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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This brochure introduces the 2024 editions of seismic design maps developed under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and published in the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC). The intended audiences include the general public, earthquake program managers, building officials, and designers using the IRC and IBC. New in the 2024 edition of the IBC are Seismic Design Category (SDC) maps, designating SDC based on a conservative assignment of default site conditions (Site Class), applicable for most building sites.
The Playbook is intended for officials interested in increasing community resilience and reducing loss from natural hazards by adopting the latest editions of model building codes. The Playbook provides general steps to help navigate the code adoption process and informs about FEMA grants available to support building code adoption and enforcement activities.
This guide provides essential financial preparedness advice for homeowners in earthquake-prone areas. It covers the potential financial impacts of an earthquake. The guide outlines various financial tools homeowners can use for recovery, such as savings, insurance, loans, and disaster assistance, and emphasizes the importance of earthquake insurance and maintaining financial resilience before a disaster strikes.
This guide provides essential financial preparedness advice for renters in earthquake-prone areas. It covers the potential financial impacts of an earthquake. The guide outlines various financial tools renters can use for recovery, such as savings, insurance, loans, and disaster assistance, and emphasizes the importance of earthquake insurance and maintaining financial resilience before a disaster strikes.
This guide presents a plain-language overview of design and construction provisions important to the earthquake performance of one- and two-family detached dwellings and townhouses (referred to as dwellings and townhouses in this guide) constructed under the International Residential Code (IRC) (ICC, 2024a). The primary intended audiences for this guide are homebuilders, tradespeople working in the home building industry, and building department plan checkers and inspectors. Secondary audiences include architects, engineers, and homeowners with construction knowledge.
Do you know what to do, wherever you are, when the earth shakes? The second edition to this poster provides visuals and descriptions on how you can protect yourself when an earthquake occurs.
Building Science training courses allow participants to gain access to expert insights, cutting-edge research, and practical tools to address complex challenges in building design, construction, and resilience.
This guide has been prepared as a supplement to Post-disaster Building Safety Evaluation Guidance – Report on the Current State of Practice, including Recommendations Related to Structural and Nonstructural Safety and Habitability (FEMA P-2055). It presents recommnedations and discussion of key issues to inform local building departments officially known as Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) who may wish to implement an Accelerated Building Reoccupancy (ABR) program. The Guide also includes templates that may be useful for setting up a successful program, including:
• An agreement to be signed by the AHJ, building owner, and building safety evaluators establishing the scope and administration of the program
• A consultant agreement to be signed by the building owner and building safety evaluators
Updated file to correct page A-3, Table A-2 (page of the pdf). The second row in white for Culver City should say 2017 for Year of Adoption (instead of 2012).