Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 51 - 100 of 106 results:

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.

Hurricane Shutter Types

2023

Hurricane Research Division,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

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 Resistance of Brick Veneer Structures to Hurricane Debris

2005

Bennett Richard M,

et al.

Canada Masonry Design Centre,

CMDC

An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

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.

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.

Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards

2013

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report providing a resource that communities can use to identify and evaluate a range of potential mitigation actions for reducing risk to natural hazards and disasters.

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.

Natural Hazards

2020

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS

Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

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.

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.

OSHA Fact Sheet: Using Portable Generators Safely

2005

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA

A fact sheet educating the public on the potential hazards and safe use of portable generators.

Prepare Your Home Ahead of Severe Thunderstorms

2020

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

IBHS

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

Preparedness Webinars

2022

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Preparing for Disaster, FEMA P-475

2004

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

American Red Cross

FEMA,

American Red Cross

Fact sheet describing how to prepare for a natural disaster and assemble a disaster supply kit.

Pump Day Procedures

2013

ICF Systems

Massachusetts Building Products

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

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.

Ready.gov: Build A Kit

2020

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

USDHS

A fact sheet providing tips on how to assemble a kit of food, water and other disaster supplies in the event of an emergency.

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 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.

Resistance of Exterior Walls to High Velocity Projectiles

2001

Kashuba Scott D,

Kuzik Mark D,

Hatzinikolas Michael A

Canadian Masonry Research Institute,

CMPA

Report describing the testing of various siding materials for their ability to resist bullets from small firearms.

Retrofit Improvements - Bracing of Roof Projections

2012

Home Innovation Research Labs

HIRL

Fact sheet describing how to install bracing to retrofit roof dormers for increased wind resistance.

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.

Rodent Exclusion Manual: Mechanical Rodent Proofing Techniques: a training manual for National Park Service Employees

2014

National Park Service

Manual describing methods for rodent-proofing buildings.

Safe Room Funding

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

FEMA information on safe room funding to regional governments.

Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes - Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms, Fourth Edition, FEMA P-361

2021

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report covering the planning, design, construction, and operation of residential and community safe rooms. Written for architects, engineers, building officials, local officials and emergency managers, and prospective safe room owners and operators.

Seismic Performance Assessment of Buildings, Volume 1 - Methodology, Second Edition, FEMA P-58-1

2018

Applied Technology Council,

Federal Emergency Management Agency

ATC,

FEMA

Reports describing a mathematical methodology for assessing the seismic performance of buildings.

Slab Happy, BSI-059

2012

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

2022

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

USDHS

Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

Taking Shelter from the Storm - Building or Installing a Safe Room For Your Home Includes Design Plans, FEMA P-320

2021

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report presenting safe room designs and showing the homeowner and builder/contractor or local design professional how to construct a safe room for a home or small business.

Technology Fact Sheet Slab Insulation: Improve Comfort and Save Energy in Homes with Slab-on-Grade Floors

2000

Southface Energy Institute

DOE

Brochure describing insulation approaches for homes with slab-on-grade floors.

TechNote - Rain and Groundwater Management: Reducing the Risk of Water Intrusion and Damages

2014

Home Innovation Research Labs

HIRL

Fact sheet describing water management in a residential building.

The Effects of Windborne Debris on Saferoom Wall Panels and Fenestration Systems

2012

Peters Stephen T,

Robertson Ian N

University of Hawaii College of Engineering

Projectile missile testing of various wall panel configuration to understand how the different wall constructions would perform when struck with wind driven debris from a hurricane.

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit Case Studies

2020

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

NOAA

Website providing guidance for people to find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience.

Understanding Basements, BSD-103

2006

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Information sheet with methods for constructing or retrofitting basements to reduce moisture issues.

Upgrading Below Grade Spaces - Residential Energy Efficiency Stakeholder

2012

Huelman Patrick H,

Breidenbach Sam,

Schirber Steve

NorthernSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

NSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Presentation describing the challenges of insulating an existing basement, presented to the Building America residential energy-efficiency stakeholder meeting.

Use of Connectors and Brackets, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet 4.3

2010

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Technical fact sheet highlighting important building connections and illustrating the proper use of various types of connection hardware; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Using Adhesives to Beef Up Houses

2009

Cushman Ted

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

Article describing how adhesives can be used to make homes in high-wind locations stronger and how adhesives could be too effective resulting in overloading foundation anchors under earthquake loads.

Ventilated Wall Claddings: Review, Field Performance, and Hygrothermal Modeling, RR-0907

2009

Straube John

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

A review on the knowledge about ventilated wall claddings from field performance and hydrothermal modeling.

Water Management System Builder Checklist Guide

2011

ENERGY STAR,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

A builder checklist guide for the water management of properties with appropriately-designed building technologies.