Container Construction 101

You have a great idea.  You are going to transform a cargo container into your workshop, cabin or home.  You can visualize what it will look like.  But before you start cutting up a container, here is some information on how containers are made to make sure you are making the most out of your container.

Exploded view of container

Basic Frame

Design - Containers are designed to filled, then stacked on ships, then removed.  Containers hold all their weight in the floor of the container and the four corner posts.  Those corner posts are what the cranes connect to when moving full containers around.  These corner posts are slightly higher than the roof and slightly lower than the floor of the container.

What this means for you – When you stack containers, make sure that you always have corner posts resting on corner posts.  If you can’t do this, make sure those corner posts have extra support.  Also, do not remove these corner posts unless you have designed to support the container in another way.

Corrugated walls and roof

Walls and Roofs

Design – Containers are made of corrugated steel.  The walls and roofs are made of the same material.  The walls support the roof of the container.

What this means for you – You can cut holes for doors and windows in the side of containers.  But just make sure you don’t remove the whole side of a container without providing support for the roof.  Also, the roof is not strong enough to handle heavy loads.  If you are planning on burying the container or making a balcony on top of a container, make sure you create a platform that distributes the weight back to the four corner posts.

Container doors

Doors

Design – Container doors are attached to corner posts.

What this means to you – They work well they way they are designed.  If you want a different type of entry, add extra doors on the other 3 sides of the container.

Insulation

Design – Standard containers are made of corten steel and are not insulated.  Refrigerator containers are steel containers with insulation and an interior wall added onto the container.  The insulation used is loose between the walls.  Also, refrigerated/insulated containers are generally sold with cooling units still included.

Inside refrigerated container

What this means to you – If you are looking for a container that is insulated, the first big question to ask yourself is if you are going to modify the container further.  If you are, the standard containers will be much easier to work with.  Once you cut into an insulated container, you will have a mess on your hands and the insulation will be reduced.  Instead, go with a standard container, make your modifications to suit your needs and then frame the container like you would a traditional home.  You will lose the same amount of container width as you would with a refrigerated container, but will skip a large headache.

For more questions on do-it-yourself modifications, please call us!

5 Reasons Steel Containers Make Great Toolboxes

The snow is melting, the ground is greening up, and you’re raring to get going on your construction projects, even after adjusting for tougher economic realities. You need to keep a lid on costs and you want to be smart about storing your tools and materials. You may have noticed that steel storage containers are being used more and more on construction sites—not just by the general contractors, but by subs as well.  That’s because they make great toolboxes, and here’s why:

1.  Reliable Security. Containers are far and away the most secure way to store tools and materials on a job site. Constructed of heavy-duty steel, they’re indestructible. Add a lockbox and only a plasma cutter could have a chance (not a common tool for the common thief).

2.  Storage Where You Need It. You can have your materials delivered directly to the job site, saving you money and hauling headaches over the long run. Everything will be kept safe and dry from Day 1 to the end of construction.

3.  Time Savings. Your workers won’t have to go back and forth from your location with company trucks or wait for co-workers to show up with the tool that got put in another guy’s truck.  Everything they need will be right on site and ready to go every morning, rain or shine.

4.  Added Work Space. On bad-weather days, you and your team can use the container as a dry workshop right on site.

5.  Mobility. When the job is done, you can move the container to your next job site … with the tools right in it. (For this, we recommend the 20’ container, easily movable by tow trucks).

Your tools will be safe, secure, and right where you need them. The cost savings will add up. And as a bonus you can paint your container with your logo and company colors—an instant on-site billboard, great for your business and a productivity booster for your team.