Building Science Resource Library
The Building Science Resource Library contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating hazard-resistant communities.
You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by:
- Topic: High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.
- Document Type: Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.
- Audience: Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.
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FEMA P-550 provides a series of recommended foundation designs that will help create safer and stronger buildings in coastal areas. The designs are intended to help support rebuilding efforts after coastal areas have been damaged by floods, high winds, or other natural hazards.
This guide provides local building officials and floodplain managers with information about the design and construction of hazard-resistant residential structures within the coastal environment. The primary coastal hazards this guide will highlight are high winds and flooding.
Technical Bulletin 9 provides guidance on NFIP requirements for the design and construction of breakaway walls that are used to create enclosures below the lowest floor of elevated structures in Coastal High Hazard Areas.
Provides guidance on the need for, selection of, and use of corrosion-resistant metal connectors for the construction of buildings in coastal areas.
Overview of FEMA P-499 | Homebuilder's Guide to Coastal Construction
The 2011 CCM, 4th Ed. (FEMA P-55), is a 2-volume publication that provides a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, designing, constructing, and maintaining homes in the coastal environment. Volume I provides information about hazard identification, siting decisions, regulatory requirements, economic implications, and risk management. The primary audience for Volume I is design professionals, officials, and those involved in the decision-making process. Volume II contains in-depth descriptions of design, construction, and maintenance practices that, when followed, will increase the durability of residential buildings in the harsh coastal environment and reduce economic losses associated with coastal natural disasters. The primary audience for Volume II is the design professional who is familiar with building codes and standards and; has a basic understanding of engineering principles.
FEMA produced this series of 37 fact sheets to provide technical guidance and recommendations concerning the construction of coastal residential buildings. The fact sheets present information aimed at improving the performance of buildings subject to flood and wind forces in coastal environments. Photographs and drawings illustrate the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulatory requirements, the proper siting of coastal buildings, and recommended design and construction practices for building components, including structural connections, the building envelope, and utilities.
This brochure briefly explains that the Coastal Construction manual provides a comprehensive approach to sensible development in coastal areas based on guidance from over 200 experts in building science, coastal hazard mitigation, and building codes and regulatory requirements.
This publication documents the broad range of non-structural mitigation activities undertaken nationwide in communities exposed to coastal flooding and erosion.