Patent ID: 8393116

Claim:
An elevated platform system comprising a base support structure and a plurality of fiber reinforced polymer composite panels, wherein: the base support structure comprises pilings secured to a ground surface and attachment cradles coupled to the pilings; the attachment cradles are in electrical continuity with the ground surface; the fiber reinforced polymer composite panels comprise a panel body portion, fibrous material surrounding the panel body portion, a non-conductive matrix forming at least a portion of an outer-most layer of the fiber reinforced polymer composite panel, and an electrically-conductive layer at least partially embedded in the non-conductive matrix and positioned proximate to an upper deck side as to dissipate static electricity from the upper deck side of the fiber reinforced polymer composite panel, the electrically-conductive layer forming an electronic conduction path from the upper deck side to a lower deck side of the fiber reinforced polymer composite panel; and the fiber reinforced polymer composite panels are coupled to the attachment cradles such that at least a portion of the electrically-conductive layers that are positioned proximate to the lower deck side of the fiber reinforced polymer composite panels are exposed from the non-conductive matrix and contact the attachment cradles to place the upper deck sides of the fiber reinforced polymer composite panels in electrical continuity with the ground surface.