Saturday, December 8, 2012

31 Step Container Home Design and Construction


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Container home design ideas - How to Build a Shipping Container Cabin I have tried to summarize the post construction I am here to make it easier for someone to get an overview of what has been done. I consider this a living document and will try to make additions and changes as my cabin in progress. Disclaimer: I am not a professional builder, engineer, or architect. What I write here is rigorous description of what I have done and is not advice.

I make no guarantees that this will work, meet code, or safe to inhabit it for you. Building with shipping containers can be dangerous and can injure (ask me how I know) or kill you. If you try something like this you do so at your own risk. 1. The cabin design Before you buy a container or do anything else, you should have some idea of ​​how you want to live in a cabin of your shipping container. 

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Finding out how much space you want, or really need, and began working on the floor plan. For the most part you will be limited to the dimensions of a standard shipping container 8'x20 'or 8'x40' and the multiples. Simple arrangement of containers is their lines as I do, but you are really only limited by your imagination and checkbook.

A great tool for designing shipping containers cabin Google SketchUp. You can get a detailed model of shipping containers for Google SketchUp from ISBU News, and almost everything else you might need from the Google 3D Warehouse.

If you're looking for some inspiration, take a look at a small playhouse site Design House and Tiny House Blog. Pics below shows the exterior and interior design of my cabin shipping containers. 2. Consult an engineer If you think about removing any walls or other structural components of a shipping container, it would be better to consult a qualified engineer. 

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Removing structural components of a shipping container, without proper reinforcement, can create unsafe structures. Several openings for doors and windows may not affect the structural integrity of the container, but large-scale modifications as I certainly will. One of the more famous engineers in this field from the George Runkle Runkle Consulting.

She was very helpful with my little project, and I recommend him without reservation. 3. Purchase your container Depending on where you get your containers, you might need to plan well in advance. My containers are specially ordered from China and took over four months to arrive.

Used shipping containers is more readily available, but then you do not really know what was in them during their service. There are too many places to buy containers to list here, but a quick search on the internet will show up more than you need. Another option is to search craigslist for containers that are nearby. 

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They buy locally will allow you to check them out before you buy, which is important when shopping for used containers. 4. Build a foundation A foundation can range from several concrete or wood support on the ground for a single container all the way up to a full basement for several containers.

Your decision will need to consider both what is structurally needed and your own personal preferences. It may be better to consult a qualified builder or engineer to design a proper foundation for your container cabin.

If you decide on some sort of poured concrete foundation, then you should plan to put a steel plate to the concrete where the angle block container will rest. This will allow the containers to be welded directly to the concrete foundation.



 

Container home deck


My steel plate is 10 "x10" x1 / 4 "with a length of rebar oblique welded to each of them. This is then inserted into the runway just after the concrete is poured, foundations below are designed to support the three 8'x20 'shipping container connected. While this could be done by the dock instead of a wall.

I much prefer the look of the wall. Take note of two docks in the center of the foundation. It was asked to add additional support for the floor because I remove all the walls of the container. this type of support may or may not be necessary depending on how much, if any, of the wall you delete.

If you need a cheap and easy foundations do-it-yourself, the pier is probably the best choice. They also have far less impact on the site if that is important to you. 5. Place the container easiest way to put a shipping container on the foundation you are with a crane. 

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I have seen many different methods on the web, but nothing beats the ease, speed, and security of crane. Does not have its own crane, I rented a task for local builders. He has a small crane he used to arrange sections prefab houses, which worked very well.

If you do not have access to the crane, there are other ways to move containers, especially the 20 footer. Some suppliers have swing Thru container trucks that can not only give, but also to lift and set the container a short distance from the truck.

If a supplier of container you have one of these and can approach your base, you're ready. Another option is to hire rough terrain forklift for several hours. 20 'shipping container has forklift pockets built into them specifically for this type of treatment. 

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Forklift capacity varies greatly, so make sure you get one that can handle the weight of ~ 5,000-pound containers of 20 '. Once the container has been placed on a foundation, it is relatively easy to make the final adjustments with a large crowbar.

As you can see in the picture below, one person can easily customize the container with only a crowbar. 6. Connect the containers can be connected by using bolts, special clamps, or through welding. The easiest way for DIYers, but not necessarily the most secure, would set a large bolts and drilled / pressing a metal plate.

The metal plate will need to fit in the corner fittings, and will act washers for heavy duty bolts. I had some of this made for me, and while they will work, we finally decided to simply weld them together since the welder will be there to attach the container to the base plate anyways. 

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I would still consider using bolts, however, if I ever thought I would want to dismantle the structure someday. An alternative is really slick, although usually very expensive, will use a specially designed clamp for connecting the containers together. A good example of this is TANDEMLOC Horizontal connector.

It will be a very good choice if you need some sort of fast assembly and disassembly are built into the structure of your containers. The safest method, and it may not be difficult for someone who is useful, would be to simply weld containers together. As long as you do not ever plan to unload the container is probably the best option.

Since I had never welded anything myself, I can not give advice here on the container welding. Just be sure to let you know that the welder they will Corten steel welding. Something very simple that I never thought, but fortunately my contractor to do, is use come together to pull the container tightly together for welding. 

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It's easy, it works very well, and I would definitely do it again. The pictures below show come together in a container used to hold together, a container for the foundation plate welding, and weld the container to the container.

While I'm not an expert, welds look a bit rough to me. Maybe just there are different standards I have to get used to in the boonies of northern Wisconsin. 7. Add Before strengthening structural components (such as walls) is removed and before the roof underway, it's time to add structural reinforcement that might be necessary. 



 

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As mentioned in section two above, I highly recommend you consult a qualified engineer for any spec structural reinforcement you may need. While I can not make recommendations for any other shipping container cabin, I can tell you what has been done to mine. Since I remove all four walls of the container interior, large enough reinforcement would be required to replace the lost support.

Engineer for the project, George Runkle from Runkle Consulting, determined that two 6 "x3" x1 / 4 "squares steel beams will be needed to reinforce the roof of the container in which the four walls has been removed. Box beams stitch welded to each container box beam that ran the length between each set of containers.

The beams are 18 '7 "long to fit between the top plate in addition to being a corner cut to fit under the ceiling. The figure below shows a box beam welded to the roof between the two shipping containers. 8. Build the roof Depending on where you build, and how / if the containers are combined, you may not even need a roof. 

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If you need a roof, or just want one for the sake of appearance, it is really not difficult to build one. A simple, low-pitched (3:12 or 4:12) shed roof, if you like the look of it, is probably the most easy and cheap to build. Be sure to keep in mind how you will protect the roof, and whether or not you will need access under the roof to do so.

My roof is a variation of the pole barn typically found around here with rafters and purlins covered with galvanized metal roof. Simple as mine roof can be completed in just a few days with three people skilled enough. If you are interested in the details of my roof, I suggest you read my posting Roof Plan.

Cut openings Removing metal from the container you are only required if you need to be part of the container, or you plan to add a window and / or door openings in the walls of the container. There are many ways to cut steel containers, including a plasma cutter, cutting torches, grinders, jig saws and even. Do not laugh at my final advice is easily cut me open with a chimney pipe. 

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I do not want to remove the entire wall with one, but for small openings they work well. To delete an entire wall I highly recommend a plasma cutter or cutting torch. While my wall has been removed by the cutting torch, I would have much preferred a plasma cutter.

A plasma cutter will make cuts much cleaner in steel, which is nice if you want to re-purpose steel, and also does not char the wood floor if that is important to you. Since I did not have the experience of welding or cutting steel, I rented it to a local welder. The cost was very reasonable and just took two of them about 3 1/2 hours to perform.

A reminder before you start removing the metal, please read part two and seven above about consulting with an engineer and strengthen your container. Removing structural components of a shipping container can quickly create dangerous structure to be in and around. 


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Remove or summarize floor Unfortunately, hardwood floors almost all shipping containers were treated with various pesticides. Some "experts" to act as if it were nuclear waste that must be removed in each case, and the lack of information just ignore it completely and use it as such.

I think it's something that needs to be decided on a case by case basis depending on the chemical treatment and the use of the early history of this container, but this is a decision that each person must make himself. For shipping containers I chose to summarize the floor with epoxy, and create additional physical barriers by building a subfloor on it.

The first floor of the solvent was washed with 91% isopropyl alcohol, to remove surface oil and helps adhesion, and then coated with epoxy Low V of Progressive Epoxy Polymers. epoxy not only act as a physical barrier to the wooden floor itself, but also as a vapor barrier to each of the processing chemicals. 

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Seal cracks If you remove your interior walls, you create a big gap between the containers to be sealed from the elements. One solution I see it, it probably is the most rugged, is to weld the steel strip on the gap side. If you removed the walls, the roof will already have welded beams in every crevice for structural support.




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Not being a welder myself, I choose a route that is easier to use support rods, spray foam, and fell asleep. Even if you choose to weld the steel strip to the outside you still want to fill the gaps behind them with spray foam. The first step is to get several different sizes of foam rods supporters. I found that, in my case at least, a different gap needed a different size than the supporting rods.

I tried to insert supporting rods to a uniform depth that is about half way into the gap. I then foamed gap of using Great Stuff insulating foam sealant. There is no need to use support rods on the ceiling as welded to the support beams provided backing.

From the outside I decided to start with only the steel wool layer to prevent rodents from chewing determined through foam insulation. On top of that is another layer of Great Stuff foam followed by several supporting rods to be consistent basis for caulk. 

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After quite a lot of research I feel that OSI Quad asleep would be the best choice for the final layer. It is a synthetic rubber caulk that can stretch without breaking, will be fixed (such as silicon), and can be painted - I could do that someday.

I will also keep a close eye on this and report back to sleep if I have any failures. 12. Attach openings frame, gloves, and weather resistance of this phase of construction is actually quite easy, especially if you've had a rough framing experience, because you only create walls separate 8'x8 'framed to fit into the container openings.

Some of the things that is different from standard framing is how the walls are connected to the container, and that they did not load bearing. My walls are attached to the container using a combination of screws, bolts, and even some J-B Weld. 

20 foot container home design


Bottom plate attached to the plywood floor of the container with 2 1/2 "treated deck screws. Screw treated is required here because the chemical processing of plywood that will corrode and weaken the ordinary screw from time to time.

Each outer stud attached to the container wall steel using three 5/16 "bolts. Exposed to the outside galvanized screws with washers are bound to prevent the infiltration of water through drilled holes. The top plate is a little more complicated because I do not want to drill a hole in the top of the container to run through the supporting bolts.

Because only needed a little support, I thought I would try some J-B Weld to hold it in place. I use a small galvanized steel bracket screwed to the front of the upper plate and fixed on the ceiling of the container. 

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It seems to work well and eliminate a small amount of movement are present. I use 7/16 for OSB sheathing applied vertically to framing. sheath was then covered with 30 # roofing felt with double coverage on the bottom.

While I personally like to feel as a wrap sheath, I believe most other species would be fine too. 13. Add door and window What happens here. You can choose to have a traditional door with window as I did, or glass sliding or French doors to the entire opening of the container.

While I'm not a fan of the sliding glass door, I will consider them if I'm building in a warmer climate. They let a lot of light, which is an advantage when you only have an opening on one side. 14. Frame in If you intend to save a lot of interior space as possible, consider using a 1 1/2 "steel studs. 

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They are doing a reasonable job of securing drywall, and quite stiff IF spray foam is applied to the walls and studs. In areas where the foam does not connect walls and studs, such as the wall behind me, studs steel is only adequate.

Are additional layers of drywall, or more spaced narrow studs, will definitely help here. If I were to do it again, I would just use a 2 × 4 or 2 × 3 wooden buttons. The amount of space that I kept using buttons steel was minimal, and the extra effort to build a wall with steel instead of wood just not worth it.

Whatever method you choose, try to incorporate a thermal break between the studs and metal walls of the container. this is particularly important when using the buttons steel because they are easy to conduct heat away from the interior space. I use a 1/2 "foam board between the container box beams and plate on top of the wall stud. 

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Install the subfloor This is an optional step, especially if you replace the flooring in your container. If you want to provide additional physical barrier to chemical treatment, or you need to get over some of the structural remains of the container, then add a subfloor.

An interesting selection that I have seen in the homes of the container is to pour the concrete floor in the container on top of the plywood. It could even be a floor finish with some coloring and / or pattern added. Personally, I would only consider this place to stay full time or for a southern climate.



I'm not sure I want to try and warm up the concrete floor when arriving at my cabin on a Friday night in the middle of winter. My subfloor allows me to get on top of the remains of the wall is removed in addition to providing a little more insulation. It consists of a layer of 1/2 "foam insulation covered by another layer of 1/2" OSB.

Foam does not include the remaining walls, which allow the OSB to straddle space and lay it flat. 1/4 "hardware cloth and insect screens across the gap insurance against any rats that might try to chew their way through the spray foam insulation in the bottom of the container, although I would assume that it is not possible. 

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Power Now is the time for you to wire cabins electricity. Even if you are not sure you wanted, easy and cheap enough that you have to wire it now because it will be much harder to do it later. the only difficulty in the wiring container I get the wire past a few remnants of the walls of the container removed. I tried drilling a hole through the steel, but had a hard time even with cobalt bit.

I finally chose to run wire around the steel and create a protective nail custom as seen below. this is an easy, inexpensive, and will not be visible when the board trim are in place. 17. protect container If you live in a cold climate, like I do, you'll need to protect your container.

Failure to do so will allow the condensation to be easily formed on the interior steel wall, resulting in a number of other problems such as corrosion or mold. You can protect the container inside or outside, as long as you protect it. Decide which side to insulate it really depends on what you want the shipping container cabins look like. 

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Insulating outer container is usually done when you want to have a more traditional look to your cabin. Cedar, vinyl, and even log siding can be applied over the outer part of the insulated containers. Have isolation outside also allows you to take advantage of the full space of container, as long as you like the look of corrugated steel walls in the interior.

I also heard that the isolation of the outer container is a better choice for cold climates.Insulating in containers allows you to have a rough exterior steel and low maintenance with more traditional interiors. My cabin is a hybrid of these two approaches because I insulated interior walls and ceilings are shipping containers.

My reason for this is that I want a low maintenance steel exterior with as much headroom as possible in the interior. Keep in mind that the only reason I can do this is because I build additional roof on all containers that will protect the exterior insulation. 

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There is some concern that the metal ceiling may allow condensation to form around the edges, but it does not happen even in the coldest weather. When it comes to the type of insulation to use, I believe the only thing to consider is the spray foam. Although it was the most expensive route, I feel the benefits far outweigh the financial losses.

A minimum of 2 "layer of foam spray will create a vapor barrier smoothly against the metal walls of the container, add structural support to the walls and framing, and allows for the side walls are thin and the interior volume is greater. If I insulation inside the container I will not believe another method to prevent condensation from forming behind the wall.



Shipping container architecture 'is a growing form of architecture using steel intermodal shipping containers as the main structural elements. Steel is not only strong, but it is intended to withstand heavy loads and harsh weather conditions. At present, the world has more than 60 million shipping containers in use, making them widely available for alternative use and building materials are relatively inexpensive and sustainable. 

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The challenge is to design an appropriate housing of a standard shipping container industry. This intermodal shipping containers have a standard size of 40 by 8 feet respectively, and are generally 8 feet 6 inches, or 9 feet 6 inches tall. They are usually made of corrugated weathering steel, and has a simple 'twistlock' corners for easy stacking, lock, and stuck.

These containers are ideal for construction because they can be transported to a site in many different ways (and it can bring some other construction materials!). They can be shipped by rail, container ships, or semi-trailer truck. However, there are some disadvantages as well.

The container is not insulated and does not provide protection against heat and cold inside. See a list of advantages and disadvantages: Strength and durability: Shipping containers in many ways an ideal building material. They are designed to carry heavy loads and must be stacked in high columns. 

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They are also designed to withstand harsh environments, such as on ocean-going vessels or sprayed with road salt while being transported on the road. Because of their high strength, useful containers for safe storage.

Modular: All shipping containers are made to standard measurements, and therefore they provide modular elements that can be combined into a larger structure. This simplifies the design, planning and transport. As has been designed for each other for ease of mobility during transportation, structural construction is completed by simply emplacing them.

Due to the modular design of the container ', additional construction is as easy as stacking more containers. They can be stacked up to 12 high when empty. Labor: The welding and cutting steel specifically considered labor and could increase the cost of construction, but overall is still lower than conventional construction. 

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Unlike wood frame construction, the attachment must be welded or drilled for the outer skin, which is more time consuming and requires a variety of workplace equipment. Transportation: Pre-fabricated modules can also be easily transported by ship, truck or train, because they are in accordance with the size of the standard delivery.

Availability: Used shipping containers are available worldwide. Expenses: Many old containers provided with a low number compared to the finished structure built by other labor intensive means such as bricks and mortar which also requires more expensive base larger.

Construction involves very little labor and used shipping containers require only simple modifications can be purchased from major transport companies for as little as US $ 1,200 each. Even when purchased new they seldom more than US $ 6,000. 

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Temperature: Steel conducts heat very well; containers used for human occupancy in environments with extreme temperature variations will usually have better insulated than most brick, block or wood structure. Humidity: As mentioned above, the single wall steel conducts heat. In temperate climates, humid air condenses on the interior of the steel, it becomes damp. 

Rust will form unless well-sealed and insulated steel. Construction site: The size and weight of the container will, in most cases, requires them to be placed by a crane or forklift. Traditional brick, block and wood construction materials can often be removed by hand, even to the upper level.

Building permits: The use of steel for construction, while prevalent in the construction industry, it is not widely used for residential structures. Obtaining a building permit may be troublesome in some areas because the city had never seen the application before.

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Treatment of wood floors: To meet the requirements of government quarantine Australia's most floor of the container when it is produced is treated with insecticides containing copper (23-25%), chromium (38-45%) and arsenic (30-37%). Before human habitation, the floor should be removed and safely discarded. Units with steel floor would be better, if available.

Cargo spill: A container can carry a wide range of cargo during the working life. Spills or contamination can occur at the surface and must be cleaned prior to occupancy. Ideally all internal surfaces should be abrasive blasted to bare metal, and repainted with non-toxic paint system.

Solvent: solvent released from paints and sealants used in the manufacture may be dangerous. Damage While in service, the container is damaged by friction, collision handling, and the power of a heavy burden on top of the head during the transit of the ship. 

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The company will inspect the container and punish them if cracked welds, bent frame or pin holes were found, among other errors. Objective: Create an alternative home designs by repurposing shipping containers. Location: Your choice. Select a Web site in your home or school environment, you can take pictures and measure.

Target audience: Individuals or families interested in alternative housing solutions. size limitations: Up to four containers, 40 feet x 8 feet each Materials used: construction of container home and recycled materials. budget constraints: $ 30,000.00 including shipping containers, which cost about $ 6,000 each.
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