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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 51 - 100 of 182

Author(s)
Solar Decathlon,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Website from the U.S. Department of Energy providing consumers with information on saving energy and using renewable energy technologies.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Author(s)
Yee S,
Milby M,
Baker J
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR
Publication Date
Description
Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
A selection of publications and guidance to assist communities in making their buildings more resilient against the impacts of high winds.
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
Description
Document containing a series of resource papers that describe earthquake design components, including shear walls, resiliency, ground motion, and story drift and deflection, among others.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.
Author(s)
Coulbourne William,
Jones Christopher P,
Kapur Omar,
Koumoudis Vasso,
Line Philip,
Low David K,
Overcash Glenn,
Passman Samantha,
Reeder Adam,
Seitz Laura,
Smith Thomas,
Tezak Scott
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA,
Applied Technology Council,
ATC,
URS Group,
DK Low and Associates,
Atkins,
TLSmith Consulting
Publication Date
Description
Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.
Author(s)
Coulbourne William,
Jones Christopher P,
Kapur Omar,
Koumoudis Vasso,
Line Philip,
Low David K,
Overcash Glenn,
Passman Samantha,
Reeder Adam,
Seitz Laura,
Smith Thomas,
Tezak Scott
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA,
Applied Technology Council,
ATC,
URS Group,
DK Low and Associates,
Atkins,
TLSmith Consulting
Publication Date
Description
Volume 1 of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, and risk management for homes constructed in coastal environments.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
A website explaining the purpose of safe rooms and criteria necessary to meet FEMA P-361 and P-320 criteria.
Author(s)
Levy E,
Dentz Jordan,
Ansanelli Eric,
Barker G,
Rath P,
Dadia D
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative,
ARIES
Publication Date
Description
Report of a field evaluation of four novel roof designs to see how each design would reduce space-conditioned energy use so that the knowledge gained could be applied to the design of new manufactured homes.
Author(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Organization(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
Description
Guidelines from the University of California Cooperative Extension on how fires spread, how homes typically burn, and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes for wildfire season.
Author(s)
Marija Jelčić Rukavina,
Milan Carević,
Ivana Banjad Pečur
Organization(s)
University of Zagreb
Publication Date
Description
A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.
Author(s)
Urban Land Institute
Organization(s)
Urban Land Institute
Publication Date
Description
Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.
Author(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Organization(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Publication Date
Description
Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the different landscaping strategies near homes to lower the risk of a home's ignition from wildfire.
Author(s)
Bueche David,
Foley Tim
Organization(s)
Colorado State Forest Service,
CSFS
Publication Date
Description
Wildfire construction guidelines from the Colorado State Forest Service focusing on site design and building materials to mitigate damage to homes in wildfire-prone areas.
Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Article describing five fundamental changes to building construction from the last 50 years and their modern construction consequences.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
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.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
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.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for Existing Homes.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for New Homes.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind resistance.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for hurricane resistance.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing recommendations for the right tape in order to reduce the risk of leaks during storms with wind-driven rain.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing video links and Spanish/English handouts for installing roofs to meet the hurricane and high wind resistant guidance in the IBHS Fortified Home criteria.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet discussing designs for prefabricated safe rooms built to ICC 500 standards mentioned in FEMA P-361.
Author(s)
Resilient Design Institute
Organization(s)
Resilient Design Institute
Publication Date
Description
Website describing wet floodproofing measures to prevent against structural damage, internal damage and damage to electrical components.
Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa L,
Antonopoulos Chrissi A,
Margiotta Evan R,
Kaltreider Christian E
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
EERE
Publication Date
Description
Report identifying Building America and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code climate zone designations for every county in the United States; where a county's climate zone designation has changed since the 2018 IECC, that change is indicated as well.
Author(s)
Hoeschele Marc,
Springer David,
Dakin Bill,
German Alea
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.
Author(s)
Straube,
Grin
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Document describing ASCE 24-14 Flood Resistant Design and Construction changes and highlights, on topics including siting, materials, performance, and utilities.