The Technical Board of Engineering and Architecture (JTIA) of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) approved on October 21, 2026 its Resolution No. 024, published in Official Gazette No. 30641-A on October 23, which authorizes the use of the Azuero Panel alternative construction system for small single-family homes. The application was filed by the company Azuero Panel, S.A. on December 16, 2024, almost two years before the approval.

According to the recitals, Chapter 7 of the Structural Design Regulation of the Republic of Panama (REP-2021) governs single-story single-family homes resting directly on the ground, and its section 7.5.1 requires any alternative system to be accepted by the JTIA. The application was sent to the Permanent Advisory Committee of REP-21 with a report from the Azuero Soil and Materials Testing Laboratory of the Technological University of Panama, and that committee found the structural concept satisfactory.

The second point describes the system: prefabricated panels with an expanded polystyrene core of 13 kg/m³ and a thickness of 50 to 150 millimeters, galvanized steel mesh on both faces and transverse connectors, coated with at least 25 millimeters of micro-concrete per face and seven days of continuous wet curing. The panels are anchored with #3 steel rebars every 0.40 meters on 210 kg/cm² concrete foundations, and the planned roof is a metal deck. The finished panel with plaster weighs between 50 and 70 kg/m².

For affordable-housing developers, contractors and self-builders, the approval broadens the recognized technical options for single-story homes, at a time when replacing homes damaged by the October 9 earthquake could raise demand for fast-assembly systems. The resolution, however, does not quantify or guarantee a cost or time advantage over other systems.

The authorization comes with conditions. The fourth point requires compliance with the JTIA Human Safety Regulation, and the design must follow the seismic, soil and load criteria of REP-2021, which distinguish between typical and non-typical homes. The fifth point orders that a copy of the resolution be sent to the country's municipalities and to the Fire Department Board, so practical use will depend on the building permits processed for each project. Nexo Capital will follow the use of this system in housing projects.

Research assisted by Sentinel, with editorial verification of official sources. Discover Legislat.ai