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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 651 - 700 of 800

Severe Weather Fire Safety Outreach Materials

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
USFA
Publication Date
Description webpage providing information about home fire safety during sever weather for consumers.

Siding Cost.org

Author(s)
sidingcost.org
Organization(s)
sidingcost.org
Publication Date
Website providing the pros and cons of different siding materials for home building, including wood, vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick, metal, and stone.

Sizing and Building a Battery Bank

Author(s)
Global Technology and Information Services
Organization(s)
SIL International
Publication Date
Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.

Small Wind Electric Systems

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A website discussing the use of consumer-grade small electric wind systems such as turbines to lower energy costs.

Small Wind Site Assessment Guidelines

Author(s)
Olsen,
Preus
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
NREL technical report providing guidance on site selection for installation of small wind turbines.

Smart Guide Passive Cooling

Author(s)
Smarter Homes NZ
Organization(s)
Smarter Homes NZ
Publication Date
Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Snow Loads

Author(s)
Wilkerson
Organization(s)
Medeek Design
Publication Date
Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

Snow Loads: Guide to the Snow Load Provisions of ASCE 7-16

Author(s)
Michael O'Rourke
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Guide providing detailed explanations of the snow load provisions contained in Standard ASCE/SEI 7-16: Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) and Snow Course Data and Products

Organization(s)
NRCS
Publication Date
The website by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center tracks snowpack sensor stations at multiple sites across the country providing an interactive US map of snow loads.

Solar on Sips

Author(s)
Sughrue
Organization(s)
Home Power
Publication Date
A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Solar Water Heaters

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing how solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home.

Sprinkler Insulation - A Literature Review

Author(s)
Merrifield Brian
Organization(s)
Fire Protection Research Foundation,
FPRF,
National Fire Protection Association,
NFPA
Publication Date
Literature review from NFPA on the use of insulation to protect the piping in home fire sprinkler systems from freezing conditions.

SRI Calculator

Author(s)
Levinson Ronnen
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.

Standard Guide for Seismic Risk Assessment of Buildings, ASTM E2026-16a

Author(s)
American Society for Testing and Materials,
ASTM International
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
Guide providing guidance on conducting seismic risk assessments for buildings. The link goes to the current version of this standard, which was published in the year 2016 and is available for preview and purchase. Previous editions of this standard were published in the year 2016, 2007, and 1999...

Standard Practice for Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Evaluations for Earthquake Due-Diligence Assessments, ASTM E2557-16a

Author(s)
ASTM International
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
Practice providing a guide or standard to undertake seismic risk assessment of properties. The current version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available for preview and purchase at the link. Previous versions of the standard were published in the years 2016 and 2007, and are...

Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet - Vegetated Swales

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Document describing correct construction of swales, designed to trap particulate pollutants (suspended solids and trace metals), promote infiltration, and reduce the flow velocity of storm water runoff.

Structural Design Loads for the Home Inspector

Author(s)
Gromicko
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
InterNACHI
Publication Date
Article defining structural design loads and ways to calculate them, including dead loads, live loads, soil lateral loads, wind loads, snow loads, earthquake loads, and other loads.

Subterranean Termites – Their Prevention and Control in Buildings

Author(s)
Peterson Chris,
Wagner Terence L,
Mulrooney Joseph E,
Shelton Thomas G
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
USDA,
USDA Forest Service
Publication Date
A report describing methods for constructing homes and treating soils to reduce the risk of termites in buildings.

Successfully Retrofitting Buildings for Wind Resistance, Recovery Advisory 1

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Recovery advisory presenting key wind retrofit guidelines for buildings located in hurricane-prone regions. These retrofit guidelines are intended to help building owners and designers prevent or limit wind damage and water infiltration during high-wind events.

Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
USDHS
Publication Date
Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

Sustainable Development Guidelines

Author(s)
Gray
Organization(s)
Town of Clarkdale
Publication Date
Presentation on sustainable development including water conservation, passive solar, daylighting, natural ventilation, and land use.

Sustainable Living Series

Author(s)
Office of Sustainability
Organization(s)
Washington University St. Louis
Publication Date
Presentation by the Washington University Office of Sustainability on saving energy.

Team Negawatt

Author(s)
Duarte Carlos,
Gandhi Priya,
Kim Antony,
Landsman Jared,
Santos Luis,
Tepfer Sara,
Wang Taoning
Organization(s)
Center for the Built Environment,
CBE,
University of California Berkeley,
UC Berkeley
Publication Date
Presentation on urban land use and sustainable building design.

Technology Fact Sheet: Weather-Resistive Barriers

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Brochure with information about how to select and install house wrap and other weather-resistive barriers.

Termite Infestations

Author(s)
Green
Organization(s)
University of Nebraska - Lincoln,
Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County
Publication Date
Article describing identification of termite infestations in homes and treatment options.

Termites

Author(s)
U.S. Forest Service
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
An introduction to the insect termites.

The Corsi-Rosenthal Box

Author(s)
Roberta Burnes
Organization(s)
Kentucky Department of Air Quality
Publication Date
Presentation describing how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal Box for air cleaning.

The Effects of Windborne Debris on Saferoom Wall Panels and Fenestration Systems

Author(s)
Stephen T. Peters,
Ian N. Robertson
Organization(s)
University of Hawaii College of Engineering
Publication Date
Projectile missile testing of various wall panel configuration to understand how the different wall constructions would perform when struck with wind driven debris from a hurricane.

The Growing Threat of Urban Flooding: A National Challenge 2018

Author(s)
Texas A&M University
Organization(s)
Texas A&M University,
University of Maryland
Publication Date
Article from Texas A&M University and the University of Maryland analyzing why and how urban flooding happens and what can be done to mitigate damage.