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To protect the 22-store building and avoid damage to its instruments, the project had to design an innovative protection system that successfully met the requirements of an independent review panel of internationally renowned experts.
The first line of defense is a seismic isolation system made of 24 single friction pendulum isolators that protect the telescope’s optical components and instruments from active ground motion caused by a major earthquake. These devices slide over a concave surface and it results in a pendulum-like motion. In addition, there is a hydraulic system that can return the 6,200 metric ton telescope structure to its operational position following an earthquake.
