Two 16-storey frame-wall structures with slender coupling beams in regions of Intensity 8(0.2 g),with and without considering the stiffness reduction of the coupling beams,were designed.Nonlinear dynamic response analyses of two typical frame-wall structures subjected to several ground motions were carried out.The analyses were based on the quasi-tridimensional program for nonlinear dynamic response analysis TS-EPA.The analyses led to the following conclusions: Under rare earthquake actions,the coupling beams in framewall structures yield first.This shows that the coupling beam in frame-wall structures is the member at the forefront of earthquake resistance.Comparison of the analytic results of two couples with and without considering the stiffness reduction of the coupling beam found that,in view of the dynamic response to and the requirement for ductility under rare earthquake motions,reducing stiffness causes a minor unfavorable influence on the dynamic response of frame-wall structures.