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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The purpose of this document is to describe the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards. Understanding these interactions will benefit users—particularly designers, builders, code officials, and homeowners—by providing a perspective that green building practices, while important on their own, must be part of a larger sustainable building design context that encompasses life safety, disaster resistance, and other related issues. Many hazard resistance issues are addressed in model building codes such as the International Residential Code (IRC). However, some of the building modifications introduced by green building practices create design, detailing, and installation challenges that are not covered by the IRC’s provisions. This document identifies specific areas in which special attention to a few small details will maintain or increase natural hazard resistance.