Pedestals

1. A substantially planar support member which is suitable for use as a horizontal support member in a pedestal and which comprises (1) an upper member which has a substantially continuous planar upper surface, (2) a lower member which has a substantially continuous planar lower surface, and (3) a substantially continuous peripheral member which secures the upper and lower, members together, the upper and lower members and the peripheral member defining between them an interior volume which extends over at least part of the area defined by the periphery of the support member, and whose density is substantially smaller than the density of the upper and lower members, and at least one of the upper and lower surfaces comprising a conformation which is selected from the group consisting of (i) depressions which extend inwards from the upper surface or the lower surface but at least part of which does not extend through to the opposite surface and (ii) projections which extend outwards from the upper surface or the lower surface;

wherein the upper member substantially continuous planar upper surface comprises one or more depressions, and the lower member substantially continuous planar lower surface comprises one or more depressions.

2. A support member according to claim 1 wherein the interior volume is filled with air.

3. A support member according to claim 1 which has a uniform thickness of 1 to 10 inch, an area, viewed in plan, of 1 to 100 ft. 2 and a volume of at least ½ ft. 3 .

4. A support member according to claim 1 which has a uniform thickness of 2 to 5 inch, an area, viewed in plan, of 4 to 40 ft. 2 , and a volume of at least ½ ft. 3 and less than 8 ft. 3 .

5. A support member according to claim 1 having a shape selected from the group consisting of rectangular, rectangular with rounded corners, polygonal, circular, oval and other regularly curved shapes.

6. A support member according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said depressions has a periphery selected from the shapes consisting of circular, annular, polygonal and rectangular with rounded corners.

7. A support member according to claim 1 wherein each of the upper and tower members is composed of a metal.

8. A pedestal which comprises (A) a substantially planar horizontal support member which comprises (1) an upper member which has a substantially continuous planar upper surface, (2) a lower member which has a substantially continuous planar lower surface, and (3) a substantially continuous peripheral member which secures the upper and lower members together, the upper and lower members and the peripheral member defining between them an interior volume which extends over at least part of the area defined by the periphery of the support member, and whose density is substantially smaller than the density of the upper and lower members, and at least one of the upper and lower surfaces comprising a conformation which is selected from the group consisting of (i) depressions which extend inwards from the upper surface or the lower surface but at least part of which does not extend through to the opposite surface and (ii) projections which extend outwards from the upper surface or the lower surface; and (B) a vertical column which fits into one of said depressions in the horizontal support or which fits over one of said projections extending from the horizontal support;

wherein the pedestal comprises a hollow tube which fits rotatably to one of said depressions or one of said projections on said upper surface of the horizontal support member and which comprises at least two pairs of open channels.

9. A pedestal according to claim 8 wherein the support member has a uniform thickness of 2 to 5 inch, an area, viewed in plan, of 4 to 40 ft. 2 , and a volume of at least ½ ft. 3 and less than 8 ft. 3 ; and a shape selected from the group consisting of rectangular, rectangular with rounded corners, polygonal, circular, oval and other regularly curved shape shapes.

10. A pedestal according to claim 8 wherein each of the upper and lower members is composed of a material selected from metals and polymeric materials.

11. A pedestal according to claim 8 which comprises first and second vertical columns each of which is fitted to said horizontal support member.

12. A pedestal which comprises:

(A) a substantially planar horizontal support member which comprises:

(1) an upper member which has a substantially continuous planar upper surface,

(2) a lower member which has a substantially continuous planar lower surface, and

(3) a substantially continuous peripheral member which secures the upper and lower members together, the upper and lower members and the peripheral member defining between them an interior volume which extends over at least part of the area defined by the periphery of the support member; and

whose density is substantially smaller than the density of the upper and lower members, and at least one of the upper and lower surfaces comprising a conformation which is selected from the group consisting of (i) depressions which extend inwards from the upper surface or the lower surface but at least part of which does not extend through to the opposite surface and (ii) projections which extend outwards from the upper surface or the lower surface; and

(B) a vertical column which fits into one of said depressions in the horizontal support or which fits over one of said projections extending from the horizontal support;

wherein the pedestal comprises:

(1) a first lower vertical column having a top and a bottom and a first lower vertical axis,

(2) a first upper vertical column having a top and a bottom and a first upper vertical axis which is coincident with the first lower vertical axis, and

(3) a second vertical column having a top and bottom;

said horizontal support member being a first horizontal support member between said first lower vertical column and said first upper vertical column, the top of the first lower vertical column being fitted to one of said depressions or one of said projections in the lower surface of the first horizontal support member and the bottom of the first upper vertical column being fitted to one of said depressions or one of said projections in the upper surface of the first horizontal support member, and wherein the pedestal further comprises

(4) a second horizontal support member having a lower surface with multiple depressions or projections, the top of the first upper vertical column being fitted to one of said multiple depressions or projections in the lower surface of the second horizontal support member and the top of the second vertical column being fitted to one of said multiple depressions or projections in the lower surface of the second horizontal support member.

13. A pedestal according to claim 12 wherein all the connections between the columns and the horizontal support members are rotatable.