B. Myslimaj - Department of Civil Engineering, McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Recent studies have shown that the stiffness and strength are dependent parameters for most lateral force resisting elements (LFRE). Since the torsional provisions in most seismic design codes are developed based on the assumption that stiffness and strength can be considered independent, this paper examines the effectiveness of strength distribution in minimizing torsional response and suggests a new criterion as an alternative to current codified provisions for strength assignment in asymmetric structures