Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are composed of soft silicone rubber, carbonyl iron particles (CIPs), and various additives. This study designs and fabricates a novel hybrid-mode MRE isolator that can operate in both compression and shear modes simultaneously. Experimental and modeling investigations are conducted to examine the dynamic mechanical properties of the hybrid-mode MRE isolator under varying excitation frequencies, displacement amplitudes, and magnetic field strengths. The equivalent stiffness, energy dissipation, and equivalent damping of the MRE isolator are determined. Experimental results reveal that the hybrid-mode MRE isolator exhibits a pronounced MR effect by utilizing a hybrid magnetic field generation system, with all three parameters significantly increasing as the magnetic field strength increases. However, as the excitation frequency increases, the equivalent stiffness and energy dissipation increase, while the equivalent damping decreases. Based on the experimental findings, a compression–shear hybrid fractional-derivative parametric (CSHF) model is proposed to describe the impact of different operating conditions on the dynamic viscoelastic properties of the MRE isolator. A comparative analysis of the experimental results and model predictions indicates that the proposed mechanical model can accurately describe the dynamic mechanical characteristics of the hybrid-mode MRE isolator.

Viscoelastic dampers (VEDs) in seismic structures comprehensively enhance the dynamic performance of the structure by dissipating energy, providing additional stiffness and damping. The optimization analysis of dampers is the core link to ensure the safety, economy, and effectiveness of seismic design schemes. This work aims to develop low-frequency high-performance viscoelastic damping materials (VEMs) and verify the seismic control effect through three-dimensional solid engineering structure analysis. Four different damping systems of Acrylate Rubber (ACM) based viscoelastic materials were fabricated and performance characterization tests were conducted. The results indicate that all four damping modification systems can significantly improve the energy dissipation capacity of viscoelastic damping materials at low-frequency room temperature. The viscoelastic damping material with the best comprehensive performance has been selected and applied to the viscoelastic dampers of the three-dimensional shock-absorbing structure. Through the analysis of the structural vibration control effect, the universality of the vibration control effect of ACM-based viscoelastic materials under different seismic loads was further verified. It provides a feasible approach for the trans-scale research of “Material–Device–Structure” in viscoelastic damping technology.

Viscoelastic dampers, leveraging the synergistic mechanism of viscous dissipation and elastic recovery, simultaneously reduce seismic-induced structural displacement and acceleration responses while offering the advantages of simple construction and ease of installation, which hold broad prospects in both the seismic design of new buildings and the retrofitting of existing structures. This work aims to propose a rapid optimization design method for viscoelastic dampers considering torsional effect for three-dimensional solid structures. First, a full-scale prefabricated assembled viscoelastic damper was developed, and mechanical property tests were conducted under a series of loading conditions. Based on the test results, a genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the design scheme of viscoelastic dampers through co-simulation using MATLAB R2022a and OpenSees. The optimization objectives consider both the inter-story drift ratio and acceleration response of the structure, with particular emphasis on the influence of torsional effects. Given that the proposed optimization scheme accounts for structural dynamic characteristics, building functionality, and the universality of seismic excitations, it serves as a design reference for the optimization analysis of other damped structures.