Penetration tests were conducted to study the mechanical properties of engineered materials arresting system（EMAS） foam concrete in crushing process. The effects of freeze-thaw cycles on its compressive strength and energy absorption were analyzed. A discrete element model of foam concrete was established， and the virtual test method was proposed to calibrate parameters of the model. The simulation results of compressive strength prove 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 were studied. The discrete element model of EMAS foam concrete proposed in this work provides a more accurate research method for EMAS arresting simulation.