R-value (insulation) typical straw bale houses have very thick walls and thus are well insulated. Snow is roughly R-1 per inch. Brick has a very poor insulating ability at a mere R-0.2 per inch; however it does have a relatively good thermal mass. Note that the above examples all use the U.S. (non-SI) definition for R-value. When determining the overall thermal resistance of a building assembly such as a wall or roof, the insulating effect of the surface air film is added to the thermal resistance of the other materials. In practice the above surface values are used for floors, ceilings, and
Building and Construction Authority Building and Construction Authority The Building and Construction Authority (Abbreviation: BCA; ) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government. It was established on 1 April 1999 through the merger of the Construction Industry Development Board and the Building Control Division of the former Public Works Department. The primary role of BCA is to develop and regulate Singapore's building and construction industry. BCA ensures that buildings in Singapore are designed, constructed and maintained to high standards of safety through its building regulatory system. In October 2004, BCA issued a window retrofitting order, requiring aluminium