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
American College of the Building Arts also specialized courses in drawing, design, materials science and construction management. ACBA maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio to ensure the highest standards of quality in its programs. The Byrne-Diderot Library is a major research resource for students and faculty. The library houses a specialized collection of books, periodicals, newspapers and audiovisual materials in the building, visual, decorative and liberal arts. The library's main collection contains over 6.500 items. The D.A.R. Special Collections room contains another 500 rare books, catalogs and periodicals, as well as examples of historical tools and 19th century Charleston iron work. American College of the Building Arts