BASC Search

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

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

Building code for the state of California providing the building rules and regulations as well as disaster resistance tools.

A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

Article describing how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.

Report describing the testing of various siding materials for their ability to resist bullets from small firearms.

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

Factsheet from HUD describing how to properly rebuild following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.

Factsheet from HUD describing how to rebuild following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.

This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.

Website providing technical documents of checklists, calculators, bulletin, modular home toolkit, standard details, and corrosion resistance requirements – map set; describing the requirements of the IBHS Fortified Home program to improve the disaster resistance of new and existing homes.

Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.

Report describing the research gap in the connection between resilience and energy efficiency.

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 summarizing the requirements to strenghthen new homes against property damage caused by high wind occurrences per the IBHS Fortified Homes High Wind Standard for New Homes.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Report describing the REDi™ Rating System, which is a framework for implementing “resilience-based earthquake design,” a holistic “beyond-code” design, planning and assessment approach for achieving earthquake resilience.

Report providing guidelines and procedures to determine whether damaged or potentially damaged buildings are safe for use after wind storms or floods, or if entry should be restricted or prohibited.

Manual providing engineered and prescriptive design requirements for wood frame construction used in one and two-family dwellings.

IRC guide referencing wood truss bracing best practices and requirements.

A presentation describing the standards regarding who is responsible for what part of the design to ensure the roof truss is properly designed and braced.

Wall bracing calculator simplifying the design of residential structures that comply with 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 or 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements.

Article describing three ways to strengthen the roof-to-wall connections in an existing home.

Article defining structural design loads and ways to calculate them, including dead loads, live loads, soil lateral loads, wind loads, snow loads, earthquake loads, and other loads.

Guide describing sound mitigation measures to lower building natural disaster vulnerability to assist local officials and community decision makers in coastal areas.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Website describing and providing a map showing the tsunami risk index for the United States, which home owners and builders can use to determine the tsunami risk of their location.

Factsheet for builders from HUD on how to rebuild homes following natural disasters in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Checklist highlighting the requirement for metal structural connections and materials fasteners used to retrofit or construct FORTIFIED buildings less than 3,000 ft from saltwater to be suitably protected from corrosion.

Calculator determining the appropriate design pressures for steep-slope roof coverings for roofers and evlauators.