SEVENTEEN: Living in the shadow of The World's Tallest, Taipei 101.

Special to The Kemptville Advance

December 2003

When I enter the Taipei subway system every weekday morning on my way to work, I stand in the shadow of what has just been named the tallest building in the world. By its completion in the fall of 2004, the giant known as Taipei 101 will have reached 1667 feet at the tip of its 197 foot spire. Thirty-four double decker elevators will lift people at a rate of 37 miles per hour, or approximately two floors per second.

101 stories will house 12,000 office workers, along with the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

Mayor Ma Ying-jeou says that he has no doubt “the tower will bring Taipei to the world and the world to Taipei”.

But in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, in which over 2800 souls were lost, many people the world over are scratching their heads.

Do we really need another skyscraper?

Ying-jeou answered this query with the explanation that Taipei was not likely to be the target of a terrorist attack. Indeed, the biggest danger to a structure of this size on the island of Taiwan is terror of another kind.

Earthquakes and typhoons are fairly common in this country, as it sits on a stretch of high seismic activity in the Pacific basin. In September 1999, 2,400 people died and 50,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in a horrific earthquake that registered 7.6 on the Richter scale.

Taipei 101 has been built to withstand a quake of that magnitude and even higher, designers report. Its reinforced concrete strength at 10,000 lbs per square inch and is 67% higher than the standard 6,000 lbs per square inch.

A 900-ton damper in the shape of a massive sphere will be suspended at the top of the building, on the 87^th floor - this will serve to reduce the lateral movements brought about during earthquakes and high winds. Visitors will be able to see this impressive ball from the restaurant or the observation deck for a nominal fee.

In addition to state-of-the-art fire extinguishing equipment and non-flammable construction materials, architects included a fire-safe room on each floor and a refuge balcony on every eighth floor. In terms of safety, designers claim that Taipei 101 exceeds all standards.

The construction of this modern-day Tower of Babel hasn’t gone without incident, however. In March of 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale caused a crane to fall from the 58^th floor, killing five construction workers. Several fires occurred during the construction process as well.

On November 21, just one week after the grand opening of the shopping mall at the base of the tower, high winds caused a swing crane to drop a load of steel plates from the 90^th floor onto unsuspecting pedestrians below. Four people were injured and two taxis were damaged but it could have been far worse: more than 60 of the steel plates fell into a vacant primary school play yard, located 300 metres away.

The builder was fined for using a crane on high rise construction during winds that exceeded 10 metres per second. At the time of the accident, the wind was measured at 22 metres per second.

Construction crews were back at work just three days later, and a throng of visitors crowded around the building’s entrance, waiting their turn to be allowed in to view Asia’s newest global landmark. Much to the dismay of the retailers, however, most of the people admitted to the shopping complex were just there to look, and not to do their Christmas shopping.

Taipei 101 may only hold the title of World’s Biggest for a short time, as the World Financial Center in Shanghai, scheduled for completion in 2008, is expected to top it.

"Taipei 101 Tuned Mass Damper 2010" by Armand du Plessis - Own work.