Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘shipping container conversion’

The cost of new /once used shipping containers has been rising.  Even though cost wise shipping containers compare favourably to other means of secure storage, in the last month the cost of a 20ft new /once used shipping container has increased by nearly £200.  The next batch of new containers exported in from China is likely to be more expensive again.   Why should that be when the price of steel is dropping?

Shipping Container cost has always been dependant on both the condition of the container and its location (and therefore the transportation costs involved).   The market price of its principal constituent, corten steel, has also been relevant.  These are the factors that most people would consider to be the controlling influence on the cost of shipping containers.   What is often not taken into consideration as far as shipping containers are concerned is the effect of the currency exchange rate. 

For shipping containers, the currency exchange rate has had a major effect on the cost.   Anything to do with shipping uses the US Dollar as its currency.   As we all know the Pound Sterling has been dropping significantly against the US Dollar and this has meant that there are less shipping containers to the pound!   However, this has resulted in two other knock on effects on the cost of shipping containers.

 Firstly, as far as new shipping containers are concerned , the price increase has meant that less new shipping containers are being ordered.  As a direct result of this  some of the factories in China (the main producer of new shipping containers) have closed - and as we all know less competition is never a good thing for competitive pricing!

Secondly, the shipping industry itself is suffering in this recession with less actual shipping happening on a world-wide basis.   This has meant that the shipping lines are tightening their belts and are holding onto their  existing shipping containers for longer.  There are therefore less used shipping containers coming onto the market.  At the moment the second hand market is holding steady price wise, but prices will no doubt rise as second hand containers become scarcer.

All is not doom and gloom however.   In comparison to many other forms of storage, shipping containers are - and will be - priced favourably.  After all many other materials are also increasing in price due to the market conditions!    Shipping container conversions such as offices, accommodation and classrooms are going to continue to be a more economic solution than conventional building methods.  The modular construction of shipping containers and their integral strength mean that they are not only ideally suited for many projects but also that they are always going to be quicker to assemble and instal than bricks and mortar.  The fact that the containers are designed to be easily transported by road, rail and sea mean that delivery of the containers onto site  is not a problem.  In short, despite the price increases, shipping containers still have a lot going for them! 

How long this world-wide recession and the weakness of the Pound Sterling will continue is open to speculation.   What will always be true is that shipping containers will continue to be a versatile and economic solution.

We have been getting a lot of enquiries recently from schools asking about shipping containers for secure storage. Storage needs range from keeping bicycles safe, additional on-site storage for sports equipment to archiving school records. The requirements range from an 8ft container to a 40ft one.

What has been most marked recently though is the number of schools asking about shipping container conversions to provide classrooms either permanently or whilst a major redevelopment project is being undertaken. Obviously, whilst standard considerations apply to this sort of conversion such as insulation, windows, personnel doors, heating and lighting, special consideration has to be taken into account as the containers are going to be used by children. This affects lighting for example which has to be of a higher tamper proof variety than that installed in, say, a standard office conversion. Anti slip flooring is also important.

CS Shipping Containers also tries to arrange deliveries of either storage containers or the classroom shipping container conversion to fit in with the school time table. Often we deliver first thing in the morning before school starts in order to create as little inconvenience and to reduce any safety risks that may be incurred when children are around.

I get asked about once a month about burying shipping containers - either because of disguising them so they don’t stand out in the countryside or for the insulative properies that this will bring.  This week, for example, I got asked for advice about building bunker camping shelters made out of 10ft containers that would be buried at various points in the Yorkshire Dales.   Whatever the reason it is important that although shipping containers will support an enormous amount of weight directly on top (as we have seen in a previous post when shipping containers were used to support a bridge in Utah), this is only if this weight is placed over the load bearing iso corners.  The top and the sides of the shipping container are prone to flexing otherwise and this means that the roof can, and will, eventually collapse.  So at the risk of being boring and giving you more information than you would ever want to know about how to bury a shipping container safely I am going to outline one method of doing this safely just in case you have your own shipping container conversion in mind that would need this sort of information!

Let us take as an example a 40ft container that we want to almost completely bury.   First of all dig a hole.   This should be 16ft wide, 55ft long and at least 6ft deep.   Any hole this large is going to fill with water so a sump or a trench needs to be dug before lining the base and 2ft up the sides with heavy duty foundation plastic.  A french drain with an integral silt shield should be put in the bottom of the hole, staked into place so it does not go under the corners or the edge of the container.   Secure the plastic within 6″ of the sides with t-posts before covering the base with 6″ of gravel.

If you are not completely exhausted by this stage, the shipping container can now be placed on top of the gravel in the centre of the hole, making sure it is level.   To support the sides and top of the iso container a barricade needs to be built all around.  This can be in the form of gabion or hesco baskets filled with rocks or sand or, providing that they do not touch the container itself,  walls of tyres filled with sand.   These need to be built up so they stand proud of the container top and can support heavy timber crossbeams and a false  “roof” covered with another layer of plastic so that the container can be completely buried.  At the door end of the container protect the doors by building a wooden post frame around them so they can open easily whilst the surround can be appropriately disguised if required.

All of this proves that burying a shipping container for whatever container conversion you have in mind is not a task lightly undertaken.   It takes a vast amount of work but, if done properly, is well worth the effort.   Should you be inspired to have a go, let me know how you get on.

When thinking about Shipping Container Sales (or even hire) there are quite a few things you should consider.   Here are 10 that you might want to keep in mind.

1. The cheapest  to buy are 20ft Shipping Containers or 40ft Shipping Containers.  This is because these are the most common sizes used by the Shipping Lines/Transport Companies etc and therefore the most readily available.   Sizes such as 10ft etc are often cut down from larger containers and, due to the labour involved, are often more expensive.
2. Your shipping Container should be made out of corten steel.   This is a highly rust resistant and strong material that is weather resistant.   If you are considering buying  second hand shipping container then it will probaby be painted in the colours of a Shipping Line Company.   There will probably be places where the paint has been scraped and a brown surface layer will have formed.   This is not rust!   Corten steel forms this patina to stop rust getting to the underneath layer.   Your steel container should last another 10-15 years.
3. You should check that your container comes with a wind and watertight guarantee.   When you take delivery of your shipping container walk inside it and look for any holes in the sides and don’t forget to look up and check the roof!   This should be easy in the daylight as the sunlight will show through any holes there might be.
4. The floor of a standard shipping container is made out of 27mm timber.   Check that there are no soft spots in the floor that might give way when the container is loaded.
5. Make sure that your shipping container is sited on level ground.   This means that the doors will open smoothly.   When the container is empty this potential problem is often not obvious as the doors will probably open easily.   However, once the container is loaded if the container is not sited on the level then things are about to get a whole lot worse!
6. If you are going to use your container for shipping then make sure it has a CSC certificate or plate.   This will ensure that your container is cargo worthy and that you have no problems when delivering it to the port for shipping.  Remember that a lot of people choose to buy their container rather than hire is so they can use it as a shipping container conversion once they get to their new country.
7. If you have any concerns about the security of your container have a lock cowl or lockbox put on at the depot before delivery.   This is a metal box that is welded on to the container doors to protect the padlock from illegal access and tampering from bolt croppers or angle grinders etc.
8. Some insurance companies offer a premium discount if you use an insurance approved heavy duty container padlock such as CISA.   It is worth asking the insurance company you use to insure your container’s contents whether they do.
9. If you are worried about condensation then it may be worth considering lining the container.   This can be carried out at the depot and can be done in a variety of ways.   The most common is done using ply either without or without the addition of rockwool behind.  You could also consider using a “thermal blanket” - the method used by a large number of the shipping lines themselves.  A cheaper alternative to the problem of condensation is a moisture trap.  These last for 4 months and suck up 2.5 litres of water.   They are extremely effective but you do have to keep replacing them.
10. Finally, make sure that when you arrange delivery of your container you take into account the access to your site.   If there are overhanging trees, low cables or the lorry has to cross a field then the lorry might not be able to deliver your container and you will be charged for wasted transport.   It is always worth checking at the time of purchasing your container and, if there are concerns, sending photographs of the site or arranging a site visit to make sure that your container can be delivered.

Shipping Containers are a fantastic start point for all sorts of conversions. They can be converted into so many different things - some of which we have featured in earlier posts.

Site accommodation, offices, classrooms, housing complexes and workshops are but a few of the shipping container conversions that are available.

shipping container conversion - cargo container city

How then, do you go about planning your own bespoke container conversion? The first step obviously  involves working out exactly what sort of conversion you require.   You should then ring some companies specialising in shipping container conversions and ask them for advice and to help you draw up a final specification.   Sometimes drawings are a good idea as it enables you - and them - to know exactly what is required and for you to agree on what you want produced and at what price.   Often you can have specific items detailed such as windows, personnel doors etc so that you can decide within budget how many you need or can afford.  Don’t forget that containers can be joined together to provide larger spaces.

Our next post will go through some of the modifications you can make to a shipping container that you may like to consider if you are planning turning a shipping container into an office, home or even a series of workshops.

We have been looking at how shipping containers make good homes and so today I thought that it would be fun if we had a look at some of the more eclectic uses that shipping containers have been put to.

Adam Kalkin’s developed the absolutely amazing concept above showing what can be done with shipping containers.  It was originally used in Italy at the 52nd Venice Biennial as a coffee stand by Illy but has subsequently traveled to the USA and elsewhere where it always makes an impact!  Not many cargo containers are able to do this at the touch of a button!

At the other end of the scale - at least technologically speaking - we have an example of a high rise building in Zürich which looks exactly like what it is - 17 old and rusty cargo containers.

The company has a strong ecological product ethos and so have used a shipping container conversion to make their 85ft high Freitag Shop.  It is connected by staircases and has a viewing platform at the top.

But shipping containers of whatever size don’t have to always be converted into anything quite as spectacular as the examples pictured above.  They are often found in much more everyday settings.  Our local garage has converted a 40 foot ISO container into a car wash which works very well.  Simon, our website guy, was out and about this weekend when he spotted this 20 foot shipping container providing shelter and security for a cash machine.  Thank you to him for taking a photo with his mobile!

But let us not forget the more everyday cargo container conversions.  These include chemical stores, refrigerated containers, smoking shelters, insulated containers, recording studios, tack rooms, p.e. equipment stores, offices, classrooms, roadside cafes, mess rooms and canteens to name but a few!

So, from the extraordinary to the everyday shipping containers can provide solutions on many different levels as a ecologically friendly, adaptable and highly transportable option for whatever conversion you are considering.

The showpiece at the Singapore Biennale 2008 this year is the Containart Pavillion.  It is made from 150 Shippng Containers and 35 ten metre recyclable paper tubes.

The 20ft containers were fashioned into this extraordinary pavillion by Japanese Architect Shigeru Ban and now house works of art by over 50 different artists.

The Singapore Biennale runs until the 16th November so anyone wanting to go and see just how amazing shipping containers can look has until then to go and see the Containart Pavillion.

Having written about the Aces Basketball Team yesterday, we started to think about all the schools and sports clubs that have been ordering shipping containers to use as stores for their sports or ground equipment.

At this time of year, even though it feels as though we haven’t really had a summer, there is a change over in the sports played. Cricketers are looking to pack away bats, stumps, lawnmowers and rollers so that they will be safe and ready to use next year. Bath Ford Cricket Club, for example, took delivery of a 20ft container earlier this month to store their ground equipment in. The fact that it is a steel container means that they can leave it on site knowing that their equipment will be as secure as possible. With the lockbox and security padlock in place they have taken every precaution they can.

Schools too have been ordering shipping container conversions for PE storage. High View School in Barnsley had a container shelved with lighting and electrics and a personnel door so that pupils and staff could use it to store all the PE kit on site. Hindleys Community College had a 25ft container specially made to site alongside a sports pitch for the same reason.

But it doesn’t stop there. In the last month we have taken orders for shipping containers to be used for canoe storage, tackrooms, to house quadbikes as well as for a clubhouse for a football team.

Shipping containers being made of steel, with a secure locking system in the form of the lockbox or shroud which is welded on to the door to make illegal access to the padlock difficult, and the hardened shackle CISA padlocks really do offer a secure answer for sports storage.

We are all getting used to seeing shipping container conversions of  amazing h0uses, art galleries and classrooms but, in order to prove that uses of shipping containers and container conversions are really is only limited to yor imagination, here are some of the more unusal requests we have had over the last few months.

1. Rogrigo the human cannon ball wants to be able to transport his cannon over to Australia and needs to be able to secure his cannon for the trip.   This enquiry is  relatively simple to do but how could anyone resist including such a request?   7 metres in length,  2 metres in width and 2.5 metres high it weights 2000-2500 kg so is a substantial piece of kit!   Luckily shipping containers are used to taking a lot more weight than that so, providing the cannon is kept anchored in side securely it should not prove to be a problem.
2. Refrigerated shipping containers are often put to the most unusual uses.   Have you ever thought of them as being useful for bug extermination?   A well-known country house uses them to put in their antique carpets and turns down the temperature to kill off all the nasties that are trying to chomp through the carpet fibres.  Apparently if you keep the carpets at -20C for two weeks, let them slowly come back to normal ambient temperature for another two weeks before repeating the process again, this solves the problem.  These carpets are priceless so the refrigerated containers have to be kept in a bonded warehouse or somewhere equally as secure to make sure the carpets don’t get stolen.
3. Talking of creatures with more than 2 legs, we have also been asked for a shipping container conversion of a refrigerated container so it could be used as a climate controlled holding tank for crabs for a sea aquarium whilst the crabs were breeding.   The floor had to be bunded to hold 1 metre depth of water at a constant temperature and have a ledge for the crabs to be able to climb up on.   At the same time the refrigerator motor had to be totally secure so the crabs could not get into it!
4. One of our refrigerated containers has been used to test a Range Rover!   Regulations apparently required that the car underwent a series of tests at -20C and these were carried out in one of our containers that we hired out for 16 weeks.   Amazing!
5. Maybe not such an unusual shipping container conversion - but rather an unusual use - was the request for a shipping container to be converted into a mobile on-line auction room.   Fitted out to a luxury spec it was to provide a place where clients would feel happy to bid for luxury yachts in all parts of the world be this at  the Boat Show at Earls Court or  St Tropez or even Florida!   With the different power requirements, lots of glass, sofas and expensive rugs, as well as the need for air conditioning and heating (depending on where the conversion was sited at any particular time) it certainly proved to be a detailed job to undertake!

So there you are, next time you look at a shipping container you can think of these requests and see them in a whole new light!

Shipping containers are often converted into offices for use on site, as classrooms or reception areas. They can be combined so that rather than being restricted to an 8ft width, you can have 16ft or 24ft etc simply by removing the sides and joining them together. The most common method of achieving a waterproof join is welding them together on site. Once this is done, however, it is impossible to easily move the container elsewhere without complicated transport arrangements being made for wide loads. An alternative is to use flanges and then seal the join to make it weatherproof. Although this is more expensive it has the advantage of allowing the office container to be moved easily should the need arise.

32x10ft site office

Site offices are often required to be vandal proof and this usually requires the container to be on jacklegs with windows that are protected by steel shutters and a sturdy security door - often kirncroft. The standard shipping container double doors are often removed and corrugated steel placed in its stead in order to reduce the risk of illegal access. The most common size for an office container is 20ft x 8ft.

Another common size of container is 32×10ft. These containers are made to order and are not, strictly speaking, shipping container conversions. It is important if the container is to be classed as vandal proof that you ask for certain features. The containers should still be made of corten steel in order to have extra strength (the steel being pressed and having a profile that is stronger than flat steel) and incorporate jack legs and steel window shutters as welll as the security door. The extra width is often useful and is not restrictive to easy road transportation and if you insist on the specification above you will have lost none of the advantages of a 20ft x 8ft shipping container office conversion.

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