Anthonares

For those of you, like me, who had no idea what Taipei 101 is, it is the new tallest building in the world. Completed in 2004, it stands over 508 meters (1667 ft) tall. Recently, an increase in microtremors in Taipei has had people asking if this new massive building might be to blame. The theory is, apparently, that some ancient fault has been reopened beneath the building because it is so heavy. From the article, “If a fault is about to crack, then a little pressure can trigger an earthquake. It’s like the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” I’m more than a little skeptical of this, and my gut reaction was that though the building might seem big to us, the Earth laughs at the such trivial extra weight.

Let me put on my engineer’s hat for just a minute. Continue Reading »