Mechanistic of Acceleration Response Control in Coupled Shear Walls Using Negative Stiffness Damping

The larger overall stiffness of shear wall structures results in significant acceleration responses under dynamic loads such as earthquake. This study investigates how negative stiffness devices (NSDs) at the wall base and coupling beam regulate the acceleration response of coupled shear walls. Two single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) negative stiffness damping models are developed to elucidate the regulation mechanisms under different configurations, with theoretical results validated through numerical simulations. The mode shape, mode participation coefficient, and acceleration response spectrum significantly influence acceleration distribution. Wall base NSDs enhance low‐order mode contributions and effectively suppress top‐story acceleration, whereas coupling beam NSDs amplify higher‐order modes and excel at controlling acceleration responses across all stories. The synergy between NSD and FD enhances both energy dissipation and acceleration control. Combining wall base and coupling beam NSDs achieves coordinated control across all stories, providing an effective design strategy for mitigating seismic acceleration responses in shear wall systems.