Patent ID: 8863454

Claim:
An exterior wall construction for a building comprising: a plurality of side by side parallel vertical frame members defining spaces therebetween; each frame member being shaped to define a hollow structural member having an inner wall facing inwardly of the building, two side walls and an outer mounting structure facing outwardly of the building; a plurality of panels each bridging the space between two of the frame members and each having side edges thereof connected to and mounted on the mounting structure of two adjacent ones of the frame members such that the panels cooperate to form an exterior sheet of the wall structure with the frame members mounted inwardly of the exterior sheet to support the exterior sheet; the inner wall, side walls and outer mounting structure of each frame member being formed by a pultruded member defined by a thermo-set resin reinforced by reinforcing fibers; the reinforcing fibers including at least one first layer of fibers having fibers extending only in a direction longitudinal of the members; the reinforcing fibers including at least one second layer of fibers having fibers with at least portions thereof extending transverse to the longitudinal direction and located in the member so as to be positioned at or adjacent an exposed surface of the inner wall and the side walls; each frame member having an exterior surface defined by the resin so as to be free from coating material; wherein the inner wall and the side walls each have a thickness of at least 0.090 inch; and wherein the inner wall and the side walls have thicknesses selected such that a difference in thickness therebetween is less than 20%.