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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 1 - 50 of 52

A Guide to Preserving Trees in Development Projects

Author(s)
Elmendorf William,
Gerhold Henry,
Kuhns Larry
Organization(s)
Pennsylvania State University Extension
Publication Date
Article describing tree health, environmental considerations, and details on how to preserve trees.

All About Shade Trees

Author(s)
This Old House
Organization(s)
This Old House
Publication Date
Article describing shade trees and how to plant, maintain, and replace them.

Architecture of New Mexico

Author(s)
Albuquerque Museum
Organization(s)
City of Albuquerque
Publication Date
Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

ASCE/SEI 7-22 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
Structural Engineering Institute,
SEI
Publication Date
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2022 and is available in both digital...

ASTM E84 - 22 Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials

Author(s)
American Society for Testing and Materials,
ASTM International
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
ASTM standard test method for surface burning response of different building materials. This version of the standard was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. Other versions of the standard were published in the years 2023, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018...

Benefits of Trees

Author(s)
Arbor Day Foundation
Organization(s)
Arbor Day Foundation
Publication Date
Article describing the benefits trees provide through quotes and anecdotes.

Building Orientation for Optimum Energy

Author(s)
Gromicko
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
Publication Date
Webpage explaining how to site and orient a house to take advantage of the solar path.

Construction & Design Considerations in Warmer Climates

Author(s)
Zero Energy Project
Organization(s)
Zero Energy Project
Publication Date
Guidance from Zero Energy Project on construction techniques for warmer climates, such as home orientation, and insulation requirements.

Cool Roofs

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

Cooling with a Whole-House Fan

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.

Designing for Floods, BSI-128

Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Report providing guidance on designing buildings to be flood resistant.

Earth Tubes Exhibit

Author(s)
Clean Energy Exhibition
Organization(s)
Clean Energy Exhibition
Publication Date
Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.

Earthquake Country Alliance: HVAC Units

Author(s)
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services,
Southern California Earthquake Center
Organization(s)
NEHRP,
FEMA,
Cal OES,
SCEC,
Earthquake Country Alliance,
ECA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing methods for securing HVAC units to avoid damage during an earthquake.

Earthquake Safety

Author(s)
American Red Cross
Organization(s)
American Red Cross
Publication Date
Webpage providing earthquake safety tips including proactive home structure and utility action items.

Efficient Earth-Sheltered Homes

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing using Earth-Sheltered home building techniques in hot climate zones.

Emergency Management Division of the Washington Military Department

Author(s)
Emergency Management Division of the Washington Military Department
Organization(s)
Emergency Management Division of the Washington Military Department
Publication Date
A website with resources for emergency preparedness including videos, guides, and webinars.

ENERGY STAR Storm Windows

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
ENERGY STAR webpage describing the benefits of storm windows and a link to a product list.

ENERGY STAR Storm Windows Key Product Criteria

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Webpage providing an ENERGY STAR climate zone map and criteria for ENERGY STAR storm windows per climate zone.

Evaporative Cooler Tips

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A webpage by the DOE on tips for saving energy with an evaporative cooler.

FEMA Flood Maps

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website describing and providing links to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, which home owners and builders can use to determine the flood risk of their location.

FEMA National Risk Index: Tsunamis

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website describing and providing a map showing the tsunami risk index for the United States, which home owners and builders can use to determine the tsunami risk of their location.

Flood Cleanup Infographic

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This document includes tips for safely and effectively cleaning up a home after a flood. It is available in several languages.

Flood Preparedness

Author(s)
California Department of Water Resources
Organization(s)
DWR
Publication Date
Website providing information to the public about preparing for floods and floods related to fires.

Floods: Major Appliances - Elevating

Author(s)
Federal Alliance For Safe Homes
Organization(s)
FLASH
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to elevate major appliances in case of a flood.

Heat.gov

Author(s)
National Integrated Heat Health Information System
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Federal webpage providing information regarding extreme heat and health for the United States.

Home Cooling Systems

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Website providing information on low-energy and standard cooling systems, with a focus on saving energy.

National Flood Insurance Technical Bulletins

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Resources describing the National Flood Insurance Program's technical bulletins for flood zone construction, including foundation walls, corrosion protection, floodproofing, and breakaway walls among other topics.

Natural Ventilation

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.

Passive Design

Author(s)
Green Home Technology Center
Organization(s)
Ohio State University Extension
Publication Date
Website providing guidance on passive heating, cooling, and lighting methods.

Passive Solar Design

Author(s)
Williams College
Organization(s)
Williams College
Publication Date
Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Permeable Pavement

Author(s)
City of Mercer Island
Organization(s)
City of Mercer Island
Publication Date
Brochure describing what permeable pavement is, where to install it, and how to maintain it.

Preparedness Webinars

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide

Author(s)
Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute
Organization(s)
UFEI,
California Polytechnic State University,
Cal Poly
Publication Date
Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Top 20 Largest California Wildfires

Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Webpage with data on the 20 largest wildfires in California that occurred between the year 1932 and present day.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Author(s)
USDA
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Interactive map maintained by the USDA showing plant hardiness zones throughout the U.S.

Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the use of cool roofs to reduce heat islands and and benefits and costs.