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.

2009 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.

Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2012 Publication.

Guide developed to help contractors, building operators, and city officials successfully adopt cool roof and pavement technology.

Report covering moisture and leakage issues associated with spray foam insulation application to the underside of roof sheathing.

Report about a project that examines implementation of advanced retrofit measures in the context of a large-scale weatherization program and the archetypal Chicago, Illinois, brick bungalow.

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

Report describing the analytical study of renewable energy retrofits to homes built before 1980 and whether it is cost efficient or not.

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Article describing earthship homes.

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 Estimated costs are outdated due to publication date.

Wildfire construction guidelines from the Colorado State Forest Service focusing on site design and building materials to mitigate damage to homes in wildfire-prone areas.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

Manual for proper installation practices, industry standards and the code requirements of roofing tiles for the Florida market.

Article describing tree preservation during the construction process.

Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.

Report assessing the costs of home fire sprinkler systems.

A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Article describing the insurance savings of a home with a hip roof versus a gable roof from the perspective of an insurance advisor.

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Report covering the selection of roof vents for rainwater resistance.

Factsheet describing smart practices for minimizing damage to residential electrical service components during coastal and riverine flood events.

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2010 and is available in both digital and print...

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.

Database of approved products that meet the requirements of the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Recovery Advisory document provide guidance related to the use and installation of opening protection systems to protect glazed openings (windows) from wind-borne debris during high-wind events.

Report describing the REDi™ Rating System, which is a framework for implementing “resilience-based earthquake design,” a holistic “beyond-code” design, planning and assessment approach for achieving earthquake resilience.

Webpage explaining how to mitigate heat loss through roofs for ice dam prevention.

Field manual describing measures to reduce potential hazards and damages caused by and to nonstructural components of a building such as HVAC, appliances, lighting, windows, and furniture during an earthquake.

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

A guide on how to anchor fuel tanks to avoid damage from flooding and seismic events to the home by using straps and solid concrete slabs.

Fact sheet describing methods for flashing and air-sealing windows and doors.

A brochure educating homeowners on how to install self-locking devices on cabinets, drawers and doors, including child-proof latches and drawer locks.

Report describing extensive renovations to a historic home.

Report covering non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and non-combustible roof venting.

Report promoting public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of earthquake-induced damage to existing homes.

Report providing retrofit measures intended to significantly reduce damage and increase occupant safety for existing buildings.

Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Website describing how solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home.

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.

Webpage providing guidance on the use of thermal mass with passive heating and cooling strategies.

Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

Fact sheet describing how weatherstripping can be an easy and cost-effective way to save money on energy costs and improve comfort by reducing drafts.

Manual showing how to properly use grass swales to manage excess water runoff.

A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States