Diagram courtesy of the Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia website.

Concrete panels can be used for cladding purposes or as a loadbearing structure. In the case of the building that I am studying the panels are used as a loadbearing structure. This method is much more cost efficient than a portal frame structure with concrete panels used as cladding, as there is less use of structural steel, thus a reduction in weight decreasing the cost in the amount of steelwork required.