Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 51 - 100 of 112 results:

How to Create a Naturally Cool Building

2018

Williams Jeremy

The Earthbound Report

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

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.

Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual

2020

Colorado Springs Fire Department

City of Colorado Springs,

State of Colorado

Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

Ignition Resistant Construction Guide

2010

FireSafe Montana

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

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.

Keeping Homes and Cities Cool in Extreme Heat

2021

Kyle Mittan

University of Arizona

Article from University of Arizona on keeping homes cool during extreme heat, both personal and system changes.

Landscaping Tips

2021

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guide describing landscaping tips for healthy and regionally-based gardens, including maintenance, mulching, water efficiency, and plant resources.

Landscaping To Reduce the Energy Used In Cooling Buildings

1983

Parker John H

Florida International University,

Society of American Foresters

Paper describing vegetation impacts on cooling load for buildings.

Living with Fire: Homeowners' Firesafe Guide for Montana

2009

FireSafe Montana

Guide for homeowners describing actions they can take to modify their home and the surrounding site to create a survivable space to reduce the amount of damage a home would likely experience during a wildfire.

Maintain Defensible Space

2019

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Cal Fire

A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Measured Impacts of Air Conditioner Condenser Shading

1996

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Parker Danny S,

Barkaszi Stephen F

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Paper describing energy savings in space cooling from shading condenser units.

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.

Mulching to Improve Soil Health, E484A

2022

Sabata,

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

USDA

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Mulching with Lawn Clippings

2022

Garden City Harvest

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Mulching Your Trees and Landscapes

2022

University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

University of Tennessee

Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer

2022

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

Natural Hazards

2020

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS

Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

New National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

2021

National Research Council Canada

NRCC

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 1142 – Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting

2017

National Fire Protection Association

NFPA

An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.

NFPA 22 – Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection

2018

National Fire Protection Association

NFPA

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

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.

Peak Power and Cooling Energy Savings of Shade Trees

1997

Akbari Hashem,

et al.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Paper describing a study on savings in peak power and cooling energy for homes with shade trees.

Permeable Pavement

2022

City of Mercer Island

Brochure describing what permeable pavement is, where to install it, and how to maintain it.

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.

Proper Mulching

2022

Fayetteville NC

Pamphlet describing proper mulching around trees and problems and benefits associated with mulching.

Protect Your Property from Wildfire, California Edition

2019

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

IBHS

Report providing wildfire protection guidance for homeowners in California.

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.

Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies, Urban Heat Island Basics

2008

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guidance document describing urban heat islands, what they are, how they form, why we care, and including some strategies to reduce them.

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.

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.

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide

2022

Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute,

California Polytechnic State University

UFEI,

Cal Poly

Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

Solar Water and Pool Heating Manual - Design and Installation & Repair and Maintenance

2006

Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC

A research paper exploring the design, installation, repair and maintenance of solar water and pool heating technologies.

Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet - Vegetated Swales

1999

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Document describing correct construction of swales, designed to trap particulate pollutants (suspended solids and trace metals), promote infiltration, and reduce the flow velocity of storm water runoff.

Strategic Landscaping and Air-Conditioning Savings: A Literature Review

1990

Meier Alan

University of California

Paper describing landscaping influences on heat gain through shading, infiltration shielding, and microclimate creation for nearby buildings.

Studies in the Assessment of Vegetation Impact in the Urban Context

2017

Vuckovic Milena,

Kiesel Kristina,

Mahdavi Ardeshir

TU Wien

Paper describing case studies on urban vegetation and greenways and their impacts on city climate and building performance.

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.

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.

The Implicit Value of Tree Cover in the U.S.: a Meta-Analysis of Hedonic Property Value Studies

2016

Siriwardena Shyamani D,

et al.

Virginia Tech,

USDA Forest Service

Document describing the impacts of tree cover on property values.

The value of shade: Estimating the effect of urban trees on summertime electricity use

2009

Donovan Geoffrey H,

Butry David T

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

USDA,

USDA Forest Service,

National Institute of Standards and Technology,

NIST

Paper describing the effects of shade trees and their location on residential summertime electricity usage.

Trees for Energy Conservation

2019

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA

Training course describing how to incorporate trees into an energy-conserving landscape.

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.

Urban Forestry Manual

2006

U.S. Forest Service

USFA

Manual describing scientific, technical, and practical information needed to work with communities on urban forestry, including a section on trees and construction.

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.