Colorado University – Boulder is one of Colorado’s most renowned universities. The school’s east campus, located south of Arapahoe Avenue and north of Colorado Parkway, is vulnerable to flooding via overflow from Boulder Creek, a stream that runs nearby.
When heavy rainfall or snow melt occurs, water flows down Arapahoe Avenue and collects in the stream. Flood risk increases during the wetter months in the spring and summer.
CU Boulder needed a flood control solution that could protect east campus in the event of a flood while still allowing for 24/7 access for all students and employees who frequent the area. FloodBreak’s passive flood protection technology was the best solution to provide permanent flood protection without any slowdown in pedestrian activity.
A total of 5 FloodBreak passive flood barriers varying in size were installed at several locations in CU Boulder’s vulnerable east campus. These include the Administrative & Research Center (ARCE), The Life Science Research Lab (RL4), and the Institute For Behavioral Genetics (IBG).
These barriers are permanently installed and are passive and automatic, deploying without human intervention or power. “Passive automatic” means the flood barriers self-rise, lifted by the floodwater itself. During dry times, the barriers will remain in their underground position, virtually undetectable.
The Administrative & Research Center and the Institute For Behavioral Genetics have multiple barriers protecting main entryways and vehicle loading docks. These barriers will provide decades of service life and protection, unaffected by the harsh seasonal conditions in Colorado or foot and vehicular traffic.
8 years after the initial installation, our team visited CU Boulder to inspect the passive barriers and perform any required maintenance. The barriers were still operating as designed.
