A shear panel building material that includes a first facing membrane, a core matrix disposed on a face of the first facing membrane, and a semi-rigid or rigid material attached to the core matrix. The core matrix can include microspheres having a size of about 200 microns to about 800 microns, sodium silicate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. In one aspect, the shear panel is substantially free from glue and cement.

A method of slowing an aircraft overrunning a runway, including paving an area immediately beyond the end of a runway with foamed glass bodies to define a bed, covering the bed with a layer of cementitious material to define a composite bed, and crushing at least a portion of the composite bed with an oncoming aircraft, wherein crushing the at least a portion of the composite bed removes kinetic energy from the oncoming aircraft to slow the oncoming aircraft. The composite bed is generally resistant to fire.

A method of producing an arrestor bed for slowing an aircraft overrunning a runway, including paving an area immediately beyond the end of a runway with foamed glass aggregate to define a bed, and covering the bed with a layer of cementitious material to define a composite bed.

A composite pavement structure comprises a wearing course layer and a base course layer disposed below the wearing course layer. The wearing course layer comprises aggregate, e.g. glass and rock, and an elastomeric composition. The elastomeric composition comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate component and an isocyanate-reactive component. The isocyanate component comprises a polymeric isocyanate, and optionally, an isocyanate-prepolymer. The isocyanate-reactive component comprises a hydrophobic polyol and a chain extender having at least two hydroxyl groups and a molecular weight of from about 62 to about 220. The chain extender is present in the isocyanate-reactive component in an amount of from about 1 to about 20 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the isocyanate-reactive component. The base course layer comprises aggregate which is the same or different than the aggregate of the wearing course layer. Methods of forming the composite pavement structure are also disclosed.

A roof cover board made from a mixture of 30-60% stucco; 20-50% perlite; 10-30% cellulose fiber; 3-20% starch; and siloxane. Also disclosed is a stucco-free roof cover board made from a mixture of 30-60% perlite, 30-60% cellulose fiber, 5-25% starch; and siloxane. Also disclosed are methods for making same.

Techniques are disclosed for providing a high-strength, water-resistant, fire-proof magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) plate. In accordance with some embodiments, the MOS plate may include one or more fibrous layers disposed within a sizing agent. The sizing agent may include backing materials, intermediate materials, and surface materials components. In some embodiments, the sizing agent may be homogeneous, such that its backing, intermediate, and surface materials components are all of the same material composition. In other embodiments, the sizing agent may be heterogeneous, such that one or more of its backing, intermediate, and surface materials components differ in material composition relative to other component(s). In accordance with some embodiments, a MOS plate provided via the disclosed techniques may be utilized, for example, as a cementitious skin of a structural insulated panel (SIP).

Disclosed is a foam modifier, e.g., useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

Disclosed is a foam modifier, e.g., useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

A composition comprising thermoset polymer, shape memory polymer to facilitate macro scale damage closure, and a means for molecular scale healing is disclosed; the composition has the ability to resolve structural defects by a bio-mimetic close-then heal process. In use, the shape memory polymer serves to bring surfaces of a structural defect into approximation, whereafter use of the means for molecular scale healing allowed for movement of the healing means into the defect and thus obtain molecular scale healing. The means for molecular scale healing can be a thermoplastic such as fibers, particles or spheres which are used by heating to a level at or above the thermoplastic's melting point, then cooling of the composition below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic. Compositions of the invention have the ability to not only close macroscopic defects, but also to do so repeatedly even if another wound/damage occurs in a previously healed/repaired area.

A coating having a thickness between 0.1 and 2 mm is obtained from a mixture with the following composition: 10-25% by weight of micronized powder; 40-60% by weight of inorganic gravels of petrographic origin of sizes comprised between 0.063-2 mm; 10-40% by weight of a polymerisable base resin selected from polyurethane, polyester, epoxy or acrylic, with additives, and optionally pigments. The proportion of the mentioned gravel and micronized powder of the coating being up to 90% in an inner most area of interphase between coating and surface of the petrous substrate, covering one third of the thickness of the coating. The method comprises depositing the mentioned mixture on the substrate and vibrating the assembly, and subsequently proceeding to a step of curing and subsequent mechanical finishing of the surface.