Surface underlayment system with interlocking resilient assemblies of shock tiles

A surface underlayment system that is interposed between a lower foundation and an upper impact-receiving surface, the surface underlayment system comprising:

• an assembly of energy absorbing interlocking modules, the assembly being operable to conform with a planar or undulating lower foundation without buckling, one or more of the energy absorbing modules being operable to be nested or stacked before transportation to a job site and cooperating to absorb at least some impact forces exerted upon the upper impact-receiving surface without the modules separating from each other, the modules also being operable to space apart the upper impact-receiving surface and the lower foundation;
• at least some of the energy absorbing modules including a thermoplastic and comprising one or more frustoconical support structures with bottom surfaces oriented towards the lower foundation that are circular, oval, or elliptical, at least some of the frustoconical support structures having an upper top surface, and a frustoconical sidewall connecting a bottom surface and an upper top surface;
• the upper top surface underlying the upper impact-receiving surface and the bottom surface being juxtaposed with the lower foundation, the upper top surface and bottom surface being operable to coordinate the response of the frustoconical support structures to impact;
• and
• at least some of the energy absorbing modules having edge flanges that define at least one oval female recess that is aligned with a direction of thermal expansion and contraction and at least one male protuberance that are adapted to respectively engage a male protuberance and a female recess of an adjacent module, wherein the at least one female recess and the at least one male protuberance slidingly engage to accommodate relative movement between adjacent modules so that relative movement therebetween can be accommodated without the buckling of adjacent modules.