Japan sits in one of the most seismically active regions on the planet. It may be a truly earthquake proof building. Geological Survey, the Transamerica Pyramid could withstand an even larger seismic event. A series of sensors installed in the frame of the building measure horizontal displacement and according to the U.S. During the 1989, the 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta quake, the building shook for more than a minute and the top floor swayed from side-to-side nearly a foot, but the building sustained no structural damage. The exterior is made of precast quartz aggregate, buttressed with reinforcing rods at four points on each level. The building itself sits on a 52-feet deep foundation of concrete and steel that was designed to move with the earth during a quake. This future shock is currently forecasted to be at least as strong as the notorious 1994 6.7-magnitude Northridge quake and the Transamerica Pyramid - currently the tallest building in San Francisco - was deigned to withstand the inevitable Big One. The Transamerica Pyramid (San Francisco, California) Wasin Pummarin/123RFĪ study published in 2016, stated that current predictive earthquake models could be significantly underestimating the potential of the next massive tremor to strike the Bay Area. You can watch the pendulum in motion during Typhoon Soudelor. However, the damper - which was engineered for a maximum wind speed of 135 mph - quite literally weathered the storm. In 2005, during Typhoon Soudelor, Taipei 101 was blitzed with winds of 100 miles per hour and even a gust of 145 mph. During an earthquake or high winds, the pendulum counteracts the building’s movements. This tuned mass damper weighs 728 tons and is suspended between the 87th and 92nd floors. Taipei 101 uses a a massive internal damper to control swaying and minimize the possibility of structural damage or failure, making it a very earthquake resistant building. The goal of such a damper isn’t to prevent swaying in general, but to instead attempt to control this movement. While it may no longer hold claim to this engineering title, Taipei 101 still houses some of the most impressive seismic- and weather-resistant technologies ever designed. (When you’re done with these buildings, check out the craziest, most tricked-out shipping container homes, or everything we know about how China builds artificial islands.)Īt 1,667 feet tall, Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2004. We’ve collected the most amazing and gorgeous earthquake proof buildings from around the world. But just because a building is sturdy doesn’t mean it can’t have style. In an attempt to prevent damage during a quake, many earthquake-prone cities have mandated sweeping engineering standards for new high-rises as well as retrofitting standards for older units. This is why earthquake proof buildings, also known as earthquake resistant buildings, are becoming more common. As history has shown time and time again, a massive tremor in an ill-designed city center can have costly and, most importantly, deadly ramifications. But some of the most populated areas on the globe are also prone to earthquakes. As a result, we’ve seen massive skyscrapers sprout up in metropolitans around the world. Fitbit Versa 3Īs our urban centers become more densely populated, engineers are continuously looking to maximize this space by building upward rather than outward.
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