Discover everything you need to know about ISO cargo shipping containers, from their history and construction to their specifications and uses. This comprehensive guide covers the evolution of containerization, the materials used, standard dimensions, and key features.
Discover how intermodal shipping containers are finding new life as building components, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional construction. Learn about the benefits of container architecture, from simple structures to complex designs, and explore the companies leading this movement.
Looking for inspiration for your dream shipping container home? Explore a variety of floor plan options, from cozy one-bedroom retreats to spacious family homes. Browse our collection of one, two, and three-bedroom layouts, featuring different sizes and configurations using 20′ and 40′ shipping containers. Find the perfect design to fit your lifestyle and budget, and start planning your unique container home today!
Need detailed CAD drawings for your shipping container project? Download 2D and 3D models of standard ISO 20′ and 40′ shipping containers in DWG format. These files are perfect for architects, engineers, designers, and DIY enthusiasts planning to incorporate shipping containers into their designs.
Planning to build a shipping container home? This page provides essential construction details, including plan and section views of floors, roofs, walls, glazing, and container connections. These typical details illustrate how various components are integrated, offering valuable insights for your container home project.
Understanding the structural components of a shipping container is crucial for any project. This page provides a comprehensive glossary of terms and definitions for the key structural elements of a standard 20′ ISO shipping container, including corner fittings, posts, rails, and the understructure. An exploded axonometric view and detailed descriptions of walls, roof, and floor components, including materials like FRP and sandwich panels, offer a valuable resource for anyone working with or designing using shipping containers.
This page provides a detailed overview of COR-TEN steel, the weathering steel commonly used in shipping containers. It explains the science behind its corrosion resistance, the alloying elements involved, and how the protective oxide layer forms. The article also covers important considerations for using COR-TEN steel, including corrosion rates, welding techniques, the crucial wetting-drying cycle, potential staining, and restrictions on its use in certain environments like marine or industrial areas. It’s a valuable resource for understanding the properties and proper application of this unique material.
Choosing the right foundation for your shipping container home is a critical decision. This page outlines the key factors to consider, including foundation types (deep basement, crawl space, slab-on-grade), construction systems (cast-in-place concrete, concrete block, etc.), and how site conditions (topography, soil, water table), overall building design, climate (frost depth), and local market preferences influence your choice. It emphasizes the importance of understanding soil conditions, considering the aesthetic impact of the foundation, and balancing cost with regional building practices. This information provides a solid starting point for planning your container home’s foundation.
This document outlines the inherent structural capacity of ISO shipping containers and how they often exceed typical building code requirements. It details the rigorous testing containers undergo, including load-bearing capacity for stacking, side and end wall strength, roof load tests, and floor strength. The text highlights how these standards often surpass common wind and snow load requirements for residential structures. While the container itself is incredibly strong, it emphasizes the importance of proper foundation design to prevent issues like uplift or overturning in extreme weather, and acknowledges their suitability for high seismic zones. Essentially, it argues that the container’s inherent strength provides a robust starting point for meeting building codes, though site-specific engineering and foundation design remain critical.
This comprehensive guide explores the critical role of insulation in building design, particularly for container homes. It covers various insulation types, from traditional fiberglass batts and loose-fill spray to high-performance spray foam and structural insulated panels (SIPs). The article emphasizes the importance of considering factors beyond just R-value, such as installation quality, environmental impact, and the relationship between insulation and the overall building envelope. It discusses the pros and cons of each type, including recycled content, potential VOCs, and specific product reviews from various manufacturers. The guide also touches on framing details and how they affect insulation performance, advocating for careful design and installation to maximize energy efficiency and comfort. It’s a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of insulation choices for their container home project.
This guide explores passive solar design principles for shipping container homes, focusing on both heating and cooling strategies. It defines passive solar design and introduces key elements like operable windows, thermal mass, and thermal chimneys. The document emphasizes the importance of site analysis and understanding local climate conditions. For passive solar heating, it details three main approaches: direct gain, indirect gain (including Trombe walls and roof ponds), and isolated gain (sunrooms). Each method is explained with diagrams and “rules of thumb” for optimizing performance. The guide then shifts to passive cooling, highlighting ventilation strategies (operable windows, wing walls), thermal chimneys, and other techniques. It provides practical tips for maximizing airflow, minimizing heat gain, and effectively using thermal mass to regulate indoor temperatures. Overall, this resource offers a solid foundation for incorporating passive solar design into a container home project.