Disaster Resistance -
Earthquakes
Earthquakes cause shaking and movement of the earth’s surface, often rocking buildings sideways causing walls to sway and whole buildings to hop or slide off their foundations. Select the building components listed below to be directed to guides that can provide detailed information on making your home more resistant to these lateral forces.
Description
Overview guide describing how to prepare homes to be resistant to earthquake forces.
Description
Information guide describing best practices for ensuring the safety of those returning to a home after a disaster.
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Guide describing ways to strengthen roof assemblies for resistance to hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.
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Guide providing information about flashing around a chimney to protect the intersection of the roof and chimney walls from water intrusion and anchoring of a chimney to prevent collapse in high winds.
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Guide describing ways to retrofit an existing roof to increase its resistance to damage during hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.
Walls
Description
Guide describing how to install insulated concrete forms to block excessive heat loss and gain though structural framing.
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This measure guides describes how to install structural insulated panels to block excessive heat loss and gain though structural framing.
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Guide describing how to retrofit older solid masonry homes to withstand seismic activity while including energy efficient retrofits.
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Guide describing how to construct the walls of a home with bracing to resist wind and earthquake loads.
Porches / Carports / Decks
Description
Guide describing how to provide a continuous load path with appropriate connectors to improve the wind resistance of attached porches, carports, and decks during high-wind events.
Foundation
Description
Guide describing how to provide a strong continuous load path from the roof through the wall to the foundation to ensure a structurally sound building and increase racking resistance in hurricanes, high winds, tornados, and earthquakes.
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Guide describing how to construct and retrofit homes built on slab-on-grade foundations in earthquake-prone areas to withstand seismic forces by properly installing wall to foundation connections.
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Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with basement foundations, crawlspace foundations, or crawlspace foundations with a "cripple" wall.
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Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with 'cripple' wall crawlspace foundations, which are known for their instability.
Operations
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Guide describing space planning for emergency supplies storage.
Equipment
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Guide describing fuel tank anchoring practices for disaster resistance.