## 6 Further Discussion
And the mean value of peak story drift ratios of the traditional SCPC structure corresponding to all the earthquake waves are 0.40% and 0.91% subjected to the two levels. Figure 13(b) shows that the peak inter-story drift ratios of the traditional SCPC structure are the largest and the novel SCPC frame are the smallest for each story under the two levels. The maximum responses of all the stories all happen on the second story for the three structures. The peak responses for the RC frame are equal to 0.72%, 0.54%, 0.31% from the third to top story at the MCE level and the maximum responses for the traditional SCPC frame are 0.76%, 0.58%, 0.33% from the third to fifth story at the MCE level. From the results of the three frames, the extent of gap opening of the novel SCPC frame is small at the DBE level, in addition to the initial stiffness provided by the hysteretic dampers, the peak inter-story drift ratios of the novel frame are relatively small. When the gap opening becomes larger and the bending stiffness significantly decreases under the MCE level, the frame has been in a plastic state. The hysteretic dampers dissipate seismic energy after yielding; the peak responses of the novel frame are still the smallest of the three frames. It contributes the high initial stiffness and better dissipates seismic energy capacity after the yielding provided by the hysteretic dampers. Figure 14 displays the peak residual inter-story drift ratios \(\theta_{r,max}\) of the three frames for each story at the DBE and MCE levels subjected to the near-fault earthquake waves. The peak residual inter-story drift ratios of the three frames for each story are far below the limiting value of 0.2% and 0.5% at the DBE and MCE levels. The maximum residual responses of the RC frame for each story are significantly larger than the novel SCPC frame and the traditional SCPC frame. The peak residual story drift ratios of the RC frame for all the stories are \(1.28\times 10^{-4}\) rad and \(6.54\times 10^{-4}\) rad at the DBE and MCE levels and happen on the first floor. The peak residual story drift ratios of the novel SCPC frame and traditional SCPC frame are similar and close to zero, which attributes the good self-centering capability of the two self-centering precast concrete frames. Figure 12: Analytical connection model of RC frame and traditional SCPC frame. Figure 24: Maximum inter-story drift ratios of three frames at DBE and MCE level. Figure 25: Maximum residual inter-story drift ratios of three frames at DBE and MCE level. The maximum inter-story shear forces of the three frames for each earthquake wave and for each story at the DBE and MCE level are displayed in Figures 26a and 26b, respectively. It shows that the maximum inter-story shear force of the RC structure is the largest of the three frames. The peak inter-story shear force of the RC frame and the traditional SCPC frame are 1034 kN and 1001 kN, corresponding to 21 earthquake waves at the MCE level, respectively. The peak responses of the RC structure and the traditional SCPC structure for all the stories are 710 kN and 687 kN under the MCE level and both happen on the first floor. Due to the different construction mechanisms of the beam-column connections of different concrete frames, horizontal earthquake action will weaken with the increase of natural periods of the novel SCPC frame and the traditional SCPC frame, in addition to the better energy dissipation provided by the hysteretic dampers. Therefore, the inter-story shear force of the novel SCPC frame is the smallest at the MCE level. The maximum connection rotations and PT tendons forces of the traditional SCPC structure and novel SCPC structure at the MCE level are also drawn in Figure 27. It illustrates--(1) the peak connection rotation of the traditional SCPC frame for each story is obviously larger than that of the novel SCPC frame. The maximum connection rotation of the traditional SCPC frame for all the stories is \(3.38\times 10^{-3}\) rad and happens on the first story, then decreases gradually.