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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 - 49 of 49

2018 International Fire Code - IFC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2018 edition of code establishing regulations involving life and property safety from fires and explosion hazards, including emergency planning, fire department access and water supply, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and hazardous materials planning and storage.

2021 International Wildland Urban Interface Code - IWUIC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2021 edition of the code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides ignition-resistant construction requirements to protect against fire exposure...

Building Materials Listing

Author(s)
Cal Fire Office of the State Fire Marshal
Organization(s)
CAL FIRE OSFM
Publication Date
California Office of the State Fire Marshal's homepage for the Building Materials Listing Program, providing builders, contractors, architects, and others with access to a database of fire alarm systems and fire-resistant construction materials including roof coverings, wall, ceiling, and floor...

Building Materials Listings - Search Listing Services

Author(s)
Cal Fire Office of the State Fire Marshal
Organization(s)
Cal Fire,
CAL FIRE OSFM
Publication Date
California Office of the State Fire Marshal's compiled and searchable list of different building materials and their test results for fire resistance.

C-36 - Plumbing Contractor

Author(s)
California Contractors State License Board
Organization(s)
CSLB
Publication Date
California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.

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.

Emergency Water Supply for Firefighting

Author(s)
Boulder County Land Use Department,
Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Department
Organization(s)
Boulder County
Publication Date
A factsheet that provides information and requirements for emergency water supplies for firefighting in Boulder County, Colorado.

Excess Flow Valve

Author(s)
City of Ellensburg
Organization(s)
City of Ellensburg
Publication Date
Flyer from the City of Ellensburg WA describing what an excess flow valve is, how they work, and associated costs.

Excess Flow Valves

Author(s)
Colorado Springs Utilities
Organization(s)
CSU
Publication Date
Website for gas utility customers describing the installation of excess flow valves to stop the flow of natural gas into a home in the event of a line rupture.

Excess Flow Valves

Author(s)
Knoxville Utilities Board
Organization(s)
KUB
Publication Date
Webpage describing what excess flow valves are, how they work, and the installation process.

Excess Flow Valves

Author(s)
TECO Peoples Gas
Organization(s)
TECO
Publication Date
Utility webpage describing the monetary costs associated with excess flow valves for TECO in Florida.

Facts + Statistics: Wildfires

Author(s)
Insurance Information Institute
Organization(s)
III
Publication Date
Webpage with statistics on recent U.S. wildfires.

FEMA Flood Resistant Provisions of the International Codes

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Documents describing Flood Resistant Provisions of the international codes (including the international building, residential, exiting building, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, fire, swimming pool and spa, private sewage disposal, and code council performance codes) and summaries of changes from the...

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.

Fire Spread on Ember-Ignited Decks

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.

Freeze Protection for CPVC Fire Sprinkler Piping Guide

Author(s)
City of Gresham,
State of Oregon
Organization(s)
City of Gresham,
State of Oregon
Publication Date
A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

Gas Safety Tips

Author(s)
Pacific Gas & Electric
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.

Gas Shut-Off Valve Requirements

Author(s)
Town of Danville CA
Organization(s)
Town of Danville CA
Publication Date
Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.

Gas Shutoff Devices

Author(s)
Pacific Gas & Electric
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.

Gas Shutoff Valve Certification for Residential Structures

Author(s)
Commins Tav
Organization(s)
State of California Division of the State Architect
Publication Date
Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).

Hazard and Risk Assessment Maps

Author(s)
U.S. Geological Survey
Organization(s)
USGS
Publication Date
Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

How to Prepare Your Home for Wildfires

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing defensible space and wildfire risk reduction steps that homeowners can take to make their homes safer during a wildfire.

Information About Purchasing And Installing

Author(s)
Southern California Gas Company
Organization(s)
SoCalGas
Publication Date
Webpage detailing how to purchase and install the correct shut-off valve for homes in California, including differences between earthquake and excess flow valves and how to install each.

New National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

Author(s)
National Research Council Canada
Organization(s)
NRCC
Publication Date
Report for local governments, planners, emergency managers, developers, insurers, and property owners describing ways to improve the wildfire resistance of buildings, infrastructure and communities in the wildland urban interface.

NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Standard establishing criteria for levels of health care services or systems based on risk to the patients, staff, or visitors in health care facilities to minimize the hazards of fire, explosion, and electricity.

Outdoor and Wildfire Fire Safety Pictographs

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Publication Date
A webpage that provides wildfire preparedness and safety pictographs.

Prepare for Wildfire: Hardening Your Home

Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
State of California,
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Webpage offering recommendations to homeowners and contractors for retrofitting a home to make it more resistant to wildfires.

Reduce Fire Losses

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website describing wildfire related research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety at the IBHS Research Center.

Seismic Gas Shut-Off Valve Requirements

Author(s)
City of Malibu
Organization(s)
City of Malibu
Publication Date
Fact sheet for natural gas customers describing city’s seismic gas shut-off valve requirements.

Training Course: Fire Behavior

Author(s)
National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Organization(s)
NWCG
Publication Date
Online course describing the behavior of wildfires for firefighters.

USDA Forest Service

Author(s)
USDA Forest Service
Organization(s)
USDA Forest Service
Publication Date

Ways to Stay Safe in a Natural Disaster

Author(s)
NorthWest Natural
Organization(s)
NW Natural
Publication Date
Webpage from NW Natural on how to prepare homes with natural gas service for earthquakes and floods, what to do during an emergency, and how to respond after the emergency has passed.

What to Do if a Wildfire is Approaching

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guidelines from IBHS on modifications to homes to prepare for a wildfire if evacuation orders are anticipated for the area.

Wildfire and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
USFA
Publication Date
Webpage from USFA compiling resources from across the U.S. on Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) information.

Wildfire Hazard Potential

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage from USDA and U.S. Forest Service with a map of potential wildfire risk across the U.S.

Wildfire Operations: Wildfire Science

Author(s)
Canada Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Climate Change
Organization(s)
GNWT ECC
Publication Date
Website describing how wildfires spread and how fuels, weather, and topography influence fires.

Wildfire Public Policy

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing ways builders and communities an reduce wildfire risk.

Wildfire Ready

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
A webpage providing guidance on increasing the wildfire resistance of a home.

Wildfire Risk to Communities

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
USDA Forest Service
Organization(s)
USDA,
USDA Forest Service
Publication Date
A website created by the U.S. Forest Service, containing interactive maps, charts and resources to help communities explore their risk to wildfires.