Shanghai Tower's 1,000-Ton Damper Swings Into Action as Typhoon Dolphin Hits
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Shanghai, activating the Shanghai Tower's 1,000-tonne tuned mass damper to stabilize the 632-meter skyscraper.
As Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th storm of the 2026 season, battered Shanghai with gale-force winds, the Shanghai Tower's massive internal stabilizer was called into service. The 1,000-tonne tuned mass damper (TMD), a device designed to reduce mechanical vibrations, began swinging to counteract the building's movement.
Located on the 125th floor and suspended by 12 steel cables, the damper works by moving in the opposite direction of the tower's sway. This counter-motion helps absorb wind-induced oscillations and improves the structural stability of the supertall building during extreme weather events.
By 16:00 on Sunday, the damper had recorded a unilateral swing of approximately 0.5 meters. This movement effectively absorbed the building's kinetic energy, keeping the structure steady against the storm's onslaught.
The Shanghai Tower, with 128 floors above ground and five below, stands as China's tallest skyscraper and the world's third-tallest building.
Typhoon Dolphin made its first landfall at Yuhuan in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, at around 17:30 on Sunday, followed by a second landfall at Yueqing City in the same province at approximately 18:40, according to the National Meteorological Center.