Shipping Containers Blog

Posts Tagged ‘storage containers’

What on earth does a shipping container have to do with the Internet?   It does not seem like an obvious combination.  Large , industrial steel containers designed to be able to move cargo easily about the world don’t seem to have anything to offer the highly technological world of the Internet.  Yet, the very versatility and inherent strength of these containers mean that they do have a part to play.

Most of us have heard of the Internet Archive.   It was set up as a giant internet “library” which allows people to view any page on the internet from 1996 to the present day.   It is primarily meant as a resource for researchers, scholars and historians as it allows permanent access to all internet content.  An amazing undertaking.  Yet it doesn’t stop there.   The Internet Archive has now been expanded so that it also records programmes from tv channels worldwide, as well as films, music etc.

All that information - some 3,145,728 GB of web pages at the present time (and growing) - needs to be housed securely and  Sun Microsystems developed a modular infrastructure that is housed in a customised enclosure known as a Petabox.   Still with me?   Because now we get to the relevant bit.   These Petaboxes are packaged into a 20ft shipping container.  Why a shipping container?   The very construction of these units make them ideal for storage containers.   They are made of highly rust resistant and strong corten steel, are designed for easy transportation, and can be easily stacked like lego as the archive grows.   They can be insulated and modified to maintain ideal climatic conditions for storing data.  In short, shipping containers make ideal data centres as they allow them to be both secure and self contained.

Currently, it is an amazing fact that what is one of - if not the largest - digital archive in the world is housed in a 20ft shipping container.  Other companies such as Dell, Microsoft and Google, to name but a few, are also using shipping containers to house their own data centres in various locations around the world - some even off shore.  A whole new use for shipping containers.   Whoever would have thought that combining cutting edge technology with steel shipping containers could be so successful?

We have been talking about how strong and adaptable shipping containers can be as a housing resource, and, given how quickly they can be utilised into buildings at moderate cost, that they could provide an answer to producing accommodation in the light of the 2012 Olympics or even as much needed usable space in inner cities.
All very well, but who, in their right mind, would want to live or work in what are, after all, essentially metal boxes?  Hopefully, this Post, will make you look at shipping containers in a totally different way by illustrating projects that have already been completed in London itself.
The pictures below show Cargo City, which provides a mix of living and work accommodation that made out of shipping containers and blend in perfectly to the industrial, urban environment of London’s Docklands – well known for its shipping heritage

The first phase was completed in 5 months in 2001.  Over 80% of the buildings were created from recycled material. It was so successful that in 2002 a second phase was completed with inter-connecting bridges, a new lift and full disabled access.
But why stop at just using shipping containers as living spaces when community projects can also see the benefits?

Above is the Mile End Youth Centre, completed in 2003 and made out of 7 used storage containers.  It provides a cost effective solution to providing facilities for public use that might otherwise have been unaffordable.
Businesses are also using shipping containers – in this case 73 – to provide office accommodation

This is Riverside Building – which I am not sure that I would even recognise from a casual glance as being built from shipping containers in the first place!  Built in 2005, this building was able to slot into a site that provides amazing views across the Thames.
Quite amazing what those metal boxes can be turned into with a little imagination – and if you had problems visualising  yourself living or working in one – well, I hope this Post has helped.

All the Container Housing examples here were developed by Urban Site Management Ltd.

Now I don’t mean by this that I am going to talk to you about painting your second hand shipping container green so it blends into the countryside.   This blog is about how by buying a shipping container you can flex your environmentally friendly muscles and feel good about the fact that you have done your bit to help the planet (and got a really good product into the bargain!!).

1. If you decide to buy a second hand shipping container then, obviously, you are recycling an industrial product by giving it a new life.   Most people use their ex-shipping container as a means of storage.  With the addition of a lockbox and a hardened steel shackle padlock you have a storage container that is not only extremely secure but has a whole new useful purpose.
2. New/once used shipping containers also can be environmentally friendly.   When used as part of a construction project these containers can be erected in much less time (and therefore use much less energy) than traditional construction methods.  A recent well known example of this was the Travelodge in Uxbridge.  Costs were a third .  less than a traditional build, and construction took a matter of months.  All achieved by using purpose built containers which were put together in no time on site.
3. Shipping containers can be converted into affordable housing that is ideal for enabling nurses, teachers, students etc to live near to their place of work/study.   This  reduces the carbon footprint by abolishing the need to commute.
4. On the subject of accommodation, shipping container conversions slot easily into towns and cities without requiring much - if any - additional infrastructure.   They can be easily transported onto brown field sites and connected up with minimum disturbance to their surroundings.
5. The flat roof of a shipping container is ideal for housing solar panels or growing a “green roof”.   The use of ceramic thermal paint for insulation means that the containers themselves are often better insulation than traditional houses.
6. Shipping Containers are often used as receptacles for recycling.   Think of the containers where you put your old newspapers in car parks for example.  10ft containers are frequently used to recycle clothes, shoes and the like.
7. Charities re-use shipping containers to transport items such as medical equipment, classroom furniture, books and clothes (all of which are being recycled themselves) to Africa etc.  Afterwards the container is often used to provide the community with additional covered space.
8. At the end of a containers useful life it can be totally re-used by recycling the steel and wood and turning them into something else.

These days going green and doing your bit for the environment has never been so popular.   Often, however, it involves additional effort and compromise.   With a shipping container  not only are you going green by giving an essentially industrial product a new life but you will have a supremely adaptable and long lasting practical product helping you in your everyday life -  in whatever role you have chosen for it!!

I am often asked “your second hand container won’t be all rusty will it?”

Shipping containers are made out of corten steel. Why, I am often asked, is corten steel so special? Why not just use ordinary steel instead?

Wikepedia defines corten steel as “Weathering steel, best-known under the trademark COR-TEN steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to obviate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years”. What this actually means is that due to the chemical make-up of corten steel it has an increased resistance to weather corrosion. In short corten steel forms a protective surface layer that acts as a weather proof barrier. Very useful in a steel container that is primarily designed to withstand salt water and the extreme conditions found at sea.

But if the corten steel container is painted a weather proof layer does not have a chance to form. It is no more effective against the climate than normal unalloyed steel. So why do shipping lines bother to paint their containers? Apart from the obvious advertising benefits of having a ship stacked with boxes all carrying your logo, shipping containers do not stay pristine. The moving of the containers on and off ships does result in the steel shipping containers getting knocked and the paintwork scraped leaving the steel exposed underneath. That is where the fact the containers are made of corten steel is an advantage, because, rather like putting a plaster on a cut, the corten steel starts to form its protective layer when exposed to the weather and prolongs the life of the steel shipping container. No need to repaint!

The rust proof qualities of corten steel are not only put to use in shipping but in other industries such as construction. Many buildings, such as the The U.S. Steel Tower in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have been made out of corten steel. There is, of course, a crossover between shipping containers and construction which is largely due to the corten steel. Nowadays, shipping container conversions have become popular not only because of the green credentials of recycling an industrial product but because of the strong construction and weatherproofing that is inherent in the steel shipping container itself. There are numerous examples of projects that use shipping containers that our previous blogs have highlighted, but, at the risk of repeating myself, new readers only have to look at projects such as Container City or Riverside House to see what can be done. These are of course, container conversions on a large scale. The properties of shipping containers can also be utilised in smaller conversions such as offices, site accommodation and storage containers.

So next time you look at a second hand steel shipping container and see what appears to be a brown patina where the paint has scraped off, remember that it may not be rust at all, but the weatherproofing layer formed by the corten steel itself.

Storage shipping containers are extremely versatile and are being used by individuals and businesses alike. Shipping containers being used for storage has only really taken off during the last 30 years or so, but now it is extremely common to see them in use as storage containers everywhere from building sites, backgardens or even off shore.

Shipping containers are of a much stronger construction that portacabins or wooden sheds, so it is little surprise that they are being used so much as a means of secure storage. Storage shipping containers differ only from a standard shipping container in so far as it may not be of standard length - often being adapted to be anything from 8ft to 40ft as opposed to the traditional 20ft and 40ft containers that are standard on ships.

Storage shipping containers are often converted to make the organisation of the items stored within easier. Racking - or shelving - is often fitted and can be all metal, all wood or a combination of the two. Cupboards are also often put into the containers. These additions can be done at the depot but there is nothing to stop standard flat pack shelves or cupboards from local DIY store being fitted by the end user. As long as the holes drilled into the container are sealed properly with silicone afterwards so that the container remains wind and watertight home fitted shelving and cupboards are often considerably cheaper.

Another alteration that sets storage shipping containers apart from standard shipping containers are the additions of a lockbox and a heavy duty container padlock. The lockbox is fitted to the double container doors and acts as a shroud for the padlock stopping illegal access from bolt croppers or angle grinders. The padlocks themselves often have hardened steel shackles and are extremely robust.  Together, the construction, lockbox and padlock make it extremely difficult for all but the most determined to break into a shipping container.

People often are concerned about condensation in their storage shipping containers. This can be tackled through the addition of grafo paint to the container ceiling which absorbs moisture or by the simpler method of using moisture traps.  These moisture traps  are used on marine voyages and which absorb up to two-and-a-half litres of moisture keeping the stored goods dry.  They are extremely effective - after all no-one wants to have spent a lot of money to ship cargo half way round the world only for it to arrive ruined!

Storage shipping containers look as though they are here to stay. The fact that they are strong and secure, easily transportable, come in varying sizes and are easily fitted out to hold a variety of goods mean that they are an economic and practical for all sorts of storage needs.

Why buy second hand containers? There are plenty of shipping containers that have only been used to ship over one load from China that are available at reasonable prices after all?

There are multiple answers to that question. Second hand containers are some 50% cheaper than new/once used containers and so just on the question of economics have a place in today’s economic climate. The condition of the second hand container is also usually of high standard. With care you can source a guaranteed wind and watertight, structurally sound container that you can even have painted in colour of your choice. The fact that the container is made of corten steel means that a second hand container is extremely strong and durable and often has another 15-20 years of useful life from time of purchase.

Second hand containers also have impeccable green credentials. Environmentalists gain great satisfaction from re-cycling an industrial waste product. It seems ridiculous that shipping lines find it more economic to source containers from the outbound port rather than return containers from other parts of the world. The containers that are left behind can be used for storage containers, conversions or even for building projects.

Remember too that second hand containers are easily moved to wherever you need them. Designed to be extremely transportable, lorries fitted with hi-ab cranes are able to both deliver and offload the containers almost everywhere with the minimum of disturbance.

New/once used containers have their place for when appearance is important but second hand containers also have a valuable part to play when affordable storage with green credentials

Shipping Containers are an ideal solution for additional storage. Whether you are moving or renovating your house, want to clear your garage or spare room of all the clutter so you can use them again for their original purpose, the extra space that a shipping container provides could be the answer. Businesses too can save on expensive commercial premises by putting stock or archiving files in a shipping container.

A 20ft container is about the size of a single garage and is the most common size used for a storage container. Businesses often use a 40ft container as they need the additional space. The containers can be fitted out with racking so that they are well organised and keep their contents easy to find. Moisture traps are used to stop condensation and are particularly effective when storing paper or electrical goods that are sensitive to the damp.

Shipping containers are classed as temporary structures so normally do not require any planning permission. They can be sited easily on any level ground near to the house or office and painted to blend in with their surroundings. With the addition of a lockbox and a heavy duty container padlock they are very secure.

If you have a need for additional storage a shipping container could well provide the answer.

Shipping Containers are, as we have discussed in previous posts, ideal for use in emergency situations.  They are frequently used in Australia and New Zealand for emergency housing and the Red Cross in America used them extensively in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Flooding

The floods in North Lancashire and Cumbria mean that many people are going to be looking for emergency container storage for household items.  Most firms will guarantee their containers to be wind and watertight, and as shipping containers are designed to withstand marine conditions they are ideal for storage after the storms and flooding that happened at the weekend.  Offices and site accommodation in the form of conversions made out of shipping containers are also likely to help out local businesses.

20ft container

10ft container

Obviously, the storage containers will not be needed for long periods of time so container hire is an option that should be considered.  Often insurance companies will organise this for their clients.  If you are looking to hire a container yourself, you should remember that the initial invoice will normally be for the first period of hire (normally a month) together with the delivery and collection haulage.   Therefore if the haulage was £150 the first invoice would be for £150 x 2 = £300.

Condensation solutions are also available in the form of moisture traps and additional security  can be provided through lock boxes and insurance approved CISA padlocks.

CS Shipping Containers provide steel shipping and storage  containers for sale and hire to individuals and companies in all parts of the UK. Our clients have a broad spectrum of storage needs which we are only too happy to help and advise on. Our containers can be delivered to you at your convenience or, if preferred, can be collected from our nearest  depot.

We offer a wide range of ex-factory and second user storage containers for sale, ideal for the storage of everything from industrial products to on-site sports equipment etc. To keep your container theft proof, we also offer security accessories, such as padlocks and lockboxes. Other products include moisture traps and ‘Grafo’ anti-condensation coating.

Our units can be converted to meet most customer requirements, for example they can be modified into office accommodation, workshops and garages, chemical stores, smoking shelters and even observatories and recording studios.

Our customers’ needs are varied. We supply individuals, small business, education, agricultural, construction and corporate clients.