Library

2015 edition of code for commercial buildings that brings together all structural, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for all buildings except detached one- and two-family residences and townhouses up to three stories.

Guide providing engineering seismic design and building practices based on post-earthquake research.

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

Document presenting the minimum recommended requirements necessary for the design and construction of new buildings and other structures to resist earthquake ground motions throughout the United States.

Document containing a series of resource papers that describe earthquake design components, including shear walls, resiliency, ground motion, and story drift and deflection, among others.

Report describing the results of a field study of five different ventilation system types in 29 homes in the Pacific Northwest.

A brochure educating homeowners on how to protect their home during seismic events.

Report describing an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system.

Technical report describing the SPS (Structural Panel System), an innovative implementation of the "perfect wall" concept, situating environmental control layers on the exterior side of structural components for improved constructability, cost-effectiveness, and performance, validated through the...

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.

Report describing two retrofit duct sealing techniques - manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant, that were implemented in several low-rise multi-unit buildings in North Carolina.

Report providing information regarding the benefits and challenges associated with the installation of earthquake-actuated automatic shut-off valves (ASVs) or remote-control valves (RCVs) to stop the flow of natural gas into buildings in the event of an earthquake or rupture of the gas line.

Safety brochure from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) describing the dangers to children of furniture tipping over if it is not securely anchored.

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.

ASHRAE Standard prescribing an field evaluation and test method to measure and score the performance of unitary HVAC systems.

This ANSI/RESNET/ICC standard provides a consistent, uniform methodology for evaluating the airtightness of building, dwelling unit, and sleeping unit enclosures and heating and cooling air distribution systems, and the air flows of mechanical ventilation systems.

Standard covering updates to the expected leakage rates for ductwork constructed to the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards—Metal & Flexible, duct leakage test procedures; includes recommendations on use of leakage testing, types of test apparatus, and test setup and sample leakage analysis.

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 basic guide walking through the various types of valves useful in mitigating the effects of earthquakes and other seismic events on natural gas pipelines for residential use.

Standard establishing test methods for determining air leakage in duct systems using fan pressurization in low-rise residential and commercial buildings.

Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.

Document providing guidance to U.S. home builders who want to accept the challenge.

Document about testing software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes.

Document providing an example procedure for establishing acceptance-range criteria to assess results from software undergoing BESTEST-EX.

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...

California Office of the State Fire Marshal's compiled and searchable list of different building materials and their test results for fire resistance.

California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.

Catalog describing FEMA earthquake-resistant construction resources.

Website providing disaster preparedness information and resources for residents and building owners in locations susceptible to earthquakes.

Report summarizing the key opportunities, gaps, and barriers identified by the national laboratory white papers discussing long-term 50% energy reduction goals.

Report recording the results of a field study conducted in a single historic home in Seattle, Washington, to document the performance of Indow Windows' interior storm window inserts.

News article from SFGate explaining and giving figures on how chimney failure is the most common type of damage to homes during an earthquake.

Report about instrumentation and limited short-term testing completed on a retrofit unoccupied test house in Fresno, California.

Research study comparing various retrofit models in Wisconsin to evaluate performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost effectiveness of each program design.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

Report exploring alternative methods to find long-term solutions to energy loss in 1 ½-story homes to save energy, improve comfort, prevent frost buildup on the underside of the roof deck, and reduce the risk of ice dam formation/reformation.

Research study evaluating energy savings and cost effectiveness of installing low-emissivity (low-e) storm windows over existing windows in residential homes in all climate zones.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Occupant Behavior chapter discusses how to assess homeowner behavior patterns and use these patterns to enhance overall energy savings.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Over Time, Phased Guidance chapter presents a phased approach to deep energy retrofits.

Report describing the progress toward and issues related to developing a usable, standardized, empirical data-based software accuracy test suite.

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

Report explaining the principles of seismic design to architects.

Report identifying business models for the remodeling industry that foster remodelers adoption of energy efficiency services.

Report identifying codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency.

A quick guide from the California Division of the State Architect (DSA) explaining the three types of gas shutoff devices to stop the flow of natural gas into buildings in the event of an earthquake or rupture of the gas line.

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.

Factsheet describing how to secure refrigerators and other major appliances to wall studs using earthquake appliance straps or angle brackets and bolts.

Factsheet describing how to secure televisions, microwaves, computers, and other electronics to prevent damage during earthquakes.

Factsheet describing how to secure water heaters to resist seismic activity.

FEMA guide containing recommendations on how to implement cost-effective measures that can help to reduce the potential hazards associated with earthquakes.