The analysis results on the SAC 3- and 9-story models with flexible cladding connections
showed distinct benefits of the flexible cladding connections and fairly large but
controllable displacements of cladding. The effectiveness of the flexible cladding
connections is dependent on the dynamic characteristics of the structure, material
properties of the cladding connections, and characteristics of the response spectra of input
excitation. If flexible connections are designed properly so that they can undergo
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expected hysteretic behavior, they may prove to be very good energy absorbers during an
earthquake.