Patent ID: 8534028

Claim:
A fiber-reinforced polymeric load-bearing building panel, said building panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said building panel when said building panel is in an upright orientation, a length, and a thickness, said load-bearing building panel comprising: (a) an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said outer layer defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel when said building panel is being used as a load-bearing part of a load-bearing wall of a building; (b) an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said inner layer generally defining an inwardly-facing surface ( 25 ) of said building panel when said building panel is being used as such load-bearing part of such load-bearing wall of such building; (c) a plurality of foam blocks extending generally from said inner layer to said outer layer and from the top of said building panel to the bottom of said building panel, said foam block having an outer surface disposed toward said outer layer, an inner surface disposed toward said inner layer, and opposing side surfaces; and (d) at least one fibrous layer extending across, and covering, the outer surface, and across and covering, the opposing side surfaces, of said foam block, and extending, from the side surfaces, onto and part way across the inner surface of said foam block, and thereby defining a substantial distance between opposing ends of said at least one fibrous layer at the inner surface of said foam block, said fibrous layer being secured to the inner surface of said foam block at or adjacent the respective ends of said fibrous layer.