Patent ID: 7596922

Claim:
A method of coupling portions of a multistory building and resisting catastrophic shear forces therein, the method comprising: constructing a first series of stacked shear walls, said first series of shear walls having a top end and a bottom end; constructing a second series of stacked shear walls adjacent said first series, said second series of shear walls having a top end and a bottom end; attaching a rigid member adjacent said top ends of said first and second series of shear walls; moving each of said top ends from a first position to a second position; connecting said top ends with said rigid member in said second positions such that said top ends do not move relative to each other; resisting the catastrophic shear forces with said rigid member; maintaining the connection between said first and second series during movement in response to the catastrophic shear forces; and returning said top ends to said first positions.