El uso de las tecnologías de la información y las telecomunicaciones (TIC) para el desarrollo de instrumentos educativos como los laboratorios virtuales se ha convertido en una valiosa práctica de apoyo a la enseñanza en diferentes ámbitos de la formación profesional. En la actualidad se encuentran aplicaciones que van desde la virtualización de prácticas en ciencias básicas hasta la experimentación virtual en temas específicos de ingeniería. Este artículo describe el desarrollo del Laboratorio Virtual de Ingeniería Sísmica (SISMILAB) el cual incluye diferentes módulos con sus respectivas aplicaciones. Este laboratorio virtual fue desarrollado para facilitar el proceso de comprensión y aplicación de conceptos fundamentales relacionados con el campo de la ingeniería sísmica y fortalecer las experiencias académicas e investigativas del estudiante, dentro y fuera del aula. SISMILAB ha sido bien recibido por los estudiantes, facilitando la comprensión de conceptos, la interpretación de resultados y la enseñanza de diferentes fenómenos de la ingeniería sísmica. Finalmente, el artículo muestra el impacto en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje basado en métricas obtenidas de cuestionarios de evaluación realizados por estudiantes y profesores.

Recycled rubber fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (RR-FREIs) represent a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for seismic protection, particularly in low-rise structures in developing countries. Despite their practical advantages, accurately modeling their complex hysteretic shear behavior remains challenging due to nonlinearities and parameter uncertainties. Accordingly, this study aims to determine, within a probabilistic framework, which hysteretic formulation provides the most robust and physically consistent representation of the cyclic shear response of RR-FREIs. Four OpenSeesPy hysteretic models are investigated: Elastomeric Bearing (Plasticity), Elastomeric Bearing (Bouc–Wen), ElastomericX, and HDR. Bayesian inference, implemented through Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, is employed to calibrate the models against experimental cyclic shear tests of scaled prototypes, allowing for explicit quantification of parameter uncertainty. Model performance is evaluated through posterior predictive checks, energy dissipation metrics, and Bayesian information criteria (WAIC and LOO). Unlike conventional deterministic calibration approaches, the proposed methodology enables a probabilistic and statistically consistent comparison between competing hysteretic models while explicitly quantifying parameter uncertainty and its influence on the predicted cyclic response. Results indicate that the Bouc–Wen formulation provides the most robust agreement with experimental data, accurately reproducing both hysteresis loops and energy dissipation trends. The proposed framework offers a rational and physically interpretable basis for hysteretic model selection in performance-based seismic analysis and supports the reliable implementation of RR-FREIs in earthquake-resistant design.

Seismic isolation is an effective strategy to mitigate earthquake-induced damage. However, the high cost of conventional isolators limits their application in developing countries. This study presents a validated finite element modeling (FEM) framework for Recycled Rubber Fiber-Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators (RR-FREIs), aiming to provide a low-cost and sustainable alternative for seismic protection. The mechanical behavior of recycled rubber was characterized as an incompressible hyperelastic material using the Ogden model, while fiber layers were modeled as transversely isotropic. Experimental data from tension, compression, and shear tests were used to calibrate and validate the numerical models developed in ABAQUS, incorporating viscoelasticity and the Mullins effect. In parallel, a Bouc-Wen model was implemented in OpenSees to reproduce the hysteretic behavior for structural applications. The FE model predictions showed strong agreement with experimental results, with energy dissipation and stiffness errors below 10% in most cycles. The validated models confirm that RR-FREIs provide adequate damping and horizontal flexibility for low-rise buildings, demonstrating their feasibility as sustainable, cost-efficient seismic isolators. This work establishes a practical modeling framework for the design and optimization of recycled elastomeric isolators in resource-limited regions.