How Taiwan’s technology saved it from more destruction during 7.4-strong quake

Images of collapsed buildings — there were videos of tilted high-rise structures — flooded news channels and the internet on Wednesday (3 April) after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. The temblor, the most powerful one in a quarter of a century, killed nine people and injured hundreds of others.

In fact, a day later (4 April), authorities continue to carry out search-and-rescue operations to dig out survivors from below collapsed buildings and more.

However, seismology experts state that given the size of the quake — it measured 7.4 on the Richter Scale — the island has fared as well as could be expected, with some noting that the island did not experience the scale of destruction that others did from similar temblors. For instance, more than 50,000 people died in Turkey when three major quakes, measuring 7.8, 7.5 and 6.4, struck in February last year.

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But how has Taiwan achieved this? How well-equipped is Taiwan to handle quakes?

Buildings tilted, bridges swayed

On Wednesday, a major quake struck Taiwan , reigniting memories of 1999 when the island had witnessed its strongest and most devastating temblor. Taiwanese officials note that at least nine people have died so far, and they have anticipated the toll to rise in the coming days. Furthermore, over 900 people have been injured in the quake.

The quake hit near the eastern city of Hualien at 7:58 am local time and had a magnitude of 7.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, making it the strongest quake to hit since 1999. The depth was about 35 kilometres (22 miles), which is considered shallow.

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Dramatic visuals followed displaying the damage that the quake had caused; buildings listing to the side, bridges swaying and people scrambling for cover.

One video on X showed people stuck on a bridge while it appeared to swing because of the massive quake. According to AFP, multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilted after the quakes ended, while a warehouse in New Taipei City was reduced to dust.

TSMC , the world’s leading maker of cutting edge microchips, temporarily evacuated production lines after the quake. However, the firm has resumed operations on Thursday.

Following the powerful quake, rescue efforts are on, with reports stating that more than a hundred people are still understood to be trapped in collapsed tunnels and roads along the coastline. Operations to reach 77 people trapped in the Jinwen and Qingshui tunnels along the road in Hualien continued into the early hours of Thursday morning.

There are also reports that two Indians are among the missing after the quake. The missing Indians were, according to media reports, last seen at Taroko Gorge, which is close to Hualien County.

Building codes

Experts have noted that Taiwan handled the powerful quake in the best way possible, with Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, telling AP: “Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world.”

But this is no fluke. The island has worked hard and ensures that buildings adhered to modern seismic codes. Notably, the island significantly upgraded much of its infrastructure after the 1999 quake.

In fact, an analysis of the visuals emerging from Taiwan showed that much of the damage was in older buildings — five to 10 stories tall — while the newer buildings which have a higher level of engineering — appeared to have performed admirably.

Infrastructural experts also noted that Taiwan’s newer buildings appear to be constructed from reinforced concrete. Konstantinos Tsavdaridis, professor of structural engineering at City, University of London, noted in a report in The National that these buildings typically use quite a lot of concrete, very dense columns, and the most important buildings have rubber bearings. Rubber bearings absorb much of the force that a building is exposed to by an earthquake and so protect the main structure.

Taiwan’s tallest building, Taipei 101, withstood the quake with experts noting that the 660 metric tonne ’tuned mass damper’ hanging inside the building helped it from not crashing down. Experts state that as the building moves in one direction, the steel sphere sways in the other direction and maintains the building’s overall balance.

Experts further noted that adherence to building codes is also one of the factors why the island suffered lesser damage than expected. The government revises its level of resistance for structures constantly, ensuring that buildings can withstand quake pressure.

And Taiwan comes down heavily on those who don’t follow building codes. Following the 2016 temblor in Tainan, on the island’s southwestern coast, five people involved in the construction of a 17-storey high-rise apartment building that was the only major structure to have collapsed, killing dozens, were found guilty of negligence and given prison sentences, as per an AP report.

Taiwan’s early-warning system

Apart from the buildings, Taiwan’s early-warning system and behaviour of the public has contributed to keeping the destruction to a minimal.

For the unaware, Taiwan relies on an island-wide network of seismic instruments; when a large quake happens, the system sends messages to people’s phones and automatically cuts into live TV programming to give residents seconds of warning.

Wu Yih-min, a professor of geosciences at National Taiwan University and a team head at the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, told Bloomberg that in the last three-to-five years a disaster response system developed by the agency became more sophisticated, meeting a crucial need in one of the most seismically active parts of the world.

Public response is also equally important. People in Taiwan routinely carry out quake drills at schools and workplaces. Hence, one could see visuals of parents walking their children to school and workers heading off to work just minutes after the quake struck.

As Stephen Gao was quoted as telling AP: “It is these very measures that have significantly enhanced Taiwan’s resilience to earthquakes, helping to mitigate the potential for catastrophic damage and loss of life.”

With inputs from agencies