Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Containers’

Second hand 10ft refrigerated container

If you are considering buying a 10ft refrigerated container the following facts may be useful:-

INTERIOR

    Length        245cm    Width         224cm    Height        222cm

    Cubic Capacity 13 cu m

    Door opening width 224cm      Door opening height 218cm

    Tare weight 1500kgs     Max gross weight 15000kgs

    Pallet capacity 5 to 6 depending on type

 EXTERIOR

    Length  300cm      Width  243cm      Height 259cm

The downside of 10ft containers is that they are normally more expensive than the more widely available 20ft and 40ft containers as they are not built in such numbers and do not have such a demand in the commercial marketplace.

Here at CS Shippng Containers we have been missing the Olympics. Susan, who handles the logistics side of the business has, in particular, been missing the swimming. So, at coffee we got talking about the recent posts we have filed about shipping containers being converted into all sorts of amazing things and linked it to the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London.

Apart from her talents in keeping calm and organising everybody so your cargo containers get to where they are meant to, on time and in the right conditition, Susan is an amazing artist. It didn’t take her long to come up with these 3 simple and fun ideas.

OK. We admit none of this is very likely, but it does make the point that, as our previous posts show, 20ft or 40ft containers are very versatile - not only as a source of inspiration for Susan!

North Sea Oil Rigs had been using shipping containers for offshore accommodation for sometime when, shortly after the Falklands War, the British Army decided to rent what became known as the Coastel.  This in effect comprised of shipping containers that had been installed onto barges to provide floating accommodation - in this case in Stanley Harbour.

But there have been other examples of how shipping containers - or iso containers as they are known in the Army - have been used in the operational field.  In the Gulf War when the Allied Forces arrived in Saudi Arabia accommodation was very limited.  In fact the only shelter available was in warehouse and the shipping containers that were already in the port.  The 20ft and 40ft containers were quickly put to use as secure containers to store arms and ammunition as well as stores.  Many were converted into temporary offices and living quarters.

In Bosnia and Kosovo shipping container conversions were delivered as living accommodation, bedrooms and bathrooms to nearly all the camps.  The US Army uses similar conversions throughout Iraq today and the Australian Army even has Medical Operating Theatres in shipping containers which they move to wherever they are needed.

Who says that shipping containers don’t get everywhere?

If you have decided that the you want to choose a shipping container, how do you go about it?

The first thing to decide is what you want to use your container for.  It maybe that you want to ship it abroad or use it as domestic storage in a situation where appearance is very important.  In which case you should consider a new/ex-factory/once used shipping container.

There is some confusion over the term “new” container as opposed to “once used” or “ex-factory”.  In fact they all refer to the same thing.  Shipping containers are manufactured in China and shipped over to this country with one load inside them before being released into the domestic market.  It is these containers that are called new/once used or ex-factory depending on who is selling them to you.

They should all be in excellent condition.  The colours will obviously vary according to shipping line or the specification of whoever commissioned them.

Obviously these shipping containers cost more than good second hand wind and watertight containers but they are by no means un-affordable and will have an average life of 25 years from purchase.

The next post will focus on second hand cargo containers and what to look for when buying.

The Travelodge hotel in Uxbridge opened for business on August 15th. It was put together in record time and cost only 75% of a traditional construction.

The difference? It was put together from purpose made modular shipping containers which were shipped over from Shenzen in China to England, and then fitted together in a framework to form the hotel.

Shipping Containers are ideal for conversion into living space and the fact that they are easily transportable means that they create the minimum of disturbance to the existing infrastructure. But do we have to have containers especially made and shipped over from China when there are tens of thousands of good quality used shipping containers already in England just waiting to be converted?

Modern methods of insulation, ventilation and finishes mean that many options are now available to make the most out of the existing cargo containers we have in Britain. Surely this something we could be capitalising on in preparation for the Olympics where we will need additional accommodation quickly and cheaply?

But why wait until then? What about the nurses, doctors, firemen, policemen and teachers who all need affordable accommodation that is close to where they work? Wouldn’t accommodation made from shipping containers provide an affordable solution?

Shipping containers are used for more than import/export of goods. They are used by the shipping industry, businesses and individuals as a way of keeping items safe.

Steel storage containers are  secure methods for storing expensive tools and equipment.   Made of durable, corten steel they have a weatherproof patina which is especially designed to enable the storage container to resist rust.  The double doors are fitted with a high security locking system which can be further enhanced by the addition of a container lock box.

The container lockbox is a steel shroud, which protects the padlock and prevents access by bolt croppers, chisels or angle grinders.  When used with hardened steel shackled padlocks unauthorised entry to the shipping container becomes very difficult.  Shipping container security is greatly enhanced as a result.

So when you need additional space to store your items securely, think about the advantages a shipping container can offer for them.

I am often being asked to give details of size and weight of shipping containers, so I thought it would be useful to attach a table giving the details.

These are the most common sizes of used shipping containers although there are, other more specialist containers such as flat racks etc that might be of interest to some of you and which we will feature on another occasion.

Recently there has been a change in the world of shipping containers.   The scarcity of 20ft second hand containers has meant that we are beginnng to see the price of 20ft containers being the same as, or sometimes more than, 40ft containers.  This will come as a surprise to many who think that the price of containers goes up the larger they are!

20ft used shipping container

So, carrying on from the questions we answered yesterday on refrigerated containers, we have the more technical aspect here.  A big thanks to Kev for getting these through to us in a way that we had a chance of understanding.

What power does a refrigerated container require?
Most marine units run on 3 phase electricity.   The actual requirements depend on the type of machine i.e. Carrier, Thermoking, Daikin, Misubishi, Zanotti etc., the ambient temperature, set point of the machine and the product placed inside.  But to give an idea based on a Carrier machine set to chill in this country it would require 40/60 amps per phase on start up and on running will pull between 10/15 amps.
I don’t have a 3 phase electricity supply; can I still run my refrigerated container?
Some refrigerated shipping containers have been adapted to run from the single phase domestic electricity supply.  These are normally more expensive than the 3 phase models due to the additional work involved in converting them.  Alternatively, all refrigerated containers can be run off diesel powered gen-sets which clip onto the front of the machine.

What length is a cable on a refrigerated container?
On average the length of cable is 18 metres but this varies depending on the type of machine.

How often should I service my refrigerated container?

Every 6 months is recommended although this does depend on where the refrigerated shipping container is sited.  In a very dirty or dusty environment if not cleaned out regularly it will affect the operation of the unit and so a much more frequent servicing programme is recommended.

Hope you now know everything you need to know about refrigerated units - and I suspect many of you will know much more than you ever thought possible - so that tomorrow we can return to less technical stuff!