WHP Trainingtowers™ provides fire training towers, unlike any other training tower on the market – intentionally designed for longevity with low maintenance. While our training towers are realistic, safe, versatile, and grant-eligible, the biggest benefit of purchasing a training tower through us is the fact that our buildings are designed and built to last. Simply put, we offer the best value in fire training towers.
Our towers are designed from the ground up with durability and longevity in mind. We use a proven building system introduced in 1949. Unlike many commercially available metal buildings, our towers are built to withstand the test of time, thanks to their robust construction and superior materials. We have made improvements along the way and continue to innovate and lead the training tower industry. Here are several unique ways our towers are built to stand the test of time:
It Starts with the Building Materials
Strength in Design
At the core of WHP towers’ durability lies our innovative design. The corrugated cladding, comprising structural panels with 4.5” deep corrugations, offers unmatched strength and resilience. These panels, thicker than typical commercial counterparts, boast a compound corrugation that enhances their load-bearing capacity, allowing for wide-span areas without the need for interior columns. This design flexibility enables WHP to tailor our MODx towers to suit the unique training needs of every fire department, whether it’s confined space, rappelling, or ship’s ladder training.
Combatting Corrosion
Our commitment to longevity extends beyond structural integrity to corrosion resistance. Our panels undergo a hot-dipped galvanization process, ensuring complete bonding and a long-lasting coating that stands up to rust and corrosion in all environments. This is particularly crucial in fire training settings where water exposure is common. Meeting the stringent standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), WHP’s galvanized structures exceed expectations, boasting a remarkable 50-year mark on the “time to first maintenance” (TFM) chart.
Reinforced for Resilience
Recognizing the demands of the fire service, we further reinforce our buildings with a secondary framing system of 12-gauge steel columns. This additional layer of strength enables the structures to withstand the most stringent wind loads and seismic requirements, proven by their resilience in the face of hurricanes and tornadoes in various regions. WHP towers have stood firm through the harshest conditions. Our buildings have been through hurricanes and tornadoes in Florida, Guam, and North Dakota and they’re still standing – a testament to their unmatched durability.
Our Padgenite™ Insulating Panel System Protects the Structure
Our dedication to durability doesn’t stop at structural integrity; it extends to our innovative insulation systems. The patented Padgenite Interlock™ system combines durable, low-density tiles with a flexible air gap, effectively dissipating the intense heat of fires. When burning in one of our metal buildings, the Padgenite Interlock™, coupled with the air space, insulates so effectively that you can touch the outside of the building.
This thermal lining system is the ONLY UL listed burn room panel and highest density board offered on the market, making it the most durable and quality consistent burn room panel offered in a thermal lining system to date. These interlocking panels not only maintain lower temperatures during burns but also provide added protection for metal, masonry, and concrete surfaces. By protecting the structure from excessive heat, we increase the longevity of our buildings and provide better value for the firefighters who train in them.
Advantages of Padgenite™ Insulating Panels
The strongest training towers merit the strongest insulating panels. WHP offers the best system on the market. Besides their ability to maintain lower temperatures while burning, Padgenite™ insulating panels offer many other benefits:
- Highly durable, low maintenance insulation
- Protects metal, masonry, concrete
- Class A or gas simulator fires
- New construction, retro-fit, or repair for damaged buildings
- Works well with thermal imaging cameras
- No “drying out period” between uses
- No fire placement restrictions within room
- No freeze/thaw issues
- Asbestos-free, calcium silicate product
- Does not support mold growth or absorb water
- Realistic drywall appearance reacts more like drywall as well
WHP Provides the Best Value in Fire Training Towers
Every brand-new building looks shiny and new when it’s first built; however, the true test of whether you made the right decision is revealed over time. We believe that the training towers we build should last a lifetime…and they do. Our first tower built in 1980 is still in use today in Kotzebue, Alaska…almost 45 years later! Add to all this quality and innovation a turnkey solution that will help you meet your department or district’s needs from budget to design to service after the sale, and you’ll see why WHP is the top choice for fire departments across the globe.
