Book 25, Question 8
How does the golden ball inside Taipei 101 keep the tower steady?
Some tall buildings sway a little in strong winds.
Taipei 101 in Taiwan has a huge golden steel ball, about 18 feet wide and weighing about 660 tons, hanging from cables inside the tower. When wind pushes the building one way, the ball swings the other way and cancels part of the motion. Giant shock absorbers slow the ball. This kind of weight is called a tuned mass damper. Visitors can see it.