A type of practicable frame-rocking wall structures was proposed with the concept of replaceable members. Based on tests and studies, four kinds of finite element (FE) models with different joint types were built to simulate frame-rocking wall structures. The FE calculation results showed that rigid a joints should be adopted between ductility connectors and a rocking wall or a frame, while rubbers and shear keys between a rocking wall and a base can be simplified into hinge joints; with increase in the diameter of ductility connectors and the thickness of a rocking wall, inter-storey drifts of a frame-rocking wall structure become more uniform, the force-bearing capacity of the structure increases but the increasing level decreases gradually; at first, the reasonable thickness of a rocking wall should be determined to meet the aseismic requirements, then the diameter and configuration of ductility connectors can be optimized with the methods proposed here. © 2016, Editorial Office of Journal of Vibration and Shock. All right reserved.
