The SDSU Research Foundation is a non-profit corporation and auxiliary organization dedicated to supporting the research objectives of San Diego State University. With over 2,200 employees, it is the largest auxiliary in the state of California and operates on the largest campus in the California State University system.
The organization manages over 700,000 gross square feet of real estate across San Diego County, making flood protection a critical priority to safeguard both facilities and research operations.
Flood Challenges
Due to heavy rain events and limited maintenance on the nearby Alvarado Creek, the foundation experienced severe flooding especially in its parking garage and other vulnerable pathways. Prior to installing FloodBreak systems, the facility relied on sandbags, which were labor-intensive and required manual deployment by the Facilities & Planning team. This method proved ineffective during unexpected weather events, leading to costly damage, wasted resources, and operation disruption.
To mitigate future flooding, the SDSU Research Foundation flood mitigation project included maintenance of the Upper Alvarado Creek, floodproofing the building, and installing FloodBreak automatic floodgates at critical entryways. FloodBreak passive gates seamlessly tied into their building floodproofing to provide 24/7 perimeter protection without the need for human intervention. The floodgates automatically rise with floodwater to prevent water intrusion.
Key Benefits:
In January 2024, one of FloodBreak floodgates deployed during a heavy rain event! The gate activated passively and prevented flood inundation, providing our customer peace of mind and proven field success. Our floodgates are designed to only rise to the level of the floodwater and then automatically return to their hidden position. The deployment and successful flood save validated their decision to invest in FloodBreak passive flood barriers instead of continuing to manually deploy sandbags or other active measures.
