Library

Document describing adobe construction, its weakness to earthquakes, and techniques used to improve seismic resistance for both new construction and existing adobe buildings.

Case study on the design and evaluation of extended plate and beam, located in Mount Joy Pennsylvania.

Website article interviewing the inventor of the Larsen truss, a history of its use, and a discussion of its advantages and disadvantages.

Article about different types of weather resistant barrier.

Report on adding insulation to load-bearing mass masonry buildings.

A book about structurally insulated panels.

Presentation about advanced framing techniques.

Article describing correct ways to attach rigid insulation to the exterior of commercial and residential buildings.

An article illustrating common errors found in fiber cement siding installations. Many of these errors and poor flashing examples apply to siding materials beyond fiber cement siding.

Report on how airtighness changes as houses age.

Report on high-R wall design called extended plate and beam that uses foam sheathing insulation with wall framing.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about header hangers in bearing walls.

Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.

Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.

Report on the impact of air sealing between the foundation and the living space on radon transport reduction across the foundation and living space floor assembly at fifteen home.

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Report on two approaches to retrofitting existing double-stud walls.

Report describing a deep energy enclosure retrofit solution for insulating mass masonry buildings from the interior.

Report describing wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inch and require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation.

Report describing the use of mineral fiber insulating sheathing in a high performance enclosure retrofit package.

Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.

Report on a study monitoring moisture conditions of double-stud wall assemblies with different insulation in Devens, Massachusetts.

Standard that covers the minimum performance and acceptance criteria for an air barrier (AB) material or system for framed walls of low-rise buildings with the service life of the building wall in mind. This link directs to a preview of the version of the standard that was published in the year 2011...

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solving thermal bridging through continuous exterior insulation.

Research study investigating the thermal efficiency of fasteners, namely drywall screws and siding nails, in high-performance wood-framed walls.

Research study describing a detailed 3D computational fluid dynamics model that evaluates the thermal performance of uninsulated wall assemblies.