The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of coupling beam strength and stiffness on system performance for concrete building systems ranging from 35 to 40 stories. Specifically under investigation is the interaction between concrete core walls and coupling beams when the structure is subjected to earthquake ground motions. ASCE 41 recommendations for diagonally reinforced coupling beam strength and stiffness values are conservative and engineers often use alternate values for nonlinear analysis. This study assesses the impact of varying coupling beam strength and stiffness over a wide range of practical values on the global behavior of the structure. Multiple Engineering Demand Parameters including core wall shear, inter-story drift, and coupling beam chord rotation are used as metrics for investigating the global behavior of the coupling beam strength and stiffness on system performance. Results show that coupling beam chord rotation is sensitive to changes in strength and stiffness, whereas core wall shear and interstory drift remain relatively unaffected by these changes.
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