Building panels

A fiber-reinforced polymeric load-bearing building panel assembly, comprising:

• (a) a building panel having a height defined between a top and a bottom of said building panel, a length, and a thickness, said building panel comprising
• (i) a first outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said first outermost layer defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel,
• (ii) a second innermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said second innermost layer defining at least a portion of an inwardly-facing surface of said building panel, and
• (iii) a plurality of load-bearing studs spaced along the length of said building panel and extending away from said building panel, including away from one of the innermost and outermost layers:
• and
• (b) a support bracket made with fiber-reinforced reaction cured polymeric resin, said support bracket being assembled to said building panel in association with the top of said building panel, said support bracket extending along the full length of said building panel, said support bracket comprising a support panel (176, 176A, 176B) extending away from one of said first and second outermost surfaces and away from said building panel.

A fiber-reinforced polymeric building panel, haying a height defined between a top and a bottom of said building panel, a length, and a thickness, said building panel comprising

• (a) a first outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said first outermost layer defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel:
• (b) a second innermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said second innermost layer defining at least a portion of an inwardly-facing surface of said building panel:
• and
• (c) a plurality of foam blocks arranged side-to-side between said first and second layers, first, second, third, and fourth ones of said foam blocks, adjacent each other respectively, each having first and second sides, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the inner and outer surfaces being adjacent the respective innermost and outermost layers,
• said first and second layers collectively comprising a plurality of fiber-reinforcing substrates,
• a given said substrate extending, from a first end thereof adjacent the outer surface of said first foam block, across the first end of said second foam block, along the outer surface of said second foam block to the second side of said second foam block, and between the second side of said second foam block and the first side of said third foam block to the inner surface of said second foam block, and thence along the inner surface of the third foam block across the second side of said third foam block and extending adiacent, but displaced from, the inner surface of said fourth foam block, to a second end of a given said substrate.

A fiber-reinforced load-bearing composite building panel, having a height defined between a top of said building panel and a bottom of said building panel when said building panel is in an upstanding orientation, and a length, said load-bearing building panel comprising:

• (a) an outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said outermost layer defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel when said building panel is disposed in an upstanding orientation as part of an outer wall of a structure;
• (b) an innermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said innermost layer having first and second opposing outer surfaces and defining an inwardly-facing surface (57) of said building panel when said building panel is disposed in such upstanding orientation as part of such outer wall of such structure;
• (c) a plurality of structurally-reinforcing members extending between the top and the bottom of said building panel, respective said structurally reinforcing members extending, at spaced locations along the length of said building panel, between locations at or proximate said outermost layer and locations at or proximate said innermost layer;
• and
• (d) thermally insulating foam extending between, and being in contact with, said innermost and outermost layers, and
• (e) studs at spaced locations along the length of said building panel, said studs protruding from said building panel, and being disposed between said thermally insulating foam and said innermost layer, said innermost layer, including both the first and second opposing outer surfaces thereof, extending along, and forming the inwardly-facing surface of said building panel to a said stud, and away from said thermally insulating foam and about said stud.

A building panel assembly, comprising

• (a) 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 upstanding orientation, a length, and a thickness, said building panel comprising
• (i) a first outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said first outermost layer defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel,
• (ii) a second innermost fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said second innermost layer defining at least a portion of an inwardly-facing surface of said building panel, opposite the outwardly-facing surface, and
• (iii) a plurality of load-bearing studs spaced along the length of said building panel and extending away from said building panel, including away from one or the innermost and outermost layers, said studs having inwardly-facing end panels, and
• (b) interior sheet material mounted over said end panels thereby to form an interior surface of said building panel.

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 upstanding orientation, a length, and a thickness, said load-bearing building panel comprising a panel body, and a plurality of studs protruding from said panel body, said panel body comprising:

• (a) an outermost fiber-reinforced polymeric body layer, said outermost body layer comprising a first fiber substrate and defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel when said building panel is disposed in an upstanding orientation as part of an outer wall of a structure;
• (b) an innermost fiber-reinforced polymeric body layer, said innermost body layer comprising a second fiber substrate and defining an inwardly-facing surface (25) of said building panel body when said building panel is disposed in such upstanding orientation as part of such outer wall of such structure;
• (c) a plurality of thermally-insulating foam blocks extending generally from said innermost layer of said panel body to said outermost layer of said panel body and having lengths extending from the top of said building panel to the bottom of said building panel, a given said foam block having an innermost foam block surface disposed toward the innermost body layer, and an outermost foam block surface disposed toward said outermost body layer, and opposing side surfaces extending between said innermost foam block surface and said outermost foam block surface;
• (d) at least one layer comprising a third fiber substrate and extending across at least one of the innermost foam block top surface and the outermost foam block surface, and across the opposing side surfaces, of the given said foam block between the innermost and outermost foam block surfaces;
• and
• said studs being
• (e) spaced along the length of said building panel and protruding from the innermost body laver, including extending away from the innermost body layer, said studs having lengths extending from the top of said building panel to the bottom of said load-bearing building panel, and generally aligned with the lengths of said foam blocks,
• a given said stud having an inwardly-facing end facing away from said innermost body layer and an opposing outwardly-facing end facing toward said outermost body layer and said innermost body layer, and opposing sides connecting the inwardly-facing end and the outwardly-facing end, at least one fiber-reinforced polymeric stud layer, comprising a fourth fiber substrate extending across the inwardly-facing end of the given said stud and across the opposing sides of the given said stud.

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 upstanding orientation, a length, and a thickness, said load-bearing building panel comprising:

• (a) an outer fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said outer layer comprising a first fiber substrate and defining an outwardly-facing surface of said building panel;
• (b) an inner fiber-reinforced polymeric layer, said inner layer comprising a second fiber substrate and generally defining an inwardly-facing surface of said building panel;
• (c) a plurality of foam blocks between said inner layer and said outer layer and from the top of said building panel to the bottom of said building panel, a given said foam block having a top surface, a bottom surface, and opposing side surfaces;
• and
• (d) a fiber substrate extending across at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface, and across the opposing side surfaces, of a given one of said foam blocks, and between said inner layer and said outer layer.