China Reveals Super Soft ‘Marshmallow’ Concrete That Absorbs Jet Crash Landings

Chinese researchers have created “marshmallow” concrete, a novel safety substance for aeroplane landings. The purpose of this ultra-light foam is to slow down the aircraft by absorbing the impact of an emergency landing and crumbling like a soft cushion. The China Building Materials Academy (CBMA) created the material, which has won awards for innovation, including second place from the China Building Materials Federation.

This concrete stands out due to its exceptionally low density, which is only 200 kilogrammes per cubic metre, or roughly a tenth of the weight of conventional concrete. Even though the material is lightweight, it is designed to crush when struck in a controlled way, which lowers the momentum of even large aircraft, like a Boeing 747, during a crash landing.

Runway mishaps can have disastrous consequences, and takeoffs and landings are essential parts of any flight. Consequently, Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) that extend past the runway’s end are mandated for airports all over the world. Airports have historically used sand, soil, or water pools in these areas, but each of these has drawbacks, such as soil becoming unstable in different weather conditions or water freezing in cold climates. A more dependable and stable answer to this problem is provided by foam concrete.

 

 

Making a material that would crush predictably when struck was one of the greatest engineering achievements. This required careful control of the foam’s strength, which ranged from 0.30 to 0.35 megapascals. If the material was too weak, it wouldn’t effectively slow the aircraft; if it was too strong, it wouldn’t crush properly.

In order to produce bubbles inside the concrete and give it its soft, crushable texture, the concrete also contains a special air-entraining agent. A protective coating reinforces these bubbles, preventing them from collapsing too soon. Furthermore, a two-stage strength-control system guarantees that the foam will continue to function well under a range of environmental circumstances.

With encouraging results, the “marshmallow” concrete is currently being used in 14 airports throughout China. Long-term monitoring at a Tibetan airport revealed that the material’s performance stayed consistent, varying by only 3%, well below the permissible 10% threshold. This innovative innovation is a major step towards enhancing runway safety and lowering the possibility of mishaps during emergency landings.