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This paper describes a study of the seismic behaviour of taller eccentrically braced frames (EBFs). Chevron-type EBFs with shear-critical links are designed for 14-, 20-, and 25-storey buildings in Montreal and Vancouver. For each location the importance of different design criteria is discussed and an appropriate design sequence is proposed. It was found that ductility requirements did not control design. For Vancouver, buildings member selection was mostly influenced by the inelastic inter-storey drift requirements whereas for Montreal ensuring the global frame stability was critical. The seismic response of these frames to the sets of earthquake records calibrated to match design spectra is described. The seismic performance for Vancouver frames was found to be adequate, except that in the upper storeys the inelastic link deformations and shear forces exceeded values anticipated in design. For the Montreal structures, all global and local response indicators remained well below the design limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]