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Quake-Resistant Taiwan Skyscraper May Be 'Itself' Responsible for Tremors

taipei 101 building

Though it is built specially to withstand Taiwan’s frequent earthquakes, it is believed that the weight of the world’s tallest skyscraper itself could be causing a rise in the number of tremors beneath it. A professor from the island wrote this in a scientific journal. Named for the number of floors, the 1,679-foot Taipei 101 building might rest on an earthquake fault line, Lin Cheng-horng, an earthquake specialist at the National Taiwan Normal University in the capital, Taipei, says.

It is the pressure of the building’s 700,000 tons on the ground that may be leading to increased seismic activity, Lin wrote. The giant building is equipped with a 733-ton ball suspended near the top that moves to counter the force of earthquakes or strong winds. Published on the American Geophysical Union’s website, an abstract of Lin’s article said that the tremors “could be a direct result of the loading of the mega-structure.”

Via: Wired News

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