Image: Someformofhuman/Creative Commons The 728-ton globe is a tuned mass damper—a device designed to counter the effects of wind and seismic activity on a skyscraper. TMDs, as they’re known ...

It was completed in the mid-1970s, before tuned mass dampers were as common in tall buildings as they are today, but survived smaller earthquakes that have rattled the city since. But according to ...

High within the tower, however, another technological innovation helps protect the 101-story skyscraper — a huge orb-like device known as a tuned mass damper. Suspended from 92 thick cables ...

The Taipei 101 building, once recognized as the tallest skyscraper in the world, uses an enormous tuned mass damper (basically a giant pendulum) to protect itself from earthquakes. The 660-ton ...

Known as a “tuned mass damper,” the 730-ton steel sphere is suspended between several floors at the top of the building, where it can be viewed by the public. The observatory is a popular ...

The "tuned mass damper" can reduce the building's movements by up to 40%. With the ability to move about 5 feet from side to side, the pendulum protects against earthquakes and high winds.

111 West 57th But I can't let a great bit of engineering stand in the way of a rant. These tuned mass dampers are very expensive, but they are enablers of some of the most extravagant wastes of ...