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Taipei 101
Taipei, Taiwan
Tuned mass damper
660 tons
This 101-story skyscraper was the tallest building in the world for six years. Motioneering designed the tuned mass damper (TMD) that is the tower’s main supplementary damping system. In addition to supporting the building’s performance and the comfort of its occupants, the damper’s elegant single pendulum has become a noted tourist attraction, even inspiring a mascot known as “Damper Baby.” Located on the 87th floor, the pendulum’s mass is suspended from cables anchored on the 92nd floor, and also stabilized by hydraulic cylinders. The TMD experienced its biggest test to date in August, 2015 when Typhoon Soudelor brought wind gusts of 145 miles per hour to Taipei. As the pendulum moved out of phase with the building’s wind-induced sway, it limited the structure’s movement and protected the comfort of occupants despite the extreme conditions.