Library

Guide providing minimum design and construction requirements for storm shelters that provide a safe refuge from storms that produce high winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

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.

Report summarizing the wind-resistant provisions of the 2015 edition of the International Building Code.

Florida building code including all the amendments and additions by Florida for the wind-borne debris regions and the high-velocity hurricane zone.

A colored map showing seismic zones across the United States, ranging from lowest to highest seismic hazards.

Report assessing and scoring code enforcement and administration and contractor licensing in the 18 states most vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

Building code for the state of California providing the building rules and regulations as well as disaster resistance tools.

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.

Residential building code for the State of Florida.

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.

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.

Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

Report describing the experience gained from AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program with first-hand accounts of disaster response and recovery, case studies and other best practices, including approaches to designing buildings to be more adaptable to uncertainty.

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

Wall bracing calculator simplifying the design of residential structures that comply with 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 or 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements.

Web-based mapping tool offering a fast, reliable way to look up key design parameters specified in Standard ASCE 7-10, 7-16, or 7-22 for a specific address or location which is free to use and can look up data for eight different environmental hazard types: wind, tornado, seismic, ice, rain, flood...

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

Document containing recommendations on how to brace roofs and gable end walls based on lessons learned from analyzing the destruction from hurricane Andrew.

A website describing a list of common vocabulary used when describing light bulbs.

Fact sheet describing changes made to the 2010 Florida Building Code with regards to wind design loads and requirements.

A simple three-step guide for homeowners who are looking to replace existing light bulbs with more energy-efficient, higher-performing bulbs.

A website explaining how to quickly clean up a broken compact fluorescent lightbulb.

Fact sheet describing the characteristics that make for a successful coastal residential building, including design and construction recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Report describing retrofitting options and methodology for architects, developers, and property owners to use when making decisions about retrofits for common building types in NY.

Report providing tools and resources to help community planners to improve coastal resilience.

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

Article summarizing the IBHS stance on building practices that can mitigate the impact of high winds and storm surge on structures.

A website explaining the various shades of light, from warm to cool colors, with a visual diagram illustrating the various shades of light.

Article describing construction best practices to help reduce the wind-induced pressure loads on a low-rise building during a hurricane.

FEMA risk management series guide on hospital safety and resilience to natural disasters.

Report providing information on ways to incentivize funding of hazard mitigation programs.

Website helping communities address coastal issues with data, tools, and training resources.

Website discusses differences between CFL and LED bulbs.

A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.

Article describing the difference between swales and hugels (berms used to create soil from woody debris).

Designer checklist covering hazards involving ground and surface water, rain and water vapor, HVAC and plumbing, sunlight, insects, decay, and natural hazards, and builder checklist covering all disaster resistance, sorted by building component.

A book describing how to complete an earthquake retrofit plan for wood-frame residential buildings.

Article presenting a numerical study of wind pressure on the low-rise hip-roof building by varying the roof pitch using computational fluid dynamics computer modeling and wind tunnel testing of hip roofs with different roof pitches: 15°, 20°, 30° and 40°.

Computer simulations comparing International Journal of Advanced Structural Engineering wind pressure differences between a gable-ended roof versus a hip roof versus a pyramidal-shaped roof.

A FAQ explaining the purpose of the Energy Independence and Security Act, a law which sets energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs.

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Webpage on the ENERGY STAR website that list products that exceed the ENERGY STAR minimum criteria for their category, with links to several product categories, including windows, HVAC, home appliances, and computer monitors.

Website for finding rebates and special offers near you on ENERGY STAR certified products. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA helping you save energy and money while protecting the environment.

Comprehensive design guide describing the benefits and details of retrofit methods for buildings and equipment in flood-prone areas. Estimated costs are outdated due to publication date.

Report describing the research gap in the connection between resilience and energy efficiency.

Handbook to help property owners understand the rules, procedures, standards, and criteria that apply to the environmental resource permit (ERP) program under Part IV of Chapter 373 of the Florida Statutes.

Report describing construction site erosion and sediment control practices recommended and required by a county planning department.

Factsheet describing steps builders should take to reduce erosion and control sediment on construction sites during home construction.