Method for slowing an aircraft using a foamed glass composite runway

A method of slowing an aircraft overrunning a runway, comprising:

• a) establishing a runway safety area adjacent a runway, wherein the runway safety area is formed from a plurality of irregular, jagged, open-cell foamed glass aggregate bodies having aspect ratios of between 1:1.5 and 1:1.9;
• b) moving an aircraft over the runway safety area;
• c) crushing at least a portion of the runway safety area with the aircraft;
• and
• d) slowing the oncoming aircraft;
• wherein adjacent aggregate bodies intersect defining a stacking angle of about 35 degrees;
• wherein the runway safety area has a crushing failure mode.

A method for establishing a runway safety area adjacent a runway, wherein the runway safety area is a plurality of foamed glass aggregate bodies, comprising;

• a) filling an excavation positioned adjacent a runway with stacked irregularly shaped open-cell foamed glass aggregate bodies;
• b) preventing the irregularly shaped open-cell foamed glass aggregate bodies from moving relative to one another under an applied force to define an aircraft arrestor bed with crushing as the aircraft arrestor bed's primary failure mode;
• c) moving an aircraft over the arrestor bed;
• and
• d) crushing at least a portion of the arrestor bed with the aircraft to bleed off the aircraft's kinetic energy;
• wherein the irregularly shaped open-cell foamed glass aggregate bodies intersect one another at a 35-degree stacking angle;
• wherein the irregularly shaped open-cell foamed glass bodies have aspect ratios of about 1:1.7;
• and wherein the runway safety area has a crushing failure mode.