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PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS164 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 2 | 2026 www.cpi-worldwide.comEdilmatic MT Bracket support system%u2026between regulatory requirements, design needs, and performance demands. In prefabricated buildings intended for industrial and commercial applications, the external envelope plays a fundamental role not only from an architectural point of view, but also in terms of functional and performance requirements. Precast concrete panels are widely used for fa%u00e7ade construction due to their durability, rapid installation, and ability to ensure high levels of protection and insulation. However, the behavior of these elements under service conditions and, above all, under seismic actions, largely depends on the effectiveness of the support and connection systems adopted.In Italian design practice, fa%u00e7ade panels are generally considered non-structural elements, and their contribution to the global lateral stiffness of the building is deliberately neglected. They are treated as suspended masses connected to columns or beams through devices primarily designed to transfer self-weight and horizontal loads due to wind or seismic actions. This approach, which is widely consolidated, is regarded as conservative and prudent, as it avoids assigning a structural role to the fa%u00e7ade elements in the overall seismic response of the building.This design philosophy, however, places particular importance on the panel-to-structure connections, which become a key element in ensuring the safety and integrity of the building envelope. During a seismic event, the load-bearing structure undergoes lateral displacements that must be accommodated by the support devices, preventing these deformations from inducing damaging stresses within the panels. Consequently, connection systems must be designed not only in terms of strength, but also with adequate deformation capacity and long-term reliability.From a regulatory standpoint, panel-to-structure connections must ensure proper performance under the so-called serviceability earthquake, defined as a seismic event with a 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years. Under these Precast concrete cladding panelsEdilmatic S.P.A., 460202 Pegognaga (MN), ItalyBuilding systems with infill panelsPosition of the claddings in a prefabricated structure