Abstract:To arrest aircrafts, the Federal Aviation Administration recommends constructing an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at the end of a runway. The system is made of foam concrete. To investigate its arresting effect, aircraft field test is the most reliable method, but it is difficult to conduct. Current simulations usually adopt finite element method, but it cannot simulate the crushing process of foam concrete. This research conducted penetration tests to study its mechanical properties in crushing process. The effects of freeze-thaw on compressive strength and energy absorption of the material were analyzed. A discrete element model of foam concrete was established, and the virtual test method is proposed to calibrate parameters of the model. The simulation result of compressive strength proves that the accuracy of the model can reach 97.7%. With this model, the influences of particle size and mechanical parameters on penetration mechanical properties of foam concrete was studied. The discrete element model of EMAS foam concrete proposed in this research provides a more accurate research method for EMAS arresting simulation.