Constitutive model of metal rubber based on modified Iwan model under quasi-static compression and random vibration

•Propose a metal-isolator constitutive model based on parallel spring-slider model.•Friction coefficients of the sliders adhere to a predefined probability distribution.•All parameters of the model can be set from quasi-static compression test data.•This model is capable of high-precision nonlinear dynamic simulation. Metal rubber has been widely applied in the fields of structural vibration reduction and impact protection, due to its excellent mechanical properties. However, an accurate constitutive model of metal rubber to characterize its complex nonlinear mechanical behavior is still lacking. In this paper, a new constitutive model of metal rubber based on the Iwan model (parallel spring-slider model) is proposed, where the friction coefficient of sliders satisfy a given probability distribution. The nonlinear-elasticity and dry friction of metal rubber are considered in this model. The proposed model can characterize the mechanical behavior of metal rubber under the complex loading–unloading-reloading path. Furthermore, the constitutive model is used to simulate random vibration in time domain, and three nonlinear phenomena are simulated, which are consistent with the experiment. Based on the proposed model, a simplified and efficient model is also developed, which can be used for efficient computational. The proposed model would be an effective tool for quasi-static and vibration simulation of metal rubber.