Abstract: To reduce structural damage to key components of bridges such as piers and abutments and enhance the overall seismic performance of bridge structures, isolation and energy dissipation bearings are widely used in bridge structures. As a key connection node between isolation and energy dissipation bearings and the substructure, the bearing pads not only provides support for the bearings but also ensures their performance. Therefore, the bearing pads are crucial to the overall seismic performance of the bridge. This study first clarifies the structural configuration and working mechanism of the bearing pads for high-damping rubber bearings. Through a survey of actual seismic damage, the failure modes of the bearing pads under seismic action are summarized, including crushing failure and splitting failure. The splitting failure is further divided into overall splitting failure on the side of the bearing pads and corner lifting failure at the connection between the bolts and the bearing pads. Subsequently, a three-dimensional finite element model of the high-damping rubber bearing- bearing pads was established, and the influence of basic design parameters of the bearing pads on its seismic performance was studied through numerical simulation. Finally, based on the failure modes and influence laws of the seismic performance of the bearing pads, the seismic performance improvement technology of the bearing pads was developed, and its influence on the seismic performance of the bearing pads was studied. The research results show that increasing the height of the bearing pads, increasing the distance from the edge of the bearing pads to the bottom steel plate of the bearing, and increasing the concrete strength grade of the bearing pads can improve the seismic performance of the bearing pads. In addition, replacing the ordinary concrete of the bearing pads with UHPC, wrapping the bearing pads with CFRP, and wrapping it with steel pipes can effectively improve the seismic performance of the bearing pads.