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!
You know you need a lot of dry, safe storage, but just how much is enough? Ask yourself these questions and you’ll know:
1) How much stuff do you have? Size up what you actually need to store. The most common sizes of containers are :
20’ – 20’ x 8’ x 8’6” – or 1,169 cubic feet
40’ standard – 40’ x 8’ x 8’6” – or 2,385 cubic feet
40’ high cube – 40’ x 8’ x 9’6” – or 2,690 cubic feet
High cubes are nice if you are thinking about living in a container. The internal height of a standard container is 7’8.5”, and a high cube is 8’8.5”. Over time, you will feel that height difference.
Do one of these seem like enough to fit what you have? If not, think about specialty sizes, but keep in mind that the cost on those containers adds up – bigger, more specialized trucks are required to deliver them and they may have to come from further away.
Used 20'
2) Are you going to move the container around? If the answer to this is yes, think small. A 20’ container weighs 5,000 pounds when it is empty, but is still small enough and light enough to be mobile. 20’ containers can be moved on a variety of trucks and even when they are full, can be moved by very heavy duty forklifts.
Once you jump up to a 40’ container, you will need a larger truck for moving it and when they are full, you will need a crane to lift the container on and off the truck. Cranes mean money. So even if you need the space of 40’s, think about 20’s.
3) Are you going to ship the container overseas? If yes, even though the container is moving around, think about the 40’ or the 40’ high cube. Usually there is a minimal extra cost to the larger size and you get to send more per cubic foot. However, the delivery issues listed above still apply. To get around this, most freight forwarders will pick up your container from a depot, bring it to you for loading, you load it while it stays on the truck, then they deliver it to the rail or port to ship.
40' container on a truck
4) Do you have enough space to accommodate the size you want? Containers are delivered on tilt-bed trucks when you ask for ground-level delivery. This means that the truck will back into the spot you want the container. The back of the truck tips down and there is a winch on the truck to lower the container off of the bed of the truck and start setting it on the ground. Then the driver pulls forward and finished setting the container on the ground with the winch. All of this works beautifully – if you have enough space. For a 40’ container, you will generally need 110-120’ of a straight, relatively flat area. For a 20’ – 100’. And don’t forget that the truck has to get to that spot. Make sure you think about how the driver will pull in and pull out of your site. Think about how firm and flat the ground is because delivering a container involves more physics than driving a truck across a ground.
Used 45' container
5) Do you still need more or less space? If you need more space, there are larger containers – 45’, 48’ and 53’ containers. They are not available in all markets and require larger trucks than 40’s, so be prepared for additional costs.
10' with roll door added
If you need less space, containers can be cut down for an additional fee. Generally this process will add an extra $2000 dollars and the containers will still be delivered on the same truck.
If course this won’t answer everyone’s question on sizes. Give us a call if you want to discuss it further!
Here’s your idea: Get a steel container and bury it as a root cellar, storm shelter, or both. You have the land. Now you need a plan. Here are the 5 things you need to consider to make your container cellar or shelter a reality:
1) Zoning. Are there any state, county, or city zoning laws that would restrict where or how you bury a container? This may vary depending on where you are, what the ground is like in your area, and how far into the ground you want to go. You can go the range from buried underground, nestled into a hill or embedding the container just far enough into the ground to be secure. Either way, zoning rules may apply. Start with a quick search of your city and county websites, then follow up with phone calls to offices listed on the sites. Take notes on the calls—and as decisions are made, “get it in writing” if you can.
2) Placement. Is your plan to bury the container completely? Just far enough that a tornado won’t send it to Oz? In working out placement details, be sure to think through how you will use your container. If it will be a root cellar, will you build your container into a hill with steps and a door? If it will be an underground storm shelter, how will you provide access in and out? Keep in mind that the more deeply a container is buried, the greater the planning.
3) Structure. If you will bury your container, even partially, how will you ensure that it withstands the pressure of earth? Containers were made not to be buried, but to be stacked on a ship. Only the four corner posts of a container are load bearing, with the sides strong enough to support only the roof. You’ll need to plan on building a retaining wall around the container location. Be sure to include drainage so that heavy rains won’t leave your container submerged in water. If your cellar or shelter calls for completely covering your container’s roof, you’ll also need to build a platform to push all the weight to the 4 corner posts (products are on the market to do this). Never simply bury a container or it will collapse.
4) Moisture. Containers are wind and water tight, but think about how you will prep your buried container against earthen moisture. The container floor has treated plywood on steel cross-members. You will want to seal under the floor—and probably will want to set it on a cement slab foundation. In addition, you will need to seal your container with roofing tar, plastic tarps, or truck bedliners (such as RhinoLinings). A little research will help you find the most cost-effective solution for your container use and location.
5) Ventilation. If you’re turning your container into a storm shelter, you’ll want to make sure it will have good ventilation and air flow for the people who will use it. You’ll also want to add an extra door—ideally a man-door with a panic bar so it can be opened safely from inside and so that no one can be accidentally locked in.
For an example of one being installed, see this video. They approached some of the issues listed above a little differently, but it still provides some great ideas.
Once you have your container cellar or shelter in place, the rest is pretty easy—making sure your root cellar has the right humidity level for vegetables or that your shelter is outfitted to work well as a storm refuge. If you’re just beginning to start your cellar or shelter project, please keep in mind that SuperCubes offers a variety of kits to help you modify your container—and we’re always happy to provide friendly advice as well.
