On 20 and 29 May 2012, two earthquakes of M _W 5.9 and M _W 5.8 occurred in the Emilia region of northern Italy, one of the most developed industrial centers in the country. A complete photographic report collected in the epicentral zone shows the seismic vulnerability of precast structures, the damage to which is mainly caused by connection systems. Indeed, the main recorded damage is either the loss of support of structural horizontal elements, due to the failure of friction beam‐to‐column and roof‐to‐beam connections, or the collapse of the cladding panels, due to the failure of the panel‐to‐structure connections. The damage can be explained by the intensity of the recorded seismic event and by the exclusion of the epicentral region from the seismic areas recognized by the Italian building code up to 2003. Simple considerations related to the recorded acceleration spectra allow motivating the extensive damage due to the loss of support.

This study investigates the seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings designed according to the current Italian building code. Number of stories, site hazard, presence and distribution of masonry infill panels, and type of lateral resisting system are the key investigated parameters. The main issues related to design and modeling are discussed. Two Limit States are considered, namely Global Collapse and Usability-Preventing Damage. The main aim of the study is a comparison between the seismic response of the buildings, investigated through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. Irregularity in the distribution of infill panels and site hazard emerge as the most influential parameters.