Shipping container Uses
Shipping containers - known for there durability and many uses. Shipping containers are so well designed that each container can hold tons of cargo inside, and can easily withstand the weight of 8 or 10 more fully loaded containers on top of it. They are the strongest mobile or stationary modular structure in the world.
Unibody construction is the strongest and most common body architecture which can be found in cars, SUV’s, yachts and airplanes today – connecting multiple shipping containers together is also ‘unibody construction’. Even with modifications and walls cut out, the strength of multiple containers is far greater than any conventional home or building.
There are various size & types of containers available. Standard sizes available are 10’, 20’ & 40’. The common types of containers are 20’ GP & 40’ GP, 20’ HQ & 40’ HQ (meaning High Cube – 1 foot taller than the standard), open top, open side, freezer or refrigerated.
The 1st shipping container was invented & patented in 1956 by an American – Malcolm McLean who was not a ocean shipper but a trucker. For 20 years he unloaded & loaded cargo onto ships using odd sized wooden crates which was slow & inefficient. After many experiments, the shipping container was finally designed – super strong, uniform design, theft resistant, stackable, easy to load, unload, truck, rail, ship & store.
Even though, Malcolm McLean invented the Shipping Container it was the US Navy, who officially used the shipping containers for other purposes than shipping such as military offices, power plants and medical facilities. Architects are now even designing modern homes from the millions of excess shipping containers that are piling up at various ports around the world. By using the steel shipping containers as building materials, home builder’s can save up-to 50% off construction costs.
Other uses can be home or business offices, workshops, restrooms, kitchens, water tank, classrooms, emergency housing or storage, garages, modern homes & apartments.
Benefits of the containers include: strongest building construction, earthquake proof, fire proof, tornado proof, extremely secure, economically covered with traditional stucco, vinyl siding, woods, or brick and fast construction.