This paper examines the use oflimited slip bolted (LSB) connectors placed along the vertical joints of precast concrete psnel structures in order to control the level of expected seismic damage. Tuning the slip losd of these connectors allows overall response to be optimized through efficient energy dissipation by friction. Primary attention is focussed on the level and significance of defonnation induced in the horizontal joints of a 10-story prototype shear wall. It is shown that, for the tuned structure with uniformly distributed vertical reinforcement, response in the horizontal joints can be expected to remain essentially damage free for most earthquakes. For particularly severe ground motion, however, some localized damage at the base of the structure in the form of edge crushing is nevertheless to be anticipated, although the magnitude of even this localized damage is reduced considerably by the action of the vertical joint LSB connectors.