Abstract Energy dissipation and base isolation are effective methods for structural vibration control, they are gradually adopted in engineering applications. Combined steel lead damper (CSLD) is a kind of displacement-dependent damper. It has simple consturction, better mechanical property and higher performance-price ratio. It has good potential of seismic application. In all the isolation technologies, rubber bearing isolation is the most mature one and being widely used. When the technology is used in the big height-width ratio structure, the structure under earthquake action overturns easily due to poor pull resistance capacity of rubber bearings. Meanwhile, ponent of ground motion has critical influence on the damage of some structures, therefore three-dimensional base isolation technology is being studied gradually. Thus, the research on the three-dimensional base isolation and overturn resistance devices (3D-BIORD) is of great theoretical significance and practical value, the devices have abilities of three-dimensional base isolation and overturn resistance. This paper takes CSLD, 3D-BIORD and the controlled stuctural system as research objects, and the main theoretical analyses and experimental studies are carried out as follows. Based on the existing initial research results of CSLD, detailed numerical calculations and analyses of mechanical properties of CSLD in the auxiliary direction are performed. Then quadratic polynomial regression equations which have small errors are gained, the equations describe the relationships between yield strength, elastic stiffness, yield stiffness ratio and geometric parameters of CSLD. Uniform design method and ic algorithm are used to optimize the six geometric parameters of CSLD, then a set of dampers of good property are obtained, which provides a basis for the engineering application of CSLD. The small size CSLD is designed and installed on a one-story structure and a six-story structure, then shaking table tests f