Patent ID: 8272188

Claim:
A matting, comprising: a plurality of composite laminate structure matting panels each including a first skin; a second skin; a core material located between the first skin and the second skin; and a plurality of distinct groupings of Z-axis fibers that extend from the first skin to the second skin, wherein the Z-axis fibers include opposite ends that flare outward into the first skin and second skin, the first skin and the second skin include an X-Y material including multiple layers of glass fibers; and opposite first and second lateral edges including edge connections, wherein the edge connections of the first lateral edge include upper and lower upward-facing U-shaped groove members, the upper U-shaped groove member includes a length, the lower U-shaped groove member includes a length longer than the length of extend further beyond the first lateral edge than the upper U-shaped groove member, the edge connections of the second lateral edge include upper and lower downward-facing U-shaped groove members, the upper U-shaped groove members include a length, extend further beyond the second lateral edge than the lower U-shaped groove member includes a length shorter than the length of the upper U-shaped, groove member, and the plurality of composite laminate structure matting panels are interconnected to each other along the lateral edges by the edge connections.