The Taipei 101 stabilizing ball during the 6.8 earthquake in Taiwan (September 18, 2022)

Typically, the tuned mass dampers, a kind of seismic vibration control technology, are huge concrete blocks mounted in skyscrapers or other structures and moved in opposition to the resonance frequency oscillations of the structures by means of some sort of spring mechanism. Taipei 101 skyscraper needs to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. For this purpose, a steel pendulum weighing 660 metric tons that serves as a tuned mass damper was designed and installed atop the structure. Suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor, the pendulum sways to decrease resonant amplifications of lateral displacements in the building caused by earthquakes and strong gusts. #Engineering #Seismiccontrol #Earthquakeengineering