Areas of Emphasis

As an overlay to the core research program areas, ARIB develops Areas of Emphasis which are topics of special interest to CDOT. They are areas where focused research has the potential to result in substantial near-term and long-term benefits to Colorado, and where local factors make Colorado a logical choice to lead this research. Examples of local factors are Colorado’s natural features (for example, terrain, climate, the built environment, or state government policy), and relevant research strengths within Colorado’s universities, consulting firms, or national laboratories.

What are Research Areas of Emphasis?

In addition to traditional subject areas CDOT continues to study, we recently added something new – designated research Areas of Emphasis.

Areas of Emphasis are topical areas of special interest to CDOT. They are areas where:

  • We believe focused research can result in substantial near-term and long-term benefits to Colorado.
  • It is easy to answer the question, “Why is Colorado leading this research rather than other states?” This may be due to natural features of our state (terrain, climate, built environment, public sentiment, etc.), or because of strong, relevant research programs in Colorado’s universities, consulting firms, or national laboratories.

Over time, we intend to build research programs in these areas.

Current Areas of Emphasis are described below. We welcome Problem Statements in these as well as in our traditional research areas.

Areas of Emphasis 

  • Construction impacts on Air Quality 
  • Post-Wildfires Effects - Debris Flow

Post-Wildfires Debris Flow

In recent years, Colorado has experienced an increasing occurrence of natural and man-made disasters. Drought and wildfires, in particular, result in the loss of natural obstacles to erosion such as vegetation and the depth of the water-absorbing hydrophilic layer in soil. This loss reduces the natural ability of the land surface to slow or prevent debris flow after extended rainfall and flash floods.
Debris flow can damage transportation infrastructure such as roadways, bridges, and culverts, and can be hazardous to the safety of motorists and wildlife. It has cascading effects on the natural and built environment.

Although there has been much basic and applied research to understand, predict, and prevent or mitigate post-wildfire debris flow, we still face unknowns in all these areas.

In declaring this a CDOT Research Area of Emphasis our intent is to seek creative, implementable approaches to protect transportation infrastructure and the traveling public. This is likely to involve consolidating and building on existing knowledge, and further exploring approaches that can be applied to the many varied circumstances of this problem.

We invite research Problem Statements to address this important area: Understanding and mitigating the impact of post-wildfire debris flow on transportation infrastructure.

Recent and current CDOT research projects that fall within or relate to this Area of Emphasis are:

  • Post-wildfires Peak Flow Data Collection and Modeling in Burn Scars 
  • Precipitation and Streamgage Flood Warning System 
  • Enhancements to StreamStats Interface – StreamStats for Small Basins 
  • Enhancements to StreamStats Interface – Updates to the Regression Equations in Western Colorado 
  • Eastern Colorado Crest Stage Gage Network Service 
  • Drones for Measuring Change Detection: Slope Stability and Landscape Monitoring

Construction and Operations/Maintenance impacts on Air Quality

Colorado is committed to promoting clean and healthy air for our citizens and visitors, protecting our scenic and natural resources, and promoting statewide greenhouse gas pollution abatement (Colorado Air Pollution Prevention and Control Act, Section 25-7-101 et seq., C.R.S., as amended).

CDOT realizes that transportation-related activities can be major contributors to local and regional air quality, and to greenhouse gas emission. Vehicles produce significant amounts of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and other pollutants.

While vehicle tailpipe emissions have received considerable research attention, with highways being line-sources of pollutants and networks having regional impacts, the effects of construction activities and of Maintenance activities are less studied. CDOT construction and maintenance can take place on highways very close to homes and businesses, roads passing through sensitive ecological areas, and even on highways bordering city centers.

This Research Area of Emphasis is to gain a deeper knowledge of these activities’ impacts on air quality, to understand if and when these impacts are a threat to people and natural resources, and, where needed, to seek innovations that mitigate threats that may exist.

We invite research Problem Statements to address this important topic, understanding and potentially mitigating air quality impacts of roadway construction activities in Colorado.

While all Problem Statements on this topic are welcome, a recently initiated project presents a strong opportunity to leverage a new, extensive dataset. CDOT, in collaboration with CDPHE, has begun a multi-year, multi-location data collection effort along I 270 to support a series of research inquiries as this corridor undergoes reconstruction over the next few years. More information on that project can be found here (link to summary). There may be opportunities to participate in that research, to utilize that project’s dataset for other research questions, or to supplement that data-rich environment with additional measurements for other investigations.

Recent CDOT research projects that fall within this Area of Emphasis are:

  • Air Quality Impacts of Highway Construction 
  • YPods Investigation of Construction Air Quality