  This paper investigates the inelastic response of a yielding structure
coupled with a rocking wall which can be vertically restrained. The paper first
derives the nonlinear equations of motion of a yielding oscillator coupled with
a vertically restrained rocking wall and the dependability of the one-degree of
freedom idealization is validated against the nonlinear time-history response
analysis of a well-known 9-story moment-resisting steel frame that is coupled
with a stepping rocking wall. While, the coupling of weak building frames with
rocking walls is an efficient strategy that controls inelastic deformations by
enforcing a uniform interstory-drift distribution, therefore, avoiding
mid-story failures, the paper shows that even for medium-rise buildings the
effect of vertical tendons on the inelastic structural response is marginal,
with the exception of increasing the vertical reactions at the pivoting points
of the rocking wall. Accordingly, the paper, concludes that for medium- to
high-rise buildings vertical tendons in rocking walls are not beneficial.
