This 660-ton pendulum protects Taiwan's tallest skyscraper from earthquakes

Wed, 04/03/2024 - 14:04

side-by-side of Taipei skyscraper and massive spherical tuned mass damper — The Taipei 101 skyscraper (left) and the tuned mass damper inside it (right).
Annice Lyn/Getty Images, Richard Chung/Reuters

A 660-ton steel sphere hangs between the 87th and 92nd floors of Taiwan's tallest building.
The "tuned mass damper" can reduce the building's movements by up to 40%.
With the ability to move about 5 feet from side to side, the pendulum protects against earthquakes and high winds.

Taiwan's tallest skyscraper has a special device to protect it from earthquakes and high winds: a 660-ton steel pendulum that hangs over a thousand feet above the ground.

The Taipei 101 building — the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2004 — stretches 101 stories tall, reaching a height of 1,667 feet, including its spire.