Researchers have concluded a study on how weather and human activity influence Taipei 101’s frequencies and vibrations in an effort to enhance methods of monitoring building safety.
National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Department of Earth Sciences doctoral student Chen Yao-chieh (陳耀傑) and his team analyzed data from seismometers in Taipei 101 and meteorological data from the Xinyi weather station 1km away.
The study found that Taipei 101 has a higher frequency when temperatures rise, and a lower frequency when the wind blows vigorously, the university said in a statement on the study’s results.
Photo:EPA-EFE
Based on hourly data, the team found that human activity increased the vibrations detected by seismometers, it said.
Chen said that the “frequency” metric was significant because it is an important indicator of building safety.
Each building has its own frequency of vibration at different stages of its life span, he said, adding that new buildings have different frequencies than decades-old buildings.
Changes in frequency of a building due to material decay or structural renovation, which are usually observed through a process called “structural health monitoring,” could potentially affect its safety, he said.
Although data dating back to 2010 were included in the study, most of the research was based on data collected from 2014, as other data were affected by repairs or spotty Internet connections in the building, NTNU said.
Chen said the study not only has implications for Taipei 101 and other skyscrapers, but also for all buildings and bridges in Taiwan, which are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons.
Although sensors have been fitted on some bridges and buildings, the data that has been collected around Taiwan has not been continuous or even suitable for long-term purposes, in part because of the high cost of the equipment and labor, he said.
The government should start monitoring weak, older buildings or those believed to be unsafe, and later expand to more communities to enhance data-gathering methods, he said.
The research team also included NTNU earth sciences professor Kate Chen (陳卉瑄) and Huang Bor-shouh (黃柏壽) of the Academia Sinica Institute of Earth Sciences, the statement said.
The study was the cover story of the April edition of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, a US journal for earthquake studies.
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,
RSS