Method and apparatus to control rocking of multiple shear wall panels subject to a loading event

A building wall, comprising:

• a first shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge, a right vertical edge, a left vertical edge, a bottom left corner at an origin of the horizontal bottom edge and left vertical edge, and a bottom right corner at an origin of the horizontal bottom edge and right vertical edge;
• a horizontal base support located under the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel;
• a first tie-down coupling the first shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the first shear wall panel such that the shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces;
• a left “toe crushing element” situated under the bottom left corner of the first shear wall panel and a right “toe crushing element” situated under the bottom right corner of the first shear wall panel, the bottom left and right corners of the first shear wall panel compressing the respective left and right “toe crushing elements” as the first shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces;
• a second shear wall panel in plane with and adjacent to the first shear wall panel, the second shear wall panel having a horizontal bottom edge and a left vertical edge;
• wherein the horizontal base support further is located under the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel;
• a second tie-down coupling the second shear wall panel to the base support at a central point along the horizontal bottom edge of the second shear wall panel such that the second shear wall panel rocks under horizontal forces;
• and
• a connector coupling the first shear wall panel along a portion of its right vertical edge to the adjacent second shear wall panel along a portion of its left vertical edge.