Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 51 - 100 of 122 results:

Foundation Heat Exchangers for Residential Ground Source Heat Pump Systems - Numerical Modeling and Experimental Validation

2011

Xing Lu,

et al.

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Article describing a numerical model that can be used to size foundation heat exchanger (FHX) systems.

Foundation Waterproofing 101

2018

Bill Zoeller

Steven Winter Associates

Web article discussing the primary approaches to waterproofing concrete foundations.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations

2022

Williams Randy

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Article describing what the building codes say about frost-protected shallow foundations as a cost-saving alternative to conventional concrete foundations.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations 1

2010

Holladay Martin

Fine Homebuilding

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations 2

2024

Fine Homebuilding

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations Reduce Costs, Save Energy

2014

Hooker Kenneth A

Concrete Construction

Article describing frost-protected shallow foundations with construction drawing details.

Gossamer Wind Ceiling Fans

2014

Florida Solar Energy Center,

University of Central Florida

FSEC,

UCF

Website providing information about the Gossamer Wind Series Ceiling fans, conceived by Danny Parker at the Florida Solar Energy Center as a means of realizing the energy efficiency and comfort potential of ceiling fans.

High-Performance Slab-on-Grade Foundation Insulation Retrofits

2015

Goldberg Louise F,

Mosiman Garrett

NorthernSTAR,

NSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN

Report assessing slab-on-grade foundation insulation energy savings.

Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction, FEMA P-499

2010

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report containing 37 fact sheets that provide technical guidance and recommendations concerning the construction of coastal residential buildings.

Home Ventilating Institute

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

Website providing certified rating programs to help manufacturers, builders, contractors and homeowners compare performance of ventilation products for air flow, sound, and other performance characteristics.

Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake Resistant Design and Construction, FEMA 232

2006

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report presenting seismic design and construction guidance for one- and two-family houses for homebuilders, knowledgeable homeowners, and other non-engineers.

Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting - Six Ways to Protect Your House From Flooding, FEMA I-235

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Brochure describing FEMA documents and foundation tips for floodproofing homes.

How Much Ventilation Do I Need?

2018

Home Ventilating Institute

Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

How to Verify New Construction Compliance

2020

IBHS Fortified

IBHS

Checklist for verifying FORTIFIED levels and documentation needed.

How You can Strengthen Your Home for the Next Big Earthquake in the Los Angeles Area

2005

City of Los Angeles,

Department of Building and Safety

City of Los Angeles

Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more resistant to earthquakes.

HVI Airflow Test Procedure

2015

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Publication specifying HVI’s prescriptive procedures for testing and rating airflow of residential ventilation products in accordance with ANSI consensus standards.

HVI Certification Program Policies and Procedures

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Publication describing the requirements and procedures for the certified performance ratings program for residential ventilation products administered by the Home Ventilating Institute.

HVI Certified Products Directory

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

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.

IBACOS Builder System Performance Packages: January 2003--December 2003

2004

Broniek John

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report presenting system design packages for cold and mixed-humid climates.

Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

2014

Martin Eric

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS

The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation.

Improving Comfort, Saving Energy with Large Circulator Fans

2008

Aynsley Richard

Big Ass Fans,

HPAC Engineering

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

Indoor Air Pollution from Cooking

2020

California Air Resources Board,

California Environmental Protection Agency

CARB,

CalEPA

Article describing ways home owners can improve ventilation in their kitchens.

Innovation in Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

2019

Green Home Institute

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Innovation in Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

2019

Green Home Institute

Insulating Concrete Forms for Multifamily Residential Construction

2019

Lemay Lionel,

Peng Tien

Civil + Structural Engineers

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Local Officials Guide for Coastal Construction, FEMA P-762

2009

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide describing sound mitigation measures to lower building natural disaster vulnerability to assist local officials and community decision makers in coastal areas.

Measure Guideline: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

2014

Grin Aaron,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.

Measure Guideline: Hybrid Foundation Insulation Retrofits

2012

Lstiburek Joseph W,

Ueno Kohta

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document providing information on basement insulation, air sealing and water management retrofits.

Measure Guideline: Ventilation Cooling

2012

Springer David,

Dakin Bill,

German Alea

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Guide describing proper application, design, and installation of mechanical ventilation cooling systems for homes located in hot-dry and cold-dry climates, as well as a means of understanding the benefits, costs, and tradeoffs of these systems.

Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Charley in Florida Observations Recommendations and Technical Guidance, FEMA 488

2005

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

FEMA mitigation assessment team report following Hurricane Charley in Florida including observations, recommendations, and technical guidance for retrofitting hurricane-damaged homes.

Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System (MAEDbS) Enhancements and Improvements

2022

California Energy Commission

Webpage for the CEC’s Modern Appliance Efficiency Database System

Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System Product List

2022

California Energy Commission

CEC

List of appliance brands and models, showing their performance and efficiency as tested by the appropriate standard.

Moisture Control for Residential Buildings

2020

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

NFIP Technical Bulletin 1: Requirements for Flood Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures - Below Elevated Buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Night Ventilation Cooling Compliance Option

2011

California Statewide Utility Codes and Standards Program

California Public Utilities Commission,

CPUC

Document describing recommended modeling rules, potential compliance credits, and eligibility criteria for residential night ventilation cooling systems for California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.

Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures - Below Elevated Buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program Technical, Bulletin 1

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Participant Assisted Data Collection Methods in the California Healthy Homes Indoor Air Quality Study of 2011-13

2013

Mullen Nasim A,

Li Jina,

Singer Brett C

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Report describing a field study to measure pollutant concentrations in 324 homes in California.

Pump Day Procedures

2013

ICF Systems

Massachusetts Building Products

Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.

Radon-Resistant New Construction Builder/Contractor Resources

2013

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Website with information about radon-resistant construction techniques and other radon resources for builders, contractors and homebuyers.

Rain and Groundwater Management Technote

2017

Home Innovation Research Labs,

National Association of Home Builders

HIRL,

NAHB

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

READ THIS: Before You Design, Build or Renovate, GM-0602

2005

Brennan Terry,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Rebuilding Houston, BSI–101

2017

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

Recommended Residential Construction for Coastal Areas: Building on Strong and Safe Foundations, FEMA P-550

2009

Coulbourne Bill,

et al.

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

URS Corporation,

DK Low and Associates,

Greenhorne and O'Mara,

Dewberry and Davis

Report providing recommended designs and guidance for rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.

Reducing Flood Risk to Residential Buildings That Cannot Be Elevated, FEMA P-1037

2015

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide discussing ways that homeowners in ground-secured houses can reduce the risks and damage caused by floods upon residential buildings.

Residential Buildings: Foundations

2022

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Residential Fan Efficiency - Code Notes

2012

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

IECC code note explaining new fan efficacy requirements, along with how to determine which fans are affected by the new fan requirements.

Residential Seismic Strengthening

2021

City of Portland,

State of Oregon

City of Portland,

State of Oregon

Website providing resources for seismic retrofits for builders and homeowners as well as city permit requirements from the City of Portland OR.

Resilient Design Guide: High Wind Wood Frame Construction Edition

2020

Federal Alliance For Safe Homes

FLASH

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Review of Residential Comfort Control Products and Opportunities

2017

Metzger Cheryn E,

Goyal Siddharth,

Baechler Michael C

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

This research paper outlines residential HVAC advanced controls and sensors. It includes a technology review, applications, maintenance and commissioning, occupant behavior and a summary of the state-of-the-art technologies for advanced controls for residential HVAC.

Revised Builder’s Guide to Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

2004

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing,

National Association of Home Builders

HUD,

PATH,

NAHB Research Center

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.