101, which cost $1.8 billion, gently swaying like a stick in the breeze. The building stands 1,671 feet tall and is equipped with an innovative solution that reduces the overall impact on it by 40% during earthquakes and winds. It features a 660-ton gold sphere called the "tuned mass damper" suspended inside the building from the 92nd floor. When the building moves in one direction, the steel ball sways in the opposite direction, maintaining the overall balance of the building. If winds or seismic forces push the tower to the right, the sphere provides an immediate and equal force to the left, canceling out the initial movement. While the tower sways, it does not fall. This is known as a "passive damping system," meaning it operates without any external forces or controls, relying solely on gravity and the motion of the building. Meanwhile, hydraulic pistons beneath the massive ball absorb energy and dissipate it as heat. Dr. Agathoklis Gharalis, a professor of structural dynamics at City University London, described the smart spherical device as "similar to a pendulum." He explained to MailOnline, "This steel ball rests on dampers designed to suppress the relative swinging motion between the structure and the ball, functioning in a manner similar to a shock absorber in a car's suspension system." While it may seem unusual to see a building sway, modern skyscrapers are built to be flexible, especially in earthquake-prone areas like Taiwan. Professor Anthony Durby from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath told MailOnline, "The materials they are made from are flexible, meaning they expand or contract according to the varying loads applied. The amount of deformation in an individual element (for example, a beam or column) is very small, but when this is multiplied across all elements in a tall building, it can lead to significant lateral movements. These movements do not pose a danger to the structure itself, but if excessive, they can cause discomfort for occupants." Taipei 101 began construction in 1999 and was completed just in time for New Year's Eve 2004, when it finally opened to the public. It was designed to resemble bamboo shoots rising upward in eight sections, appearing like a series of stacked square buckets.