Scientists create ‘marshmallow’ concrete to stop aircraft safely during emergency landings

Chinese researchers have developed an innovative runway safety system using ultra-lightweight foam concrete, nicknamed “marshmallow concrete,” designed to safely stop large aircraft during emergency landings. Created by the China Building Materials Academy and partners, the material looks like regular concrete but is over 80% porous and weighs only a tenth as much. It absorbs a plane’s kinetic energy by crumbling on impact, slowing it down gently.

The system addresses the shortcomings of traditional runway end safety areas (RESAs), which often use water, grass, or soil—materials that are unstable and sensitive to weather. Unlike these, the new foam concrete maintains a precise low strength (0.30–0.35 MPa) ideal for controlled collapse.

To keep costs down for smaller airports, researchers used ordinary cement instead of the more expensive calcium sulfoaluminate. They also developed advanced bubble stabilization and a dual-stage strength control method to ensure durability under outdoor conditions. The breakthrough earned a second-place innovation prize from the China Building Materials Federation.

Credit : CGTN