Abstract: According to the present researches,the seismic capacity reserve (SCR) for ductile structures is divided into three levels,i.e.,basic SCR,overall SCR and unexpected SCR,while the SCR for brittle ones is just embodied in one level,the basic SCR. Frame structures and brick masonry structures were selected as the objects of this research because of their wide application in disaster areas in the Wenchuan earthquake. To a ductile structure,such as a frame structure,the research focuses on influencing factors to improve the overall SCR and the unexpected SCR qualitatively by means of on-site inspection,calculation and comparative analysis; while to a brittle structure,such as a brick masonry structure,the research was mainly emphasized on the quantitative investigation of the basic SCR,the seismic capacity reserve coefficient was obtained for each segment wall of three types of brick masonry structures,i.e.,traditional small-sized dwelling unit,school teaching building and large bay residence. The main reason that the degree of seismic damage is different to different types of brick masonry structures was given.