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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 129

2012 International Mechanical Code - IMC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2012 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

2012 Uniform Plumbing Code - UPC

Author(s)
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
Organization(s)
IAPMO
Publication Date
Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2012 Publication.

2014 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, ICC 500/NSSA

Author(s)
International Code Council,
National Storm Shelter Association
Organization(s)
ICC,
NSSA
Publication Date
The purpose of this standard is to establish minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare relative to the design, construction and installation of storm shelters constructed for protection from high winds associated with tornadoes and hurricanes.

2018 Uniform Plumbing Code - UPC

Author(s)
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
Organization(s)
IAPMO
Publication Date
Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2018 publication.

2019 Fortified Home New Construction Hurricane Technical Summary

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.

2020 Fortified Home Standard Detail Set Hurricane

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.

2020 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, Volume II: Part 3 Resource Papers, FEMA P-2082-2

Author(s)
Building Seismic Safety Council,
National Institute of Building Sciences,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
Organization(s)
BSSC,
NIBS,
FEMA,
NEHRP
Publication Date
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.

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates, Volume 9

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Hefty Marye G,
Williamson Jennifer,
Ruiz Kathi,
Bartlett Rosemarie,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report providing builders in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Humid Climate, Volume 15

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Hefty Marye G,
Cole Pam C,
Adams Karen T,
Noonan Chrissy F,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
A guidebook helping builders in hot-humid climates design and construct homes for energy efficiency, durability, health, safety, and comfort.

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Mixed-Humid Climate, Volume 16

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Hefty Marye G,
Cole Pam C,
Adams Karen T,
Butner Ryan S,
Ortiz S J,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing measures that builders in mixed-humid climates can use to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

A Plug-and-Play Duct System Evaluation

Author(s)
Beach Robert,
Grisolia Anthony,
Dickson Bruce,
Poerschke Andrew,
Rapport Ari
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Report describing an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system.

Advanced Framing Construction Guide

Author(s)
APA - The Engineered Wood Association
Organization(s)
American Plywood Association,
APA
Publication Date
Guide describing advanced framing, a system of construction framing techniques designed to optimize material usage and increase energy efficiency.

Advanced HVAC Humidity Control for Hot-Humid Climates

Author(s)
Mallay David
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
The research report outlines a practical and cost-effective strategy utilizing central HVAC systems to optimize humidity control and ventilation in energy-efficient homes located in hot-humid climates, demonstrating significant improvements without requiring complex equipment upgrades.

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit

Author(s)
Bay Area Retrofit
Publication Date
YouTube channel featuring 90+ videos to educate Bay Area homeowners and contractors about seismic retrofitting, including information for various home and construction types.

Benefits of Demand-Controlled Pumping

Author(s)
Acker Larry,
Klein Gary
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine,
Taco Comfort
Publication Date
Article describing how demand plumbing systems send cold water back to the water heater until hot water arrives at the sink, shower or other fixture where it is needed.

Brick Masonry Rain Screen Walls

Author(s)
Brick Industry Association
Organization(s)
BIA
Publication Date
Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

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.

Central Heat Pump Water Heater Design Guide

Author(s)
Ecotope
Organization(s)
Energy Trust of Oregon
Publication Date
Design guide providing solutions and tools for designing central heat pump water heater systems in multifamily and other commercial buildings.

Coastal Construction Manual - Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, Fourth Edition, Volume II, FEMA P-55

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
Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Crawlspace Insulation

Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Organization(s)
ORNL,
SEI,
DOE
Publication Date
Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Create a Fire Smart Yard

Author(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Organization(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Publication Date
Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the different landscaping strategies near homes to lower the risk of a home's ignition from wildfire.

Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings, ANSI/ASHRAE 160-2021

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard describing prediction, mitigation, and reduction of moisture damage to the building envelope, materials, components, systems, and furnishings, depending on climate, construction type, and HVAC system operation; the webstore allows preview or full purchase.

Design and Construction of Interior Duct System

Author(s)
McIlvaine Janet E R,
Beal David,
Fairey Philip W
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
This study focuses on the design, construction, and performance of the interior chase approach as implemented by five different builders in Texas, North Carolina, and Florida.

Designing Your Home to Survive Wildfires

Author(s)
Milne Murray
Organization(s)
University of California Los Angeles,
UCLA
Publication Date
Wildfire resistant home checklist from Murray Milne, a professor of architecture at UCLA, who outlines seven steps to take to improve a home's chance of survival during a wildfire.

Disconnect or Redirect Your Downspout Brochure

Author(s)
Mid-America Regional Council
Organization(s)
MARC
Publication Date
A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.

Discussion of Strategies for Mounting Photovoltaic Arrays on Rooftops

Author(s)
Barkaszi Stephen F,
Dunlop James P
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
A research paper exploring the installation and mounting of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops and the challenges faced by system designers and installers.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

Author(s)
Solar Decathlon,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

FEMA 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.

FEMA Safe Rooms

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the purpose of safe rooms and criteria necessary to meet FEMA P-361 and P-320 criteria.

Field Evaluation of Four Novel Roof Designs for Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Ansanelli Eric,
Dadia D,
Levy Emanuel,
Barker Greg M,
Rath Pournamasi
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES
Publication Date
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.

Fire Network: Preparing Your Home - Assess Risks and Prioritize Your Actions

Author(s)
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Organization(s)
UCANR,
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
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.

Fire Protection Systems

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Articles, research, case studies, and more outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection system.

Five Things, BSI-039

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Article describing five fundamental changes to building construction from the last 50 years and their modern construction consequences.