Zodiac Arresting Systems EMAS Reaches 90 Installations Milestone!

ARLINGTON, Va. - Nov. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- On Nov.17, 2014, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Arlington, VA made final acceptance of the recently completed Zodiac Arresting Systems EMASMAX^® Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) installation, which took place on the departure end of runway number 04, in close proximity to the Potomac River. This was the 90th system installed worldwide. Since the very first installation at JFK Int’l Airport in Jamaica, NY (1996), airports have placed their confidence and trust in this proven, reliable technology.

Composed of a bed of lightweight cellular cement blocks that predictably crush under the weight of an aircraft, EMAS is an acceptable alternative for preventing overrun catastrophes at airports where Runway Safety Areas (RSA) do not exist or are impractical to implement due to environmental or other issues.

DCA is the closest of three airports to the Washington area, located directly across the Potomac River in Arlington, VA. The airport primarily handles domestic flight traffic.  The river is one geographical component close to airport runways that would pose problems if implementing an RSA build-out. The other is the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a busy expressway for automotive traffic.

The airport’s decision to install a proven EMAS (EMASMAX^®) system in the available real estate was a clean, environmentally-friendly and financially-sensible solution versus the massive task of moving rivers and re-routing highways in an area that would not be receptive to such disruptions. Two additional systems will be installed in 2015 on the departure ends of RW 15 and RW 33, which border the Parkway and the Potomac River, respectively.

Zodiac Arresting Systems, then known as “ESCO” (Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation) developed EMAS as part of a CRDA (Cooperative Research & Development Agreement) with the FAA and Port Authority of NY & NJ. No questions remained about the product’s ability to reliably stop an aircraft safely and successfully after real aircraft testing with a Boeing 727 aircraft in May, 1996 at the FAA Test Center, Pomona, NJ. It has performed flawlessly ever since, saving 9 aircraft, 243 passengers and untold amounts of airport and airline assets in real emergency overrun situations.

In an effort to provide added value for their customers, Zodiac Arresting Systems set out to improve the quality of the product. The release of EMASMAX^® in 2007, the 3rd-generation upgrade version of the system, with jet blast resistant coating, greatly succeeded in reducing installation costs and maintenance, without compromising performance.

Maintenance training and semi-annual inspections are provided by Zodiac Arresting Systems over the first year. The company also offers field strength testing capability as an option to evaluate the condition of EMAS beds, enabling airports to make informed decisions regarding maintenance and product life. It is significant to note that a number of EMAS beds in service are 10 or more years old and are deemed perfectly viable and capable of stopping aircraft safely.

Zodiac Arresting Systems, a subsidiary of Zodiac Aerospace, is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on energy absorption and is the leading manufacturer of military and commercial aircraft arresting systems.  The company has developed products for the controlled deceleration of aircraft, including the Space Shuttle and Concorde, for over 70 years.

Information about EMAS/EMASMAX: www.emasmax.com    Email inquiries: emasmax@zodiacaerospace.com