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.
The Building Code Enforcement Playbook guides jurisdictions looking to enhance their enforcement of building codes. It addresses common challenges and offers strategies for improving inspection procedures, training programs, staffing models, and compliance tracking. Intended for building officials, code administrators, and community leaders, the Playbook supports local efforts to reduce risk and protect people and property. This resource follows the Building Codes Adoption Playbook (FEMA P-2196), shifting the focus from adoption to practical implementation.
This timeline shows the history of FEMA’s participation in the building code and standards development process from its inception until the present day. It highlights key building code regulations and events.
The MAT worked with local agencies to assess damage to buildings and learn how buildings performed during the fires. After conclusion of the field investigation, the MAT analyzed the field data as well as damage reports and studies conducted by others. The MAT prepared conclusions and developed recommendations based on these findings. This information was presented in two topic-based summary reports and five recovery advisories reports that are included in this compendium publication to offer one comprehensive source for these materials.
This design guide provides instructional guidance for design professionals for designing buildings or other structures for flood loads in accordance with the requirements of ASCE 7-22-S2. The design guide is intended to support the use of ASCE 7-22 and ASCE 7-22-S2. Design professionals will need a copy of ASCE 7-22 and ASCE 7-22-S2 in addition to this design guide to complete the ASCE 7-22 design calculations.
The Hurricane and Flood Mitigation Handbook for Public Facilities presents an introduction and 30 fact sheets that provide technical guidance and recommendations for applying mitigation best practices.
This Recovery Advisory is intended to provide property owners, designers, and builders with an understanding of natural hazards common to Maui such as flooding, high winds, wildfire, earthquakes, and others to inform mitigation strategies for new residential construction or reconstruction following a hazard event such as the 2023 Lahaina wildfire. Property owners, designers and builders should evaluate building site and structure hazard exposure to ensure a multi-hazard approach to mitigation when possible.
This Technical Bulletin provides guidance on the National Flood Insurance Program floodplain management requirements for the design and construction of wet floodproofed buildings and structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
FEMA’s landmark study, “Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study,” shows that modern building codes lead to major reduction in property losses from natural disasters. The FEMA report calculates losses from three types of natural hazard (earthquakes, flooding, and hurricane winds) for each state and Washington, D.C.
Repair of damaged buildings is critical for community recovery after earthquake disasters, and in turn, for overall resilience. NEHRP has had statutory requirements to use research results, new knowledge, and lessons learned evidence to support the preparation, maintenance, and wide dissemination of seismic resistant design guidance for more than 40 years. The 1998 FEMA 306, 307, 308 suite of guidance, Evaluation of Earthquake Damaged Concrete and Masonry Wall Buildings, provided a groundbreaking framework for detailed engineering assessments of residual strength in earthquake damaged concrete wall buildings and set the state of practice for seismic structural engineering in the US for more than 20 years. This new document provides the next-generation methodology for assessing and repairing earthquake-damaged buildings. Findings and research completed in New Zealand after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, as well as new information and an evolving understanding of the effects of damage to structural components that have experienced strong shaking and their residual capacities for future earthquakes, prompted a review and update of the original FEMA documents. The result defines more accurate way of determining when only cosmetic repairs are needed, structural repairs are required for safety, and repairs and retrofit are required for safety. This work was conducted by highly respected members of the seismic structural engineering communities in the United States and New Zealand and has the potential to significantly reduce a community’s recovery time and costs after an earthquake disaster.
This guidance document provides information and advice for homeowners and renters in Cook County, Illinois, on mitigating urban flooding. The document discusses the causes of urban flooding, lessons learned from past events, and efforts to mitigate flooding in the Greater Chicago region.