The Secret Behind Taipei 101's Resilience During the Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years

On the 3rd, when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake swept across the island of Taiwan, the supertall building 'Taipei 101' remained unshaken. Attention is focused on the 'secret' of this building's excellent seismic design.

U.S. media such as 'Business Insider' highlighted Taipei 101, the supertall building that stood firm during the Taiwan earthquake. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was also detected in the metropolitan city of Taipei, where this building is located.

Taipei 101, Taiwan's tallest skyscraper exceeding 500 meters, is also famous for its advanced seismic design.
[Image source=Taipei 101 official website]

원본보기 아이콘

In fact, Taipei 101's seismic design has been praised several times in the past. When a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck northern Taiwan in March 2002, surrounding low-rise buildings collapsed helplessly, but Taipei 101 suffered no damage.

Inside Taipei 101, there is a special device that protects the building from earthquakes and strong winds. It is a 660-ton steel sphere located between the 87th and 92nd floors. It was made by layering 41 sheets of thick steel plates about 13 cm thick and is suspended by 93 steel cables.

Taipei 101 damper moving in the opposite direction of the building's sway [Image source=Captured from online community]

원본보기 아이콘

This sphere swings in the opposite direction to the building's movement, maintaining the overall balance of the structure. For example, if the building moves to the left, the sphere immediately swings in the opposite direction to balance the forces acting on the structure. Therefore, Taipei 101 may sway but will not collapse. This device is called a 'tuned mass damper' and is regarded as a representative example of advanced seismic design in high-rise buildings.

Such damper devices can also be found in other skyscrapers. They are installed in buildings like the Central Park Tower in New York, USA, and the Spire in Dublin, Ireland. However, while dampers in other buildings are blocked from view, visitors to Taipei 101 can see the damper directly from the public observatory. This building was designed in 1997 by the office of architect C.Y. Lee from Guangdong, China, the structural work was done by another construction company, and the finishing work was carried out by Samsung C&T Corporation.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.