Exposure to Seismic Hazard in a High-Complexity Hospital in Cali, Colombia

The project aimed to characterize the exposure to seismic hazard in the emergency area of a high-complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia.

The occupancy of the emergency area was analyzed over 6 months, determining the value of material elements exposed to the seismic hazard. Four phases were executed: search for pre-existing information, occupancy analysis, evaluation of exposed assets, and results analysis. The information was analyzed using a Geographic Information System (GIS), which allowed the visualization of demographic behavior in different locations and times.

The results confirmed that the seismic hazard is high, exacerbated by local geomechanical characteristics. It was observed that the average occupancy of most studied areas exceeded capacity. The value of the exposed assets was estimated at COP 3 221 008 640 (USD 959 844.76), the demolition value at COP 10 582 770 000 (USD 3 153 613.49), and the reconstruction value at COP 30 293 640 275 (USD 9 027 356.03). In the worst-case scenario, the losses were equivalent to 12.4% of the hospital's annual budget.

The data allow the hospital to take preventive measures and educate the staff to identify and mitigate critical areas. It also contributes to the knowledge of the approximate value of economic losses and the impact of potential human losses.