Estudio Patológico Hotel Las Américas - Honda

Abstract

The evaluated structure corresponds to the Hotel Las Américas, located on the southwestern corner of Carrera 4A and Calle 16 in the municipality of Honda, in the department of Tolima. This building is estimated to be over 50 years old and was abandoned more than 10 years ago, with only a few commercial premises still in use on the eastern side of the first floor. Given the age of the structure, it is inferred that it does not comply with current legal requirements for the design and construction of buildings. Additionally, due to the building's abandonment, no maintenance measures have been implemented for a long time, leading to the emergence of primary physical deterioration such as moisture, dirt, and erosion, as well as secondary mechanical and chemical damage related to coating detachment, cracking, fissures, efflorescence, and the appearance of advanced corrosion processes in the concrete reinforcement. The evaluated building has an existing structural pathology and seismic vulnerability study carried out in 2013, which aimed to assess the condition of the structure and identify the intervention needs for its reuse. The study concluded that the cost of strengthening and repairing the structure would be excessively high compared to its potential demolition. This academic work seeks to develop a study focused on the most representative pathologies identified in the structure of Hotel Las Américas, based on field verification, a detailed review and analysis of the pathology tests conducted in 2013, and an evaluation of the results—understanding and reasoning through the arguments that supported the conclusions of the previous study.