The new ductile coupled wall system introduced in ASCE 7-22 uses similar detailing to the Special RC Wall system but also is required to have coupling beams, meeting specific dimensioning and detailing requirements contained in ACI 318 and ASCE 7- Chapter 14. The primary difference between the system is that inelastic (nonlinear) behavior in SRCSW structures is intended to consist of flexural yielding (plastic hinging) at the base of the wall. Becasue almost all of the nonlinearity occur in the hinge region ,at the wall's base, the amount of energy dissipation that this system can develop is limited. In the ductile coupled wall system, additional hinges will develop in the coupling beams, as well as the hinge at the base of the wall. This provides greater ability to dissipate energy and allows assignment of higher R values in Table 12.2-1. The ACI 318 detailing requirements are intended to assure a sufficient number and size of coupling beams to develop the required energy dissipation.
Coupling beams in Ordinary RC Shear Wall structures should be detailed as per Ordinary Moment Frames. ACI 314 contains the specific requirements.