Creating a Durable IMP System

High on the mountain at Massanutten Water Park, a new stair tower carries guests to the top of the slides. Our scope at Southern Thermal was to wrap the entire enclosure in Insulated Metal Panels (IMP).

That sounded straightforward from the ground. In reality, it asked us to do something our team had never done, in one of the harshest environments a structure can face, on a timeline that started out measured in months.

Aerial view of insulated metal panel installation on the new stair tower at Massanutten Water Park in Harrisonburg, VA

A New Approach for Our Team

The tower is built around glulam, the glue-laminated timber structure behind the panels. Because attaching IMP directly to glulam required a different approach, we engineered the method specifically for this project. Working alongside the architect and general contractor Harman Construction, we designed a fastening approach that holds the panels to the wood for the long haul, with no rust stains bleeding through and no panels working loose in a windstorm.

The challenge is that metal and timber expand, carry load, and react to moisture differently. The connection had to absorb that movement and seal out water while standing up to real wind uplift. We proved it in a mock-up before the first panel went up.

Interior scaffolding showing insulated metal panels fastened to the glulam timber frame of the Massanutten Water Park stair tower

Built to Withstand the Elements

A water park at the top of a mountain is demanding on two fronts: the chemicals below and the weather above. To resist salt, chlorine, and water park chemicals, the panels were finished with the same coating we typically reserve for oceanfront projects. Paired with fastening built for high winds, the enclosure is engineered to hold up where conditions rarely let up.

Insulated metal siding panels on the Massanutten Water Park stair tower, finished with a corrosion-resistant coating for chlorine and wind exposure

Ahead of Schedule by Design

The original estimate for this work was a couple of months. Detailed preparation brought that down to three weeks.

Before our crew ever arrived, we pre-planned the installation, built a mock-up, and walked the site, including the 125-foot lift it took to reach the back wall.

That groundwork let us hit the ground running. Beating the schedule let every partner behind us start early, moving the whole project timeline up and saving cost for everyone involved.

Solving problems like this is what our team does best. Many of our people came up from the field, bringing 20 and 30 years of experience to the table.

Southern Thermal insulated metal panel contractors' completed stair tower enclosure overlooking Massanutten Water Park and the Shenandoah Valley

What We Delivered

Full IMP enclosure of the Massanutten Water Park stair tower
A new fastening approach for attaching IMP to a glulam structure
Corrosion-resistant coating built for salt, chlorine, and water park chemicals
Pre-planning and mock-up that compressed the timeline from months to weeks
Completed months ahead of the original schedule

This one is close to home. Massanutten Water Park will serve our whole community, and it is one our own team looks forward to enjoying with our families. Explore our Thermal Envelope Solutions to see how we take on the challenges other teams pass on.