Tall & Urban News

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan on Wednesday morning, 3 April and is said to be the strongest to hit the island nation since 1999. During this temblor in Taipei, videos captured the 508-meter-high Taipei 101, swaying with the earthquake's motions, showcasing its architectural strength and endurance. According to Taiwan’s intensity scale in which 7 is the highest level, the earthquake had a maximum seismic intensity of 6+ in Hualien City and 5- in Taipei. 

The Taipei 101 damper, with a diameter reaching 5.5 meters (18 feet) and a weight of 660 metric tons, is the world’s largest and heaviest wind damper. It reduces the building’s movement by up to 40 percent. CTBUH is still confirming the recorded movement for this recent event.  

In previous occurances, the damper recorded movement of 20 centimeters due to an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on April 18, 2019,  that had its epicenter off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan, where it registered an intensity of 7, and the intensity recorded in New Taipei was 5, and in Taipei, 4. 

Before that, the damper moved 100 centimeters due to strong winds brought by Typhoon Soudelor on August 8, 2015, the biggest movement in the building’s history. The second-biggest movement ever registered in its history was on July 13, 2013, when it moved 70 centimeters as a result of Typhoon Soulik, which caused widespread damage in Taiwan.

This recent earthquake was recorded off eastern Taiwan, about 18 kilometers from Hualien City, according to the United States Geological Survey. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration measured the earthquake's local magnitude at 7.2. The tremor caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure in the northern and eastern parts of Taiwan, including areas in and around the city of Hualien. It also resulted in the death of nine people and left more than 800 individuals injured.