Taipei 101 (TAIPEI 101), a skyscraper that has remained in place, is drawing attention as more than 100 buildings collapsed due to a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan.
The building is called the "symbol of Taiwan's seismic design" thanks to its world-class landmark and interior special equipment.
Business Insider, a U.S. media outlet, highlighted Taipei 101 on the 4th (local time), which was not particularly affected by Taiwan's strong earthquake. Taipei 101 is a complex shopping mall with 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground, located in the capital, Taipei New District. With a height of 509m, it is the 9th tallest building in the world.
Taiwan's earthquake is the largest since the '921 earthquake' in 1999, which killed 2,400 people. So far, there have been nine deaths and more than 1,000 people have been injured.
However, the damage caused by the strong earthquake was missing from Taipei 101,000. The secret lies in the yellow steel sphere 'Dampervoy'. It is a device designed to protect buildings from natural disasters such as earthquakes and strong winds, and weighs 660 tons alone.
The damper boy is between the 87th and 92nd floors of Taipei 101. 41 iron plates, each about 13 cm thick, were stacked and welded to form a ball.
The diameter is about 5.5 meters. Ninety-two steel cables with a length of 42 meters hold the ball. It can be considered that it is suspended about 305m above the huge additional ground made of steel.
When the damper boy moves the building by an external force, it shakes in the opposite direction and balances the entire building. For example, if a building moves to the right due to an earthquake vibration, the damper boy moves to the left at the same time and applies the same force.
It only works with gravity and building movement without external power or control.
Taipei 101 was the tallest skyscraper in the world when it was completed in December 2004. In March 2002, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake had already struck during construction, and nearby low-rise buildings collapsed one by one, but Taipei 101 was intact without collapsing, according to Business Insider.
Similar old-fashioned chants are also found in buildings in other countries. Representative examples include the Central Park Tower in New York, the United States, and the Dublin Spire in Ireland.
