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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 - 50 of 799

FEMA Safe Room Publications and Resources

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Webpage containing the most recent links for FEMA P-361, FEMA P-320, and other documents produced by FEMA regarding the construction of safe rooms for emergencies.

FEMA Title 44 CFR § 60.3(e)(7))

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
FEMA guidance for flood damage in areas prone to flooding.

Hurricanes

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Publication Date
Website detailing how to prepare for, stay safe during, and return home after hurricanes.

ASCE Hazard Tool Homepage

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
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...

Flood Cleanup to Protect Indoor Air and Your Health

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
Page describing in detail four important actions you should consider to protect your health and indoor air quality (IAQ) when cleaning up after a flood.

Hurricane Preparedness Digital Toolkit

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Publication Date
Webpage containing a library of ready-to-use social media posts, graphics and video links that promote life-saving information about how individuals and families can prepare for and survive during a hurricane.

Tips for Natural Gas Safety at Home

Author(s)
NorthWest Natural
Organization(s)
NW Natural
Publication Date
Website providing consumer tips for using natural gas safely in the home, including guidance on cooking, fireplaces, ventilation, pilot lights, piping, etc.

Home Fire Safety

Author(s)
American Red Cross
Organization(s)
American Red Cross
Publication Date
Website describing ways to prevent home house fires.

2024 Rating the States: Hurricane Coast

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

U.S. Experience with Sprinklers

Author(s)
McGree Tucker
Organization(s)
National Fire Protection Association,
NFPA
Publication Date
A report examining the presence, reliability, effectiveness, and impact of sprinkler systems in structure fires.

Guide to Staying Safe During Wildfires

Author(s)
Gabriele Rob
Organization(s)
SafeHome.org
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to guard homes and properties against wildfire, as well as what to do during a wildfire, whether sheltering in place or attempting evacuation.

Winter Weather: Before, During, and After

Author(s)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
CDC
Publication Date
Website providing information to prepare for winter storms, prevent cold temperature-related health problems, and protect yourself during all stages of a winter storm.

Erosion Control Blanket Construction Guidance Checklist

Author(s)
Mile High Flood District
Organization(s)
MHFD
Publication Date
Guidance documents describing Erosion Control Blankets (ECBs) use as a construction material that provides temporary cover and support for establishing vegetation on bare soil. ECB holds topsoil and seed (typically grass) in place to minimize erosion during germination of seed.

Accelerating Residential Building Decarbonization: Market Guidance to Scale Zero-Carbon-Aligned Buildings

Author(s)
Webster Brett,
Satre-Meloy Aven,
Badger Leslie,
Donovan Alison,
Lane Damon,
McGrath Kevin,
Wilson Eric,
Reyna Janet,
Metzger Cheryn E,
Pilet Tyler J,
Campbell Martha,
Toffoli Lucas
Organization(s)
Advanced Building Construction Collaborative,
ABC Collaborative,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI,
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation,
VEIC
Publication Date
Report providing product manufacturers, fabricators, contractors and installers, design professionals, owners, and real estate developers with technical performance and cost guidance for scalable zero-carbon-aligned new construction pathways and retrofit packages to achieve zero carbon retrofits and...

Tips & Resources - Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
City of Fresno
Organization(s)
City of Fresno
Publication Date
Webpage from the City of Fresno's Water Conservation Program describing household water conservation recommendations, including tips for maintaining evaporative coolers.

Earthquake Safety Checklist, FEMA B-526

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
Organization(s)
FEMA,
NEHRP
Publication Date
Reference guide helping families prepare for an earthquake and prevent earthquake-related damage.

Hurricane Shutter Types

Author(s)
Hurricane Research Division,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Wildland-Urban Interface Growth in the U.S.

Author(s)
U.S. Forest Service
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Article describing the growth of the wildland urban interface in the United States from 1990 to 2010, expanding from 30.8 to 43.4 million homes (a 41% increase), and growing from 581,000 to 770,000 kM2 (33% growth), an increase of 189,000 km2, an area that is larger than Washington State.

Preparing for the Worst: DOE’s Building America Solution Center Disaster Resistance Tool

Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa L
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Fact sheet poster describing an online tool offered within the Building America Solution Center which provides construction guidance for builders and contractors in building and renovating homes to be more resistant to natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and wildfires, etc.

Wildfire Statistics

Author(s)
Congressional Research Service
Organization(s)
CRS
Publication Date
Fact sheet providing recent statistics on wildfires in the U.S.

Provide Flood Protection for Appliances

Author(s)
Federal Alliance For Safe Homes
Organization(s)
FLASH
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to elevate major appliances in case of a flood.

Flood Cleanup: Protecting Indoor Air Quality

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.

Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website providing series of short how-to videos, infographics and more resources on cleaning up a home after a flood.

2018 International Wildland Urban Interface Code - IWUIC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2018 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...

Emergencies and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website that lists references that can help you determine how to control you indoor air quality while combating an emergency.

Evaporative Cooler

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.

Filtration and Disinfection FAQ

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
ASHRAE Q&A addressing HVAC filtration and disinfection for reducing the spread of COVID-19.

What is a Cool Exterior Wall?

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Web page explaining what a cool exterior wall is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

What is a Cool Roof?

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

Cool Roofs Help Reduce Energy Costs

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.

Cool Roofs

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Heat Island Group: Resources

Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.

Rated Roof Products Directory

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Rated Wall Products Directory

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

SRI Calculator

Author(s)
Levinson Ronnen
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.

Science of Cool Roofs

Author(s)
CoolCalifornia
Organization(s)
California Air Resources Board
Publication Date
Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.

Heat Island Effect

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
EPA webpage explaining the heat island effect and providing links to related content.

Anchor It! Secure Furniture and TVs: Protect Children

Author(s)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Organization(s)
USCPSC
Publication Date
Website providing consumers with information about the risk to children from appliances and furniture tipping over and ways to anchor furniture and appliances to prevent this hazard.

How to Seal Up to Prevent Rodent Infestations

Author(s)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
CDC
Publication Date
A website providing a checklist of important areas to check when sealing holes inside and outside of the home to prevent entry by rodents and other outside pests.

2018 International Residential Code - IRC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2018 edition of code for residential buildings that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less, bringing together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences.

Earthquake Safety

Author(s)
American Red Cross
Organization(s)
American Red Cross
Publication Date
Webpage providing earthquake safety tips including proactive home structure and utility action items.