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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 101 - 150 of 235

BPVC Code Cases: Boilers and Pressure Vessels (BPVC-CC-BPV) - 2017

Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Organization(s)
ASME
Publication Date
Code establishing the rules of safety relating only to pressure integrity for the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during construction. This version of the code was published in the year 2017 and is available to order at the referenced link. There are also versions...

BPVC Code Cases: Boilers and Pressure Vessels (BPVC-CC-BPV) - 2021

Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Organization(s)
ASME
Publication Date
Code establishing the rules of safety relating only to pressure integrity for the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during construction. This version of the code was published in the year 2021 and is available to order at the referenced link. There are also versions...

Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs

Author(s)
Quarles,
Pohl
Organization(s)
USFS,
IBHS
Publication Date
Report examining the cost differences between a typical home and a home constructed using wildfire-resistant materials and design features.

Building Code Requirements That Exceed or Are More Specific Than the National Flood Insurance Program

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing the flood-resistant provisions of the 2021 International Codes and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 24-14, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, that are “higher standards” and that are more specific than the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

Building Energy Efficiency Standards - Title 24

Author(s)
California Energy Commission
Organization(s)
CEC
Publication Date
Website providing information about the Title 24 building energy efficiency standards for the State of California and links to current and past standards including the 2025, 2022, 2019, and 2016 standards, etc.

Building Performance Institute Certified Professionals

Author(s)
Building Performance Institute
Organization(s)
BPI
Publication Date
A comprehensive list of professional certifications offered by the Building Performance Institute. The webpage includes links to overviews of the different certificates, certification scheme handbooks, and directions for taking certification exams and recertification.

California Code of Regulations C-36 - Plumbing Contractor

Author(s)
California Contractors State License Board
Organization(s)
CSLB
Publication Date
California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.

California Plumbing Code 2019

Author(s)
State of California
Organization(s)
State of California
Publication Date
2019 version of California's plumbing code.

Certified Home Ventilating Products Directory

Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
HVI
Publication Date
Website providing an online directory of more than 3,600 residential ventilation products lisiting flowrates, sones, watts, and other performance metrics; all listed products have been tested by the Home Ventilating Institute.

Code Notes: Residential Fan Efficiency

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
IECC code note explaining new fan efficacy requirements, along with how to determine which fans are affected by the new fan requirements.

Color and Mood

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
A website explaining the various shades of light, from warm to cool colors, with a visual diagram illustrating the various shades of light.

Controls and Safety Devices for Automatically Fired Boilers (CSD-1) - 2012

Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Organization(s)
ASME
Publication Date
Standard covering requirements for the assembly, installation, maintenance, and operation of controls and safety devices on automatically operated boilers directly fired with gas, oil, gas-oil, or electricity, having fuel input ratings under 12,500,000 Btu/hr. This version of the code was published...

Controls and Safety Devices for Automatically Fired Boilers (CSD-1) - 2021

Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Organization(s)
ASME
Publication Date
Standard covering requirements for the assembly, installation, maintenance, and operation of controls and safety devices on automatically operated boilers directly fired with gas, oil, gas-oil, or electricity, having fuel input ratings under 12,500,000 Btu/hr. This version of the code was published...

CRI Research and Resources - Downloadable Fact Sheets

Author(s)
Carpet and Rug Institute
Organization(s)
CRI
Publication Date
Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

CSA 6.19-01 (R2016) - Residential carbon monoxide alarming devices

Author(s)
Canadian Standards Association International,
CSA Group
Organization(s)
CSA International,
CSA Group
Publication Date
Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2001 and revised in...

CSA 6.19-17 (R2022) - Residential carbon monoxide alarming devices

Author(s)
CSA Group
Organization(s)
CSA Group
Publication Date
Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2017 and revised in...

DOE Building Energy Codes Program

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website providing information on U.S. residential and commercial building codes including adoption status.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Program

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Homepage for DOE's Zero Energy Ready Homes program.

DSA Gas Shut off Valves Certification Program

Author(s)
California Division of the State Architect
Organization(s)
DSA,
California Department of General Services,
DGS
Publication Date
A quick guide from the California Division of the State Architect (DSA) explaining the three types of gas shutoff devices to stop the flow of natural gas into buildings in the event of an earthquake or rupture of the gas line.

Earthquake Building Codes

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website providing links to building codes, seismic codes, code enforcement, safe buildings, and seismic retrofitting.

EC-6: Rolled Erosion Control Products

Author(s)
Mile High Flood District
Organization(s)
MHFD
Publication Date
A best-practices guide compiled to reduce the effects of erosion and enhance vegetation establishment and survivability on slopes and channels.

ENERGY STAR HVAC Design Report

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This report is designed to meet ASHRAE 62.2-2010/2013 and ANSI/ACCA’s 5 QI-2015 protocol, thereby improving the performance of HVAC equipment in new homes when compared to homes built to minimum code.

Environmental Certification Program: Indoor Air Quality Performance

Author(s)
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
Organization(s)
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)
Publication Date
Standard supporting indoor air quality performance by producers, purchasers and policy makers to improve the environmental performance of products and services.

EPA Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, Version 1 (Rev. 04)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

FEMA High Winds Publications

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A selection of publications and guidance to assist communities in making their buildings more resilient against the impacts of high winds.

FEMA P-2082-1 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, 2020 Edition, Volume 1: Part 1 Provisions, Part 2 Commentary

Author(s)
Building Seismic Safety Council
Organization(s)
BSSC,
National Institute of Building Sciences,
NIBS,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA,
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program,
NEHRP
Publication Date
Document presenting the minimum recommended requirements necessary for the design and construction of new buildings and other structures to resist earthquake ground motions throughout the United States.

FEMA P-798, Natural Hazards and Sustainability for Residential Buildings

Author(s)
Gromala,
Kapur,
Kochkin,
Line,
Passman,
Reeder,
Trusty
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report describing the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards.

FEMA P-804, Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings

Author(s)
Kapur,
Mahadevia,
Park,
Passman,
Perotin,
Reeder,
Seitz,
Sheldon,
Tezak
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report providing guidance on how to improve the wind resistance of existing residential buildings in Mississippi and across the Gulf Coast.

Fire in California: Windows

Author(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Organization(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

Firebreak: Wildfire Resilience Strategies for Real Estate

Author(s)
Urban Land Institute
Organization(s)
Urban Land Institute
Publication Date
Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.

Flood Resistant Provisions of the 2015 International Codes

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website containing information about the 2015 edition of the International Codes related to flood-resistant design and construction.

Fortified Home High Wind Technical Requirements Summary New Construction

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report summarizing the requirements to strenghthen new homes against property damage caused by high wind occurrences per the IBHS Fortified Homes High Wind Standard for New Homes.

Fortified Home High Wind Technical Requirements Summary: Existing Homes

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report summarizing the requirements to strenghthen new homes against property damage caused by high wind occurrences per the IBHS Fortified Homes High Wind Standard for Existing Homes.

Foundation and Anchoring Criteria for Safe Rooms

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet discussing designs for prefabricated safe rooms built to ICC 500 standards mentioned in FEMA P-361.