What's Wrong With Shipping Container Housing? One ...

24 Jun.,2024

 

What's Wrong With Shipping Container Housing? One ...

Shipping containers are now such a thing that in Denmark, they are putting them in glass cases. I have had a troubled relationship with shipping containers since I was ten, when my dad went into the container biz. They were made in the USA and Canada then and were really expensive; you wouldn't think of living in them. But every now and again he would get sent a photo of some shipping container in Africa that fell off a truck and had windows and doors cut into the walls.

jiaqiang supply professional and honest service.

 Lloyd Alter

I had some fun with them in University, designing a summer camp for temporary use that folded out of a forty footer. Because you would never actually use a container empty; the dimensions are lousy for people and the flooring was treated with insecticides and the paints were designed to last through ten years on the high seas, so are seriously industrial. It may have been a really bad career choice not sticking with containers, but my moves into modular construction and tiny homes were not too successful either.

The Issue With Shipping Container Housing

Perhaps the lesson is that when it comes to housing, technology, or lack thereof, is not the fundamental problem. After watching all the coverage of shipping container schemes with some bemusement, I asked Does Shipping Container Architecture Make Sense? But now, in response to an architectural competition, Architect Mark Hogan of OpenScope Studio comes up with his own list of questions.

He speaks from some experience, having actually built a container project, and notes that "For sites where on-site construction is not feasible or desirable, fitting a container out in the factory can be a sensible option." But for housing? On his personal website, Mark makes some very good points. Here are some of the most interesting.

Shipping Containers Have Structural Problems

Housing is usually not a technology problem. All parts of the world have vernacular housing, and it usually works quite well for the local climate. There are certainly places with material shortages, or situations where factory built housing might be appropriate- especially when an area is recovering from a disaster. In this case prefab buildings would make sense- but doing them in containers does not.

Here I might argue that the great genius of shipping containers is not the box but the handling systems; there are ships, cranes, trucks and trains all designed around them. So if you do want to deliver stuff fast after a disaster, there is no better form than the shipping container. He then goes through the fundamental problem of width, which is just too narrow really, Insulation, which is a huge problem, and for once, somebody understands about structure:

 Ganti & Associates

You&#;ve seen the proposals with cantilevers everywhere. Containers stacked like Lego building blocks, or with one layer perpendicular to the next. Architects love stuff like this, just like they throw around usually misleading/meaningless phrases like &#;kit of parts.&#; Guess what- the second you don&#;t stack the containers on their corners, the structure that is built into the containers needs to be duplicated with heavy steel reinforcing. The rails at the top and the roof of the container are not structural at all (the roof of a container is light gauge steel, and will dent easily if you step on it). If you cut openings in the container walls, the entire structure starts to deflect and needs to be reinforced because the corrugated sides act like the flange of beam and once big pieces are removed, the beam stops working. All of this steel reinforcing is very expensive, and it&#;s the only way you can build a &#;double-wide.&#;

They Present Challenges for Utilities

And then there is one that I have never thought about but is important:

In a large building, you&#;ll still need a lot of space to run utilities. Because of the problems with insulation mentioned above, you will need to install a very robust HVAC system to heat and cool the building (that Mumbai tower shown above would literally be a deathtrap without cooling). You will have a hard time taking advantage of passive strategies like thermal mass if you maintain the container aesthetic. You&#;ll also end up with low ceilings, as even high cube containers are only 9-&#;6&#; (2.9 m) in overall exterior height, so any ductwork or utilities start cutting in to headroom.

OpenScope Studio

They Waste Space

Finally Mark mentions the issue of recycling. I have looked at this in the past, with the Upcycle House which had " the ambitious goal of being the first house build only from upcycled and environmentally sustainable materials." I did a calculation to determine if using two shipping containers as the structure of the house was actually the highest and best use:

An empty 40' shipping container weighs pounds. A galvanized steel stud weighs a pound per linear foot. These two containers, melted down and rolled and formed, could have been upcycled into 2,095 8' long steel studs. Framing the walls instead of using shipping containers would have used about 144 of them. Using shipping containers as structural elements for a one storey building is downcycling and wasting of a resource.

There is a lot more steel in a shipping container than you actually need for a building; that's so they can be stacked full nine high and get tossed around the ocean and thrown on trucks and trains. It's really being wasted when it's put into a house. And as Mark notes, you can probably build it faster and cheaper than bringing in a welder and mucking up a shipping container.

Relatively untrained people can build a room that size of simple wood framing in a day without needing to rent a crane or learning how to weld for about the same cost (or less) than buying a used container.

Are you interested in learning more about steel structure frame container house? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Shipping Containers Don't Make Good Homes

Don't get me wrong; I love shipping container architecture that moves, plugs in, that takes advantage of the tremendous infrastructure. I agree with Mark that it is terrific for temporary or emergency uses. But does it make good housing? I don't think so. Perhaps after all these years I am still missing something.

Steel Frames vs. Wood Frames: Pros, Cons, & Shipping ...

Steel frames vs. woods frames &#; which option is better for your project? To answer this question, we must first look at the pros and cons of steel framing and wood framing. Here at Falcon, we modify steel shipping containers into structures for working, living, and storage, so we&#;ve come to understand that there is a time and place for steel, wood, and shipping container construction. Let&#;s take a closer look at each option.

Steel vs. Wood Framing

Steel Framing

Steel framing is an alternative to wood framing that comes with many of its own benefits. Although it is less common for traditional construction jobs, it can often be an ideal choice for many projects and may even be cheaper than wood framing in some cases.

Pros:

  • Stronger than wood &#; more structurally sound in storms
  • Lighter than wood frames
  • Non-combustible
  • More resistant to water damage than wood framing &#; doesn&#;t expand or warp the same way wood does
  • Less likely to attract fungus

Cons:

  • More difficult to insulate than wood framing &#; due to the fact that heat energy easily moves through steel, instead of impeding it
  • Potential to rust

Wood Framing

Wood framing is the traditional construction choice. The majority of construction today utilizes wood framing to create a variety of buildings, so many benefits come attached to the familiarity of wood framing.

When we compare wood framing to steel construction, certain characteristics stand out more than others, such as the fact that wood framing is heavier than steel framing. Or that wood framing is more combustible than steel. Although, as the traditional choice for construction, many builders are familiar with wood framing and many owners understand what to expect from wood construction.

Pros:

  • Natural thermal insulator &#; wood more easily impedes thermal energy and acts as a heat barrier, unlike steel
  • Easier to find experienced contractors, architects, and other construction contributors who are familiar with using wood framing

Cons:

  • Potential to rot
  • Potential to attract insects
  • Combustible

Using Shipping Containers in Construction

It&#;s become increasingly popular to create container-based buildings by stacking and joining shipping containers. Builders are utilizing the shipping container itself as part of the building&#;s framing. Shipping container construction is not the same as steel framing, but because containers are made from corten steel, they have a lot of the same benefits.

One of the greatest benefits of building with shipping containers is the simple, building block-style of construction. Easily stack containers to create larger structures. Simply lift the pre-modified units &#; manufactured offsite &#; by a crane and place the units together as needed. Utilizing shipping containers often helps to shorten construction schedules and keep projects within budget.

Steel vs. Wood Framing Within Modified Shipping Containers

Project managers that use shipping containers as the structural bones of a building also need to make a choice about the internal framing of each modified shipping container. Once the choice is made, manufacturers can properly modify each container offsite, adding either wood or steel framing prior to insulation.

The choice between wood vs. steel framing inside a shipping container depends on the priorities of the project. If the owners wish to minimize the chances of combustion, steel framing within a container is likely the best solution. If the owners require a structure that maximizes insulation, wood framing may be the best option. It&#;s important to discuss your project requirements with your container manufacturer so they can advise you as needed.

Keep in mind that even though shipping containers easily stack together to create larger structures, the established container sizes can limit design options. It is incredibility important to maintain the structural integrity of the containers, meaning that the dimensions and structural elements of the containers should be respected when designing a container-based structure. It is important to work with individuals and organizations that are familiar with shipping container construction to ensure the building remains structurally safe.

If you&#;d like to learn more about the container floor plans Falcon Structures offers, download our free catalogs here. Subscribe below to receive our weekly blog in your inbox and learn more about the possibilities of modified shipping containers.

The company is the world’s best Expandable Container House supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.