Some runways have been extended with ‘engineered materials’ surfaces, often a form of porous concrete into which an airliner’s wheels will sink, absorbing a lot of energy and arresting the airplane without causing it to break up. It is very effective for landing overruns, but I don’t know about last-seconds aborted takeoffs.
>>mannyk+(OP)
It's designed for the much lower speeds of landing overruns (70 knots and below), whereas takeoff speeds are higher (in this case, like 185 knots).