Aníbal Patiño Health Center

Context

Seismic vulnerability assessment of the Aníbal Patiño Health Center, located in Cali near the psychiatric hospital. A 4-story building with a semi-basement. The case study focused on the fourth-floor slab, evaluating whether it had the capacity to support the installation of two chillers (air conditioning units). Field visits with detailed photographic documentation (January–February 2026).

Role

Structural engineer supporting the design, modeling, production of rebar detailing drawings and calculation reports.

Process

• Thorough technical site visits with detailed photographic documentation (15 field photos between January and February 2026)
• Assessment of the structural condition of all 5 levels, including the semi-basement and the fourth floor as the critical area
• ETABS model of the existing structure based on field measurements and the available construction documents
• Floor-by-floor load analysis to determine the actual demand-to-capacity ratios at each level
• Comparison of seismic performance with reference buildings of a similar typology to put the findings in context
• Development of structural intervention recommendations prioritized by risk level

Results

• Comprehensive vulnerability assessment of a health care building in Occupancy Group III under NSR-10, with an importance factor I = 1.25 that increases the seismic demand by 25% compared with residential buildings
• Floor-by-floor analysis identifying specific deficiencies and their severity for each element evaluated
• Check of the fourth-floor slab confirming the feasibility of installing the two chillers
• Photographic record of 15 images documenting structural elements and conditions observed on site
• Comparison with reference buildings providing technical context for the vulnerability findings
• Clear intervention recommendations, prioritized according to the structural risk of each deficiency identified
• Complete technical report ready for submission to the relevant health authorities

Lessons Learned

Vulnerability assessment of health care buildings works under a completely different standard from residential buildings — elements that would pass a residential evaluation can fail here. Field photo documentation is not optional — it is the primary evidence supporting every assumption in the analytical model.