Library

A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.

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

Report describing research on how to reduce energy used by residential homes by applying shallow and deep retrofits to an existing home.

Report describing single retrofit measures applied to shallow retrofitted homes that could be used to refine the deep retrofit package.

Article outlining moisture accumulation in open cell spray polyurethane foam.

Report describing a laboratory assessment on the performance of Rheem 120-volt heat pump water heaters (HPWH), aimed at identifying optimal installation locations for these new "plug-in" models based on comprehensive testing under various conditions.

Webpage for home owners describing ways to prepare indoor and outdoor fuel tanks to avoid displacement during floods.

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

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

Article discussing fire safety for high-rise buildings.

Report presenting ways public housing authorities (PHAs) can develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staff in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies.

Fact sheet describing analysis of potential heating and cooling savings from radiant barriers in attics.

Article describing rammed earth construction

Article describing key takeaways from two symposia held during Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference and Expo, including that resilience can be affordable and cost-effective.

App developed by HUD to assist homeowners with lead paint and other hazards common to older homes.

Fact sheet describing conditions for wildfire, how a home catches fire, how to create a survivable space, the ideal fire resistant home.

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2001 and revised in...

Report describing information from DOE about rules and standards for residential air conditioners and heat pumps.

Resource that differentiates products in the marketplace that meet WaterSense requirements.

This report discusses proposed updates to the pool pumps and motors, and portable electric spas standards in the Appliance Efficiency Regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Sections 1601 to 1609). These proposed updates are part of the 2012 Appliance Efficiency Rulemaking, Phase I...

Web page providing an overview of room-level air conditioning systems such as window units and mini-splits.

Website providing an introduction to the concepts and principles of seismic design.

Article outlining the key issues related to the protection of the building envelope against seismic forces.

Document serving as a resource to assist decision-makers in understanding how networked lighting control system attributes can satisfy project objectives at an appropriate cost and functionality

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.

Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.

Fact sheet describing building envelope performance measures applicable to residential and small commercial construction.

SEIA resources page.

Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016, and is available for...

Standard that describes the minimum requirements for residential buildings to achieve acceptable indoor air quality via dwelling-unit ventilation, local mechanical exhaust, and source control. This version of the standard was published in the year 2022, and is available for preview and purchase at...

This Standard provides a consistent, uniform methodology for evaluating the airtightness of building envelopes and heating and cooling air ducts and the air flows of mechanical ventilation systems.

Guide providing guidance on conducting seismic risk assessments for buildings. The link goes to the current version of this standard, which was published in the year 2016 and is available for preview and purchase. Previous editions of this standard were published in the year 2016, 2007, and 1999...

Standard covering the installation of fenestration products in new and existing construction which was published in the year 2007, and is available for preview and purchase at the referenced link.

Practice providing a guide or standard to undertake seismic risk assessment of properties. The current version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available for preview and purchase at the link. Previous versions of the standard were published in the years 2016 and 2007, and are...

Guide describing the installation of windows in walls that have foam plastic insulating; guide provides several methods for attaching, supporting, and flashing windows in walls with rigid foam sheathing. (Note: The link only goes to the table of contents for the guide, the full guide can be...

A specification covering the application of Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) that act as permanent formwork for cast-in-place reinforced concrete beams & walls which was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard describing two techniques for measuring air leakage rates through a building envelope in buildings that may be configured to a single zone which was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

ENERGY STAR webpage describing the benefits of storm windows and a link to a product list.

Webpage providing an ENERGY STAR climate zone map and criteria for ENERGY STAR storm windows per climate zone.

Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

Article providing fundamental information and recommendations for shading windows for energy savings.

Web page providing information about water use in pools and spas and tips for how to increase water efficiency.

Presentation describing how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal Box for air cleaning.

Article describing a DIY air cleaning system for filtering smoke and viruses.

Report describing use of the Energy in Modular (EMOD) method to design, produce, and deliver affordable, net-zero energy, low-carbon, and healthier buildings through industrialized (factory) construction of modular buildings; modeling of whole buildings and subassemblies of components, pods, panels...

Document describing the impacts of tree cover on property values.

Report describing seismic retrofit of historical buildings.

Technical report describing the impact of thermal bridging in balcony connections, presenting alternative design strategies, performance analyses, and case studies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in building envelopes.

Blog article summarizing the effects of extreme heat on air quality and lung health.