Architected materials for tailorable shear behavior with energy dissipation

A class of architected materials is proposed for tailorable shear behavior and high energy dissipation. Inclined beams with elastic snap-through instabilities define the microstructure of the proposed materials, which display a ‘twinkling’ phenomenon that converts strain energy to dynamic motions, resulting in rate-independent energy dissipation. The design concepts were experimentally validated using 3D printed prototypes under both half- and full-cycle shear deformation conditions, and shown to respond in rate-independent sequential snap-through transitions with large energy dissipation in the elastic regime. Numerical simulations and analytical analyses show that predictable material behavior and tunable shear properties can be designed through the microstructure's geometry. The proposed materials fill the need of dissipating energy under shear deformations in a recoverable and rate-independent manner.