Building Science Resource Library
The Building Science Resource Library contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating disaster-resistance communities.
You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by:
- Disaster Type: High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.
- Document Type: Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.
- Audience: Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.
This technical bulletin discusses building techniques, including the use of fill, that can be used to ensure structures are reasonably safe from flooding.
- Mar 8, 2023
Pakua Faili
The December 2021 tornadoes that struck Kentucky and surrounding states highlighted the importance of assessing and mitigating the wind vulnerability of existing buildings and improving the resistance to tornado hazards for new buildings. The purpose of this Recovery Advisory (RA) is to emphasize the importance of building codes and introduce best practices intended to minimize tornado damage as part of the rebuilding effort for non-residential buildings that are not essential facilities
- Feb 21, 2023
- Pakua Faili
The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide a brief overview of building envelope and load path improvements to reduce damage to wood-framed, one- and two-family residential structures when impacted by tornadoes rated on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale as EF2 or less intensity, and indirectly by tornadoes with a greater EF rating.
- Feb 21, 2023
- Pakua Faili
The December 2021 tornadoes that struck Kentucky and surrounding states highlighted the importance of assessing and mitigating the extreme-wind vulnerability of existing essential facilities and improving the tornado damage resistance of new essential facilities. The purpose of this advisory is to inform essential facility owners, operators, and planners of ways to improve the tornado performance of their existing or new essential facilities and how to reduce loss of functionality of the facility during and after a tornado.
- Feb 21, 2023
- Pakua Faili
This Guide has been prepared as a supplement to FEMA P-2055. It presents best practices, and discussion of key issues, to inform a target audience comprising those 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
- Feb 6, 2023
- Pakua Faili
A look at the current state of earthquake insurance in the United States, the infographic provides general information on the cost and availability of earthquake insurance while also depicting what it will usually cover.
- Dec 8, 2022
- Pakua Faili
- Nov 23, 2022
- Pakua Faili
This overview highlights a few of the key significant changes to the wind loading design provisions contained in ASCE 7-22, as compared to the previous version (ASCE 7-16), that will affect building design.
- Oct 21, 2022
- Pakua Faili
- Oct 5, 2022
- Pakua Faili
The launch of the National Initiative to Advance Building Codes and implementation of the FEMA Building Codes Strategy have created an opportunity to discuss building codes and their importance for creating a more resilient nation. In this episode, we will discuss “resilience” through the lens of building codes and the potential impact of the National Initiative and the FEMA Building Codes Strategy.
- Aug 18, 2022
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- Download Transcript
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