Why IMPs Are Reshaping Data Center Construction
Insulated Metal Panels (IMPs) have become one of the defining building choices for modern data centers. The reasons are straightforward: they arrive from the factory dimensionally consistent; they erect quickly, and they perform predictably. While traditional construction depends heavily on field workmanship, IMPs reduce that variable. Every panel is the same. Every joint is the same. The wall goes up fast and performs to specification.
Insulated Metal Panels’ consistency supports modular, repeatable builds. Enterprise, hyperscale, and colocation developers need this consistency to scale across multiple sites. Standardized wall assemblies simplify installation and create predictable conditions for the infrastructure that follows; including the cabling systems that power modern data centers. As IMP adoption continues to grow, so does the need for penetration solutions that can match the speed, consistency, and flexibility these projects demand.
The wall is only part of the story. Once the panels are in place, the real work begins fitting out the interior, routing cabling, and keeping the fire-rated envelope intact through every change that follows.
EZ Path® and IMP: The Right Match
IMPs provide construction consistency. EZ Path® provides the speed and flexibility that keeps pace with everything that happens once walls are erected.
Traditional firestop methods, including sealant, putty, and wrap strip, are at odds with the way data centers actually operate. Every cable change through a fire-rated IMP wall triggers a firestop obligation: remove the existing seal, add or reroute the cable, reapply firestop, wait for cure, and schedule re-inspection. In facilities where uptime is critical and downtime means lost revenue, that cycle becomes a persistent drag on both operational efficiency and compliance.
EZ-Path® device installed in an IMP wall. One install, no re-firestopping required.
EZ Path® devices are engineered for exactly this environment. Each device is a factory-lined intumescent pathway that installs once into the IMP panel opening. Cables can be moved, added, or changed at any time without disturbing the firestop. The device maintains its listed rating whether empty, partially filled, or loaded to 100%, before, during, and after every cable change.
Compliance is visual. Unlike hidden sealant systems, an EZ Path® penetration can be visually verified by checking that the device is secure with wall plates fastened, and cabling contained within the pathway. Technicians can confirm that the device is secured properly in seconds, whether during an AHJ inspection or a routine operational walkthrough.
Three New UL-Certified Systems for EZ Path® in IMP Assemblies
Specified Technologies has obtained UL Certification for EZ Path® use in IMP wall assemblies, removing the ambiguity that previously left contractors and specifiers navigating uncharted territory at the RFI stage. Three systems now cover the full range of IMP data center applications.
W-N-4002: ULTRA Pathway
For routing cable bundles through 1- and 2-hour rated IMP wall assemblies using EZ Path® ULTRA pathway devices.
-
0–100% visual cable fill
-
Cable tray may terminate at the wall or pass directly through the pathway device
-
Accommodates telecom, power cables, Cat 5-7, coax and fiber
-
F Ratings: 1 and 2 Hr / T Ratings: 3/4 to 1 Hr depending on cable type
UL System W-N-4002: EZ Path® ULTRA devices in IMP wall assembly
W-N-3003: Cable Pathways
For routing cable bundles through 1- and 2-hour rated IMP wall assemblies using EZ Path® Series 22, 33, 44+, and 84+ pathway devices.
-
0–100% visual cable fill; rating maintained at every fill level
-
Accommodates telecom, power, control, data (Cat 5–7), coax, and fiber
-
Series 84+ supports high-density bundles in a single opening
-
F Ratings: 1 and 2 Hr / T Ratings: ½ to 1½ Hr
-
Steel wall plates and gasketing required on both sides
UL System W-N-3003: EZ Path® devices in IMP wall assembly
W-N-4001: Cable Tray Penetrations
For protecting cable tray penetrations through 1- and 2-hour rated IMP wall assemblies using EZ Path® Cable Tray Retrofit Devices (EZCTR series).
-
Cable tray up to 24 in. wide × 6 in. deep
-
Cable fill: 25–100% visual fill within tray
-
Wall plates optional (≤18 in. tray); required for wider trays
- F Ratings: 1 and 2 Hr / T Ratings: 0 Hr (1 Hr wall), ½ Hr (2 Hr wall)
Optional supplemental sealant further reduces L Rating
UL System W-N-4001: EZ Path® cable tray device in IMP wall assembly
A Complete Answer for IMP Data Center Construction
IMP construction delivers a consistent, fast-rising wall system. EZ Path® delivers the penetration system that keeps pace with it and keeps performing long after the building is occupied.
Together, EZ Path and IMP construction close the loop on the two pressure points that matter most: construction schedule and ongoing asset protection for mission-critical infrastructure. IMP walls go up without variation. EZ Path® penetrations install once, accommodate every future cable change, and remain visually verifiable at any point in the facility’s life.
With UL Systems W-N-3003 and W-N-4001 now in place, the pairing is no longer an engineered judgment call. The testing system is a listed, inspectable, documented answer for initial fit out, for MAC work, and for every change that follows.
EZ-Path® and IMP: listed, inspectable, and ready for every phase of the facility’s life.
Spec Tech Bulletin (09/24/2026) - Click Here to Download