FAQs

Rather than simply spraying an item with primer, paint, or a galvanizing solution, these metal components are actually dipped into a vat of galvanizing material at a high temperature, assuring complete bonding to the structural members and a long-lasting superior coating that resists corrosion in all types of environments.

Each WHP building begins with a clean sheet of paper. We provide base floor plans and elevations as a starting point, but you make the choices about everything from building and room dimensions to window locations, to colors and finishes.

No two fire departments are alike; no two have the same training needs. You are the best judge of your training needs, whether they are for confined space, rappelling, ventilation, ship’s ladders, or other features.

Because OSHA Standard 29CRF.1926.502 states that any working surface more than six feet off the ground requires fall protection, we recommend railings or parapet walls on all roof surfaces that will be used for training.

Remember, not all railings are alike. WHP utilizes OSHA approved railings with toe plates, providing protection for both those on the roof and those below.

We use welded schedule 40 railing and structural steel angles. Our engineers can design railings to meet any local code requirements.

WHP offers Padgenite™ Interlock. Padgenite thermal insulation has proven itself in the field over 45 years. Properly installed and maintained, we believe it’s the best, most economical system on the market. If we found a better one….we’d be using it.

WHP introduced the Padgenite burn room liner over 45 years ago. When properly installed and maintained, Padgenite is the best and most economical system on the market. We work with clients to “value engineer” a room that will meet your needs as economically as possible. Frequently this involves blending the liner products within a room. Our pre-engineered lining system arrives on-site complete with shop drawings. Tiles are mounted on a grid of galvanized hat channels with spaces between the panels to allow for thermal expansion. Built into the system is an additional insulating air space between the panel and wall of the structure. When burning in one of our metal buildings, the Padgenite, coupled with the air space, insulates so effectively that you can touch the outside of the building.

We recommend the use of temperature monitoring devices within the burn room and offer a number of different models. Thermocouples placed at ceiling level and working level allow you to monitor temperatures and can greatly extend the life of the burn room panels.

WHP works with all the major simulator companies, both in new buildings and retrofits. Our experience working with propane/natural gas simulators makes for a seamless installation process.

There are two issues to consider when looking at stairs and railings, how closely they approximate real-life conditions, and the quality of the system itself.

WHP uses stair designs that meet your local code requirements as they relate to NFPA 1400. Stairs and railings are made from structural steel members welded together for superior strength and longevity.

Stair treads are hot-dipped galvanized bar grate with checker plate nosing, providing a slip-resistant and maintenance-free stair.

Code specifies that the components of the stair/railing system must be welded, not bolted together and that the railing needs to be smooth.

Our building was designed solely for the purpose of training fire and emergency service professionals.

WHP uses a proven building system introduced in 1949. It consists of hot-dipped galvanized structural cladding with 4.5” deep corrugations embedded with a series of smaller corrugations. This “compound” corrugation enhances the strength of the cladding such that the support strength of a WHP panel can equal that of a steel girder of the same length and weight.

Panels are 13-18 gauge (much thicker than found in most commercially available metal buildings). The system offers the advantage of being able to span distances of up to 300 feet without the need for interior columns, making it a perfect choice for customers needing open spaces and enhanced design flexibility.

To meet the demands of the fire service, we further strengthened the building by adding a secondary framing system of heavy gauge steel columns. Without structural modification, our building system is capable of meeting the most stringent wind load and seismic requirements in the country. We’ve been through hurricanes and tornadoes in Florida, Guam, North Dakota – and we’re still standing.

The building process begins with the erection of the internal framework of structural columns and floor joists.

Structural cladding is attached to the structural columns and joined together with 3/8″ diameter bolts (each able to support 1,400 pounds) at 6″ intervals.

Seams are sealed with top quality elastomeric strip caulking, making the building weather tight, and virtually light-tight.

NO OTHER TRAINING TOWER PROVIDER routinely seals each and every seam.

WHP is a full-service builder and supplier, capable of erecting a complete turnkey project. You have one contact— WHP — and we have control of the project from the time it leaves the drawing board until you sign off on a finished product.

Any problems, we handle them – from early planning phases until break-in of the completed tower.

We have multiple crews, so we can easily handle several tower projects at one time. WHP installers are specialists and ONLY build WHP buildings.

Completion time generally runs 4-8 weeks. Our experience shortens the installation time so that you can take possession sooner.

“When was the last time you crawled on a steel deck floor in a fire?”

Rugged, low maintenance concrete flooring comes standard throughout our buildings. Concrete floors provide the best long-term usage.

Smooth concrete floors are realistic and firefighter friendly, saving wear and tear on bunker gear.

Our building is designed to handle the additional weight of 4” poured concrete without reducing load limits.

WHP IS THE ONLY SUPPLIER WHO OVERLAPS AND SEALS EVERY SEAM.

A weather-tight building is very important. This keeps weather and wildlife – hazardous and destructive conditions – out of your building. A weather-tight building allows training year-round.

This weather-stripping also provides a closed seam and a dark interior. No matter how hard you hit the panels with an air pack or ladder during training exercises, the seams won’t separate. You won’t see light coming in.

WHP cladding is bolted together at 6” intervals by heavy-duty bolts (each capable of supporting 1400 pounds). The bolt holes are pre-drilled at the factory to prevent rust. High-quality weather-stripping seals are applied in the field at every seam.

Conventional metal buildings offer horizontal siding. Often these pieces overlap or interlock, but aren’t sealed. This siding is attached in the field by self-tapping screws. Each of these field-drilled screws creates a raw, new hole. Each new hole exposes un-coated metal which in turn creates a potential rust area and unsightly streaking.

We provide the roof that best suits your training needs, including a flat roof with railings, sloped roofs at whatever pitch you choose, double-pitched roofs (allowing training at two different angles on the same roof area) or any combination.

For ventilation exercises, most of our customers find that using a roof made of composition shingles with replaceable chop-out hatches provides a more realistic experience. Our chop-out hatches are flush with the roof, avoiding tripping hazards from raised curbs.

Our first structure was built in the early 1980s in Kotzebue, AK. Over 45 years and still going strong!

MODx Modular™ is pre-engineered for up to five stories, however, depending on the specific needs of the customer, more stories are possible. 

The standard MODx module is 8’x20’”. Modules can be stacked, positioned, and aligned in an infinite amount of configurations to fit your training needs.