In response to the healthcare boom in the U.S. and the resulting demand for patient space in hospitals and doctors' offices, insulated metal panels (IMPs) have proven to be a powerful remedy. Light-weight construction, energy-efficiency, durability and cost-effective, timely installation are just a few of the advantages.

IMPs are lightweight composite exterior wall and roof panels with metal skins and an insulating foam core. "These panels have superior insulating properties, and their outstanding spanning capabilities and one-pass installation make them quick to install, with cost savings over other wall assemblies," says Brian Jaks of MCA's IMP Council. IMPs are available in a wide variety of colors, widths, profiles and finishes, enabling virtually any aesthetic for walls and roofs.

When Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown, Kentucky was growing and needed more patient rooms, the organization looked to expand. With the help of a lightweight metal wall system, the designers doubled the size of the expansion, gaining additional rooms from a limited footprint. IMPs enabled the construction of a second floor and a color scheme that was congruent with Hardin's branding. See the case study >

IMPs also address aesthetic challenges, as in the case of Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. With TMC being the downtown area's only freestanding outpatient specialty surgery center, the façade had to be highly visible and unique. To achieve this, the center was clad in 29,761 square feet of IMPs in a smooth, silver white finish—a pearlescent sheen that makes the building shimmer. See the case study >

The Ark at New York City's JFK International Airport houses nearly 50 horse stalls, a cattle pen, a veterinary clinic and spa-like facilities to pamper household pets. Designing interior spaces presented a menagerie of challenges, ventilation being just one of them. Several of the IMPs featured a non-combustible mineral wool core to meet today's stringent fire codes and bring the 60-year-old facility into the 21st century. See the case study >

Healthcare is just one of several industries represented in MCA's case studies. "Our goal in featuring case studies from our members is to inspire and educate those in the building industry about how metal building materials have solved design, structural and environmental challenges," says Karl Hielscher, MCA's Executive Director.

Case studies on the MCA website are searchable by the market, metal type, product type, key benefits, location and project type and include project details and photos: www.metalconstruction.org/case-studies.