A support structure, including an excavation and a plurality of irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies at least partially filing the excavation. Each respective irregularly shaped foamed glass body has an aspect ratio of about 1:1.7 and a diameter of about 1 inch. The irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies intersect to define stacking angles of at least about 35 degrees. Under compression, the irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies crush and break up before slip failure occurs such that the roadbed has a crushing failure mode.

An aircraft arrestor system which provides a controllable deceleration force for an aircraft during an overrun event is disclosed. The arrestor systems arrest aircraft movement by creating a controllable deceleration force or drag force on the aircraft's landing gear. The aircraft arrestor system comprises an arresting medium which is contained by a plurality of adjacent containment cells. The arresting medium comprises smooth and rounded expanded glass particles which are loose and unbroken. The particles also have a controlled size range of about 0.04 inches to about 0.75 inches, and at least about 75% of the particles have a minimum size which is not less than about ¼ of the size of the largest particles.

Materials and structures for absorbing energy. The materials and structures are well suited for arresting aircraft and other vehicles, although their purposes need not be so limited. Also detailed are packaging and other solutions for maintaining system integrity, especially (but not exclusively) when foam glass or other aggregate is employed and stabilizing the location of the aggregate is desired.

A vehicle escape ramp arresting system that includes a narrowed internal width and includes housing connection that limits the peak initial load that can be applied to a metal tape during a vehicle impact with a net and allows a housing associated with the system to rotate about both the vertical and horizontal axes to aid in slowing an errant vehicle.

A vehicle escape ramp arresting system that includes a narrowed internal width and includes housing connection that limits the peak initial load that can be applied to a metal tape during a vehicle impact with a net and allows a housing associated with the system to rotate about both the vertical and horizontal axes to aid in slowing an errant vehicle.

A method of slowing an aircraft overrunning a runway, including covering an area adjacent a runway with irregular foamed glass bodies having aspect ratios of about 1:1.9 and diameters of about 10 mm to about 80 mm to define a bed, pouring liquid cement over the foamed glass bodies such that the cement infiltrates at least through the bed, curing the liquid cement to define a composite material of foamed glass bodies in a cementitious matrix, and crushing at least a portion of the composite material with an oncoming aircraft, slowing the aircraft. The composite material is at least 85 volume percent foamed glass bodies. When pouring the cement, the liquid cement flows over and around the foamed glass bodies. The aggregate bodies crush and break up before slip failure occurs when being overrun by an aircraft. The aggregate bodies intersect to define stacking angles of about 35 degrees. The cementitious matrix has a cementitious surface.

An arrestor bed for slowing an aircraft overrunning a runway, including an elongated excavation and a plurality of irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies at least partially filing the excavation. Each respective irregularly shaped foamed glass body has an aspect ratio between 1:1.6 to 1:1.7 and a diameter of about 1 inch. The irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies intersect to define stacking angles of about 35 degrees. Under compression, the irregularly shaped foamed glass bodies crush and break up before slip failure occurs such that the roadbed has a crushing failure mode.

Device for applying in a pavement for collecting mechanical energy from a vehicle passing over said pavement for actuating an electromechanical converter for generating electrical energy, said device comprising: an electromechanical converter; a mechanical or mechanical-hydraulic system comprising a crank-linear slide or crank-piston; a base structure for supporting and fixing the device to the pavement; a cover displaceable in vertical axis translation caused by the vehicle passing over, wherein the cover is arranged to actuate the crank-linear slide or crank-piston; a rack-pinion, or a hydraulic cylinder and respective hydraulic circuit having actuator, arranged for converting linear displacement of the linear slide or the piston, respectively, into rotation of a shaft of the electromechanical converter; wherein said cover has a non-horizontal surface profile having a first elevation at a first end and a second elevation at a second end, wherein the first elevation is lower than the second elevation.

The present invention relates to a vehicle arresting system comprising: a) a base layer comprising at least one compressible material; b) a carrier positioned and fixed by at least one fixation means on said base layer; c) a levelling layer positioned on and/or embedding said carrier; and d) a top layer.

Materials and structures for absorbing energy. The materials and structures are well suited for arresting aircraft and other vehicles, although their purposes need not be so limited. Also detailed are packaging and other solutions for maintaining system integrity, especially (but not exclusively) when foam glass or other aggregate is employed and stabilizing the location of the aggregate is desired.