1 Show By Woodworkerzjournal.com BUILD YOUR OWN SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME STEP BY STEP COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE 3rd Edition 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Woodworkerzjournal.com First published: September 2008 All rights reserved. All parts of this publication are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced, copied, modified, adapted, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This publication cannot be used without purchase or without the prior written permission of the publisher. 2 By Woodworkerzjournal.com CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................8 1.1 A New Kind of Living ...........................................................................................8 1.2 Creative Eco-Friendly Design: Container Houses........................................15 2 SHIPPING CONTAINERS OVERVIEW..............................................................17 2.1 History of ISO Shipping Containers................................................................17 2.2 What are ISO shipping containers made from?...........................................19 2.3 The characteristics of an ISO shipping container........................................19 2.3.1 Characteristics and Components of a standard ISO shipping container: ........................................................................................................................................19 2.3.2 ISO Standard 40' Low Cube Shipping Container Drawing........................20 2.3.3 Additional specifications on steel shipping container:.............................21 2.4 SHIPPING CONTAINER STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS AND TERMINOLOGY............................................................................................................22 2.4.1 Primary Structural components and terminology for a typical 20' ISO cargo shipping container:..........................................................................................22 2.4.2 Exploded axonometric view of a Typical 20' ISO Shipping Container:...24 2.4.3 2D Drawing: ISO 20' Shipping Container.....................................................27 2.4.4 2D Drawing: ISO 40' Shipping Container.....................................................27 2.4.5 3D Drawing: ISO 20' Shipping Container Model.........................................28 2.4.6 3D Drawing: ISO 40' Shipping Container Model.........................................28 2.4.7 Shipping Container Door Details:..................................................................29 2.5 Shipping Container Plan and Section Details...............................................31 2.5.1 Typical Container Connection at End-wall Plan Detail..............................31 2.5.2 Typical Container Connection Plan Detail...................................................32 2.5.3 Typical Container Termination Plan Detail..................................................32 2.5.4 Typical Exterior Container Back Wall............................................................33 2.5.5 Typical Container Floor Section Detail.........................................................33 2.5.6 Typical Exterior Container Wall.....................................................................34 2.5.7 Typical Interior Container Wall......................................................................34 2.5.8 Typical Roof Section Detail............................................................................35 2.6 ISO Shipping Containers Inherent Strength and Building Code Requirements..............................................................................................................36 2.7 Container Compressive Load Bearing Capacity...........................................38 3 INTERMODAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND ARCHITECTURE...............40 3.1 ISO Shipping Containers as Building Components......................................40 3.2 Advantages of Shipping Container Architecture.........................................42 3.2.1 Strength and Durability:..................................................................................42 3.2.2 Modular:.............................................................................................................42 3.2.3 Labor:..................................................................................................................42 3.2.4 Transport:...........................................................................................................42 3.2.5 Availability:........................................................................................................42 3.2.6 Expense:.............................................................................................................43 3 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3.2.7 Foundations:......................................................................................................43 3.3 Disadvantages of Shipping Container Architecture....................................43 3.3.1 Temperature:.....................................................................................................43 3.3.2 Humidity:............................................................................................................43 3.3.3 Construction site:.............................................................................................44 3.3.4 Building permits:..............................................................................................44 3.3.5 Treatment of timber floors:...........................................................................44 3.3.6 Cargo spillages:.................................................................................................44 3.3.7 Damage:.............................................................................................................44 3.3.8 Weaknesses:......................................................................................................45 3.4 Simple Container Architecture Structures....................................................45 3.5 Architect Designed Container Structures.....................................................48 4 PLANNING..............................................................................................................49 4.1 Examining.............................................................................................................50 4.1.1 The relevant binding codes............................................................................51 4.1.2 Project Budget .................................................................................................52 4.2 SITE ISSUES AND PASSIVE ENERGY POTENTIALS ......................................53 4.2.1 Passive vs. Active Heating and Cooling .......................................................53 4.2.1.1 Passive Solar Design Considerations........................................................54 4.2.1.2 Passive Solar Heating...................................................................................56 4.2.1.2.1 Direct Gain................................................................................................... 56 4.2.1.2.2 Indirect Gain................................................................................................ 58 4.2.1.2.3 Isolated Gain................................................................................................ 59 4.2.1.3 Passive Solar Cooling...................................................................................61 4.2.2 Picking where to build on site .......................................................................64 4.3 Create a Simple Floor Plan and Site Layout.................................................66 4.4 PLAN CHECKLIST.................................................................................................67 5 DESIGNING ............................................................................................................68 5.1 DESIGNING YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME........................................69 5.1.1 Foundation........................................................................................................69 5.1.1.1 Types and Construction Systems...............................................................69 5.1.1.2 Site Conditions.............................................................................................. 71 5.1.1.3 Overall Building Design...............................................................................72 5.1.1.4 Climate............................................................................................................ 72 5.1.1.5 Local Market Preferences and Construction Costs................................73 5.1.2 Core Envelope...................................................................................................74 5.1.3 Plan and Section Details - Typical Container Connection Plan Details. .75 5.1.4 Utilities and Mechanical..................................................................................76 5.2 DRAWINGS & DOCUMENTATION....................................................................76 5.2.1 Home Design Planner Application................................................................77 5.2.2 Permitting Drawings........................................................................................78 5.2.3 Bid and Construction Drawings.....................................................................78 5.3 BUILD STRATEGY................................................................................................78 5.4 DESIGN CHECKLIST.............................................................................................80 6 PURCHASE OF CONTAINERS............................................................................81 4 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.1 Foundation construction and delivery coordination: ................................81 6.2 Pre-Purchase Inspection:...................................................................................82 6.2.1 Inspecting Used Containers:..........................................................................82 6.3 Checklist: 10 Important Items to Inspect When Buying Used Shipping Containers....................................................................................................................84 6.3.1 Parts of a Container ........................................................................................86 6.3.2 Inspecting Used Shipping Containers...........................................................87 6.3.2.1 Rust:................................................................................................................ 87 6.3.2.2 Doors: ............................................................................................................. 87 6.3.2.3 Locking Mechanisms ...................................................................................88 6.3.2.4 Hinges ............................................................................................................ 88 6.3.2.4.1 Different Options for Shipping Container Hinge Maintenance.........88 6.3.2.5 Door Gaskets................................................................................................. 89 6.3.2.6 Roof ................................................................................................................ 90 6.3.2.6.1 Repair Small Holes or Bad Seams in Shipping Container Roofs With a Good Quality Coating.................................................................................................. 90 6.3.2.7 Side Walls ...................................................................................................... 91 6.3.2.8 Rails ................................................................................................................ 91 6.3.2.9 Floors ............................................................................................................. 92 6.3.2.9.1 Shipping Container Floor Issues to Consider.........................................93 6.3.2.10 Bottom......................................................................................................... 94 6.3.3 Condition Codes...............................................................................................95 6.4 Container Sources ..............................................................................................96 7 CORROSION (RUST) ISSUES WITH SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES.....97 7.1 Cor-Ten Steel........................................................................................................97 7.1.1 Considerations for use of Cor-Ten and weathering steels.......................98 7.1.2 Rate of corrosion..............................................................................................99 7.1.3 Welding............................................................................................................100 7.1.4 Wetting-drying cycle.....................................................................................101 7.1.5 Organic coatings............................................................................................102 7.1.6 Restrictions.....................................................................................................102 7.2 Cor-Ten Steel and Shipping Containers.......................................................104 7.3 Technical Notes.................................................................................................104 7.4 Design considerations and Cor-Ten steel....................................................110 8 DELIVERY OF CONTAINERS............................................................................114 8.1 Inquiring about crane or excavator rental:.................................................116 9 EXECUTION - THE BUILD.................................................................................120 9.1 PERMITTING, BIDDING, & PRE-ORDER........................................................120 9.2 THE BUILD..........................................................................................................121 9.2.1 Site Work.........................................................................................................121 9.2.2 Foundation......................................................................................................121 10 FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATIONS.................................................................123 10.1 Wood Footings ...............................................................................................124 10.2 Concrete Slabs ..............................................................................................125 10.2.1 Container Slab Construction Process ......................................................125 5 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 10.2.2 Pre-construction considerations ..............................................................126 10.2.3 Estimating concrete for slabs: ..................................................................126 10.3 Concrete Footings ........................................................................................128 10.3.1 Footing Sizes ...............................................................................................128 10.3.2 Site Preparation: .........................................................................................131 10.3.3 Pouring Concrete Footings .......................................................................134 10.3.4 Reinforcing Footings with Rebar ............................................................134 10.3.5 Concrete Footings Summary ...................................................................134 10.4 Other Footings ..............................................................................................135 11 CONTAINER MODIFICATIONS.....................................................................136 11.1 An Extreme Example:....................................................................................136 12 FINISHING ASPECTS OF CONTAINER BUILDINGS.................................140 12.1 Framing Interior ............................................................................................142 12.2 Stairways .........................................................................................................143 12.3 Exterior Decks and Balconies ....................................................................143 12.4 Doors and Windows .....................................................................................146 12.4.1 Door security tip: ........................................................................................147 12.4.2 Window security tip: ..................................................................................147 12.5 Cost Saving Tips for Finishing Aspects of Container Buildings...........152 12.5.1 Recycling (removed) Side Wall Steel Panels .........................................153 12.6 Avoiding Condensation ...............................................................................153 12.7 Heaters and Insulation ................................................................................155 12.8 INSULATION - Building Envelope................................................................157 12.8.1 Thermal Resistance Defined......................................................................157 12.8.2 R-Value Table - Insulation Values For Selected Materials....................158 12.8.3 Product Selection........................................................................................163 12.8.3.1 BATTS:........................................................................................................ 163 12.8.3.2 LOOSE-FILL SPRAY: .................................................................................163 12.8.3.3 SPRAY FOAM: ........................................................................................... 164 12.8.3.4 SIPS: ........................................................................................................... 164 12.8.4 Framing Details............................................................................................165 12.9 Insulation: Product Review..........................................................................167 12.9.1 Fiberglass......................................................................................................167 12.9.2 Non-Fiberglass Batts...................................................................................169 12.9.3 Cellulose........................................................................................................169 12.9.4 Owens Corning.............................................................................................171 12.9.5 Demilec..........................................................................................................171 12.9.6 CertainTeed...................................................................................................171 12.9.7 Advanced Fiber Technology.......................................................................171 12.9.8 Thermafiber..................................................................................................172 12.9.9 Air Krete........................................................................................................172 12.9.10 Icynene........................................................................................................172 12.9.11 Johns Manville...........................................................................................172 12.9.12 Second Nature...........................................................................................173 12.9.13 BioBased 1701 ..........................................................................................173 6 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.9.14 Bonded Logic..............................................................................................173 12.10 UTILITIES: Installing Electricity, Water, and a Sewage Line ..............174 12.11 Painting Container Buildings ...................................................................176 12.12 Container Home Roofs ..............................................................................177 12.13 Container Home Kitchen............................................................................179 12.13.1 Do's and Don'ts of designing your kitchen...........................................184 12.14 Container Home Green Roof and Framing.............................................187 13 INSPECTION & SIGN OFF...............................................................................191 14 SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME MASSING EXAMPLES...........................192 14.1 Mini Triple........................................................................................................192 .....................................................................................................................................192 14.2 Sports Building................................................................................................193 14.3 Handgun Range..............................................................................................193 14.4 Ranch House ...................................................................................................194 14.5 Split Level.........................................................................................................195 14.6 Flood Proof......................................................................................................196 14.7 Underground Shelter A ................................................................................197 14.8 Underground Shelter B ................................................................................198 14.9 House Boat ....................................................................................................199 14.10 Mechanics Strongbox..................................................................................200 14.11 Solar Cabin.....................................................................................................200 14.12 Cube ...............................................................................................................201 15 FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...................................................202 16 GLOSSARY..........................................................................................................207 7 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 A New Kind of Living Steel shipping container homes, also called storage container homes, offer a fast, green, and sustainable approach to building. These intermodal steel building units (ISBUs) are manufactured in a factory-controlled environment so they are standardized and reliable. They can be used to build any sized homes, whether a tiny house or a luxurious mansion, it doesn't matter. Shipping container based construction techniques has gained momentum around the world and edge their way into more mainstream awareness over the past 20 years. As the market continues to grow and expand, we are starting to see new businesses and young designers enter the market bringing with them new ideas and enthusiasm, reinvigorating the shipping container home concept more than 20 years after its foundation. It's a new kind of living! Not too long ago, the notion of living in an 8- by 20foot box was enough to stop a potential homebuyer in his tracks, and send him running for the exits. The rise of innovative green architecture has created in increasingly in-vogue practice: rejiggering, stacking and linking rugged and versatile freight shipping containers and transforming them 8 By Woodworkerzjournal.com into fully inhabitable homes. An excellent method of reusing, as there are more than 300 million shipping containers sitting empty at ports around the world, shipping containers are used to build full- and part-time single-family homes and much more. In their most basic form, recycled shipping containers offer a quick and inexpensive solution to emergency housing needs and when stacked skyhigh, they make for intriguing dormitory complexes. What is most exiting about the shipping container homes is that, with a little imagination, shipping containers can become cheap, reliable building blocks that can be used to build chic little getaway homes and castles of majesty alike! A luxury home doesn’t always necessarily mean thousands of square footage, towering great rooms and gilded toilets. Take one container home for example: to begin building one of them, all you need is about $1000. That $1000 will buy you a shipping container. What you do with that shipping container? That’s completely up to you. You can make all types of houses with shipping containers: ranging from tiny houses to luxurious mansions! Most of us have seen a tower of shipping containers at least once in our life. Throughout the US there are over 700,000 abandoned shipping 9 By Woodworkerzjournal.com containers. As the US moves away from being a manufacturing economy, we receive many more of these containers than we use to export goods, creating a surplus of containers that, well, don’t contain anything. Reusing them for importing more goods is inefficient, since it’s usually less expensive to manufacture a new container than to reuse an old one. Thus we are left with man-made mountains of empty steel boxes sitting in shipyards across the United States. Costs of shipping empty containers back to their origin are high, so often times the containers sit unused in ports. If one lives near a port with abundant containers, then the energy required to transport the steel container to a local building site will be lower than an inland location, far from the port. Today, used shipping containers are turning up in many places and being used for more and more unique purposes.You can now see container buildings all the time. This is probably due to the non-stop growth of Intermodal container deployment, and the fact that container sales and delivery companies have sprung up coast to coast. So naturally you tend to see more containers used as buildings scattered across the countryside. Once retired from overseas duty, shipping containers are being repurposed 10 By Woodworkerzjournal.com for everything from boutique stores on Pier 57, to portable hotels, to Starbucks Coffee shops. On the other end of the re- purpose spectrum, shipping containers are being used as portable storage units on construction sites, additional warehouse space, to house portable server systems and as “U Store It” buildings. As more people enter the market to purchase shipping containers and use them for these various needs they need to be aware of the types of equipment they may encounter, what type of equipment they should be buying to best service their needs and how to look beyond the surface with a critical eye. The information in this book will provide them the tools to find the right equipment and negotiate the best deal possible. Small utility or residential structures under 1000 sq ft can be costly to build. In this book, you will also find the way to cut this cost without sacrificing the strength or visual aesthetics of your structure. You can consider using heavy duty welded steel boxes, (containers) as the building blocks of your new structure. The Intermodal Shipping Container, designed and manufactured to transport goods safely over the high seas, but also a low cost, easy to construct, and super strong building solution. But buyer beware, as that used container might have been sprayed with insecticides 11 By Woodworkerzjournal.com or fungicides inside, and coated with lead or heavy metal paints on the outside. Budget conscious builders traditionally tend to use materials that appear in abundance. Over produced materials, or material that is considered excess stock, can usually be purchased at a discounted price. Often times, a used container is considered a nuisance by the seller, something just taking up space, and can be purchased for a few hundred dollars with the buyer providing pick-up via a 3rd party trucking company. Used ocean cargo boxes are another alternative. The general public can purchase these units used, and pay a trucking company to deliver them via roll-bed truck. The units are pre-built, and ten times stronger than factory made steel buildings (and usually ten times cheaper too). "It's not uncommon to see someone set up a 8' x 40' or 16' x 20' Intermodal Container building for under $1100. You also have to keep in mind that these boxes are designed to hold up in a really brutal environment...the high seas". So, just how strong are these containers? You may be surprised to hear that one single twenty foot unit, can support ten similar units stacked on top of it. The most difficult task in setting up a shipping container steel building is probably building the concrete footings for a foundation. "But you really don't even need a foundation. It's completely optional. Some people just lay down some pressure treated 2x8's." Is taking delivery is ever a problem? "Sometimes, if the delivery truck is not able to reach semi-isolated acreage, you will have to move the unit into place yourself. This sounds difficult, but 12 By Woodworkerzjournal.com using steel pipes or logs and a truck, they tow pretty good. Once in place, you have an instant weather proof steel building". Minimal amounts of extra building materials (optional; for interior framing, insulation, paneling, windows, etc) can be used to fit-out your container building. If you are considering the idea of buying a used shipping container, keep in mind that the price you pay will vary greatly depending on the source and condition of the unit. You can find deals if you look around. New and used containers are available nationwide. "A realistic cost per unit ranges from $1000 and up, depending on size, condition, and source. You can often find containers with 2-3 years of travel on them, being liquidated at bargain prices to make room for new models. Check your local classified ad papers, or do an internet search for shipping containers near your city. You probably drive by a trucking company with containers for sale everyday and don't even realize it". Bear in mind, that a shipping container house is mainly a steel building and much of the information/detailing of steel buildings (and wood framed as well) is applicable and relevant to shipping container home building as well. In this book, you will find the outlines and details of the steps and stages required to turn recycled shipping containers into shipping container homes and buildings. Including (but not limited to) feasibility, budgeting, scheme design, technical hurdles, site concerns, foundation, envelope, modifying structure, passive enhancements, construction documents, and permitting. Many are looking to containers today for their building projects, because it is a good idea whose time has come. But is it right for your home project? We hope that this book can help you figure that out. Then help get it done perfectly with both detialed explanations and specific examples, and most importantly at the lowest cost possible in minimum time. These buildings are as unique as the people that build them, no two ever look the same, but cost savings and high strength is inherent in all Intermodal Container structures. If you really need a steel building, but lack the funds for a new pre-fab affair, Intermodal Container Buildings might be right up your alley. 13 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 1.2 Creative Eco-Friendly Design: Container Houses "Reusable shipping containers provide a cost effective and sustainable approach to building design." As the world scrambles for ways to become greener, people are looking for ideas for recycling these old containers, and putting them to some good use. These cocoons of the industrial age undergo a metamorphosis into portable stores, emergency housing, and luxury homes. These containers allow for innovation in construction, as well as an efficient and environmentally friendly way of building our new homes and businesses. The most popular type of shipping container construction is modular construction. Modular construction involves pre-fabricating the containers at a site, then shipping them to the end location to be assembled. This sort of construction allows for single containers to be fabricated as small homes or offices and be delivered as is, or alternatively to be constructed as a series of connecting parts. Simply choose the size and floor plan for your new building and the required containers are assembled together. It’s like the IKEA version of home building. From two story homes, to schools, to extremely affordable apartment buildings, shipping containers allow for quick construction and additions. Because they are already designed to be stackable, very little modification and preparation is needed to add new floors to existing container structures. Container City, one of the most successful modular shipping container construction firms in the world, was able to install a fourth floor to Container City 1 in less than 48 hours. People are also looking to shipping containers to solve problems of world 15 By Woodworkerzjournal.com housing. Millions of people around the world live in what are considered “sub-standard” living conditions. A business has been strated that will convert these shipping containers into single family homes, with the goal being a final price tag of $8000. Not only is shipping container construction incredibly environmentally friendly, it can also be used for emergency relief. In disaster relief or refugee situations, shipping containers can be modified to be emergency housing. A container can be modified to be a fully self contained disaster housing that can be deployed in less than 24 hours. The construction includes solar panel cells to power the unit, bathroom, and a fold-away bed and desk. While it’s currently only in the prototype phase, the incredibly durable container could be reused around the world for up to 25 years, giving shelter relief to dozens of people during its lifespan. Shipping container construction is the new craze in modern architecture. They can allow for buildings made out of up to 80% recycled materials. More importantly they allow contractors to return to their childhood dream of building with legos. 16 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2 SHIPPING CONTAINERS OVERVIEW 2.1 History of ISO Shipping Containers The shipping container has only been around for the last 50 years. The advent of this method of modular standard containerization of goods revolutionized the transportation of goods and ultimately the international export market as turnaround time, theft, damage to goods and costs all went down. Until 1956 goods packed in bales, sacks or barrels were individually transferred from the vehicle to the waiting cargo ship. This was manual work carried out by “longshoremen” using pulleys, cargo hooks and a significant labor force. An average ship had 200,000 individual pieces of cargo and it would take around a week to load and unload. History credits Malcolm McLean with the development of the shipping container. By the 1950’s McLean had developed a large haulage business on the East Coast of the USA but had never forgotten the days of being a driver waiting for a whole day for goods to be loaded and unloaded at the port of New Jersey. He patented a container with reinforced corner posts that could be craned off a truck chassis and had integral strength for stacking. McLean was so confident in the potential of this modular cargo he took a loan for $42m and purchased the Pan-Atlantic Steamship Company with docking rights so that he could modify cargo ships to use his new containers. He was forced to choose between haulage and shipping by the Interstate Commerce Act and so he focused on redeveloping the shipping firm and renamed it Sea-Land. In April 1956 the modified oil tanker owned by Sea-Land ‘Ideal X’ sailed from New Jersey to Houston carrying 58 of the new containers. Meanwhile on the West Coast of the USA the Matson Navigation Company decided to invest in container technology. They took a different view and while McLean used 33 foot long containers, since these were the limited length permitted for a truck chassis the Matson company chose 24 foot. They were importing tinned goods from Hawaii and considered weight to be an issue, thus choosing a smaller container. In 1958 the first Matson container ship set sail from San Francisco. Since there were specific docking requirements, namely large cranes, containerization required investment. The New York Harbour Authority realized this need and the potential of containerization 17 By Woodworkerzjournal.com and so built the first container port 'Port Elizabeth' in New Jersey in 1962. The Port of Oakland in California also realized that containerization would revolutionize trade with Asia and would protect the declining industry and so invested $600k in new facilities in 1969. The advent of containerization had hit the longshoremen hard. In 1960 a new agreement was reached between the dockside unions and shipping companies where the companies could bring in new machinery but a large pension fund was set up for longshoremen and they were given reduced working hours. This modularization of cargo reduced the time required to load and unload, it also reduced the number of longshoremen required, which resulted in the strike of 1971-72. Longshore jobs were allocated on a rota basis by the unions but containerization saw the needs for specialist crane operators thus the ports wanted to hire staff on a permanent contract. The shipping owners won their rights to employ the specialist staff and the containerization of shipping continued to move forward. The next step was to standardize the containers. At the time Matson’s on the west coast were using 24 foot containers and Sea-Land on the east were using 35 foot containers. The military were interested in containers but in a time of war the varied sizes would not be efficient. The Government was therefore pushing for standardization as were the freight companies who wanted to invest in containerization. McLean owned the patent on the corner posts that were so vital to the strength and stacking of the containers and it was his release of this patent that allowed the ISO standardization to take place. In 1969 Richard F Gibney, working at Shipbuilding and Shipping Record in the UK, simplified the statistics involved with comparing differing container sizes he coined the phrase Twenty Foot Equivalent (TEU) and this is the term that is still used to describe containers. 18 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.2 What are ISO shipping containers made from? A typical ISO shipping container is made from a ‘weathering steel’ as specified within BS EN 10025-5:2004. This is commonly known as ‘Cor-ten’ steel. Cor-ten steel is a corrosion resistant steel that is used within many industries where exposed steel sections are necessary, e.g. building panels, facades and sculptures. ‘Weathering steels are specified in BS EN 10 155:1993 (superseded by BS EN 10025-5:2004) and within this category Cor-ten is a well known proprietary grade. These steels have properties comparable with those of Grade S355 steels to BS EN 10 025’. ‘Cor-ten’ steel is discussed in detail in the following chapters. (Check contents for relevant pages.) 2.3 The characteristics of an ISO shipping container Shipping Container Specifications for the most common ISO Standard Shipping Containers: External of a stand. ISO shipping container: 8' wide (2.44m) x 8' 6". (2.6m.) high, and the usual lengths are 20' (6.1 m) and 40' (12.2 m). Internal of a stand. ISO shipping container: 7' 10" (2.353 m) wide, 7' 8.625" (2.388 m) high, and 19' 4.25" (5.899 m) or 39' 5.375" (12.024 m) long. 2.3.1 Characteristics and Components of a standard ISO shipping container: • Monocoque body • Corner Castings • Steel corrugated sheet sidewalls, roof, and back panel • All-welded-steel, continuously • Purin reinforced Plywood Floors 19 By Woodworkerzjournal.com • Forklift pockets • Grappler pockets • Gooseneck tunnel 2.3.2 ISO Standard 40' Low Cube Shipping Container Drawing The shipping container floors are made of planking or plywood wood, which is very strong and resilient, does not dent, and may be easily replaced during repairs. The floors also have a strong friction surface, which is important for cargo securing. Most containers are sprayed for insects because when lumber is used, it must comply with the quarantine regulations in most countries. The forklift pockets of standard ISO steel shipping containers are easily 20 By Woodworkerzjournal.com visible and allow handling of empty shipping containers with forklift trucks. Forklift pockets are installed only in 20' x 8’ x 8’ standard ISO steel shipping containers and are arranged parallel to the center of the container in the bottom side rails. The 40' standard ISO steel shipping containers do not have forklift pockets. This is due to the fact that the location of the pockets are relatively close together and such large containers would be difficult to balance. Gooseneck tunnel of standard ISO steel shipping containers: Many 40' containers have a recess in the floor at the front end which serves to center the containers on so-called gooseneck chassis. Grappler pockets of standard ISO steel shipping containers: Most all shipping containers are handled by top spreaders using what’s called corner fittings or corner castings. Also, some containers have grappler pockets. These were originally installed for hanging garments. 2.3.3 Additional specifications on steel shipping container: • Racking/Shear Load of the shipping container (corner posts) 16,000 lb • Side Wall Lateral Load of the shipping container 235 psf • End Wall Lateral Load of the shipping container 366psf • Racking/Shear Load of the shipping container 33,500 lb • Stacking/ Axil Load of the shipping container 210,000 lb • Roof Load of the shipping container 300psf • Floor Load of the shipping container 100 psf 21 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.4 SHIPPING CONTAINER STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS AND TERMINOLOGY 2.4.1 Primary Structural components and terminology for a typical 20' ISO cargo shipping container: Includes primary structural elements and exploded axonmetric view. 22 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.1.1 Corner Fitting. Internationally standard fitting (casting) located at the eight corners of the container structure to provide means of handling, stacking and securing containers. Specifications are defined in ISO 1161. 4.1.2 Corner Post. Vertical structural member located at the four corners of the container and to which the corner fittings are joined. 4.1.3 Door Header. Lateral structural member situated over the door opening and joined to the corner fittings in the door end frame. 4.1.4 Door Sill. Lateral structural member at the bottom of the door opening and joined to the corner fittings in the door end frame. 4.1.5 Rear End Frame. The structural assembly at the rear (door end) of the container consisting of the door sill and header joined at the rear corner fittings to the rear corner posts to form the door opening. 4.1.6 Top End Rail. Lateral structural member situated at the top edge of the front end (opposite the door end) of the container and joined to the corner fittings. 4.1.7 Bottom End Rail. Lateral structural member situated at the bottom edge of the front end (opposite the door end) of the container and joined to the corner fittings. 4.1.8 Front End Frame. The structural assembly at the front end (opposite the door end) of the container consisting of top and bottom end rails joined at the front corner fittings to the front corner posts. 4.1.9 Top Side Rail. Longitudinal structural member situated at the top edge of each side of the container and joined to the corner fittings of the end frames. 4.1.10 Bottom Side Rail. Longitudinal structural member situated at the bottom edge of each side of the container and joined to the corner fittings to form a part of the understructure. 4.1.11 Cross Member. Lateral structural member attached to the bottom side rails that supports the flooring. 4.1.12 Understructure. An assembly consisting of bottom side and end rails, door sill (when applicable), cross members and forklift pockets. 4.1.13 Forklift Pocket. Reinforced tunnel (installed in pairs) situated transversely across the understructure and providing openings in the bottom side rails at ISO prescribed positions to enable either empty capacity or empty and loaded capacity container handling by forklift equipment. 23 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.1.14 Forklift Pocket Strap. The plate welded to the bottom of each forklift pocket opening or part of bottom siderail. The forklift pocket strap is a component of the forklift pocket. 4.1.15 Gooseneck Tunnel. Recessed area in the forward portion of the understructure to accommodate transport by a gooseneck chassis. This feature is more common in forty foot and longer containers. 2.4.2 Exploded axonometric view of a Typical 20' ISO Shipping Container: 4.2 Walls, Roof, and Floor. 4.2.1 Fiberglass Reinforced Plywood (FRP). A material constructed of laminates of fiberglass, polyester resins, and plywood, also known as 24 By Woodworkerzjournal.com sandwich panel. 4.2.2 Wall Panel. Corrugated or flat sheet steel, a riveted or bonded aluminum sheet and wall post assembly, FRP, foam and beam, aluminum, or honeycomb material that forms the side wall or end wall. 4.2.3 Wall Post. Interior or exterior intermediate vertical component to which sheet aluminum or steel is riveted or welded to form a wall panel. 4.2.4 Wall Beam. Encapsulated vertical component to which sheet aluminum or steel is bonded to form a wall panel.This is found in foam and beam panels. 4.2.5 Marking Panel. A side wall panel of a corrugated steel configured with a flat portion used for the display of markings and placards. (4.2A) 4.2.6 Lining. Plywood or other like material attached to the interior side and end wall to protect the walls and/or cargo and facilitate loading operations. 4.2.7 Lining Shield. A strip of thin metal installed at the bottom of the interior walls to protect the lower portion of the lining from damage by materials handling equipment during loading or unloading operations. 4.2.8 Kick Plate. A common name for a lining shield installed on the lower portion of the interior front end wall. 4.2.9 Ventilator. Two or more devices permanently attached to the side or end wall panel that provides openings for the exchange of air (but not water) between the outside and the container interior. (4.2A) 4.2.10 Roof Panel. Corrugated or flat sheet steel, sheet aluminum, FRP, or foam and beam and aluminum honeycomb panel that forms the top closure of the container. (4.2A,) 4.2.11 Roof Bow. Lateral non-structural member attached to the top side rails and supporting the underside of the roof panel. Roof bows used with removable cover (tarp) assembly are unattached. Not all container designs require roof bows. 4.2.12 Roof Beam. Encapsulated horizontal component to which sheet aluminum or steel is bonded to form a roof panel. 4.2.13 Roof Reinforcement Plate. An additional metal plate on the interior or exterior of the roof panel adjacent to the top corner fittings that provides protection of the roof panel or top rail components from misaligned handling equipment. 4.2.14 Tarp. Jargon for "tarpaulin" which is a waterproof and flexible fabric used for covering the top of an open-top container. This covering is referred to as a "Tilt" in some countries. 25 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.2.15 TIR Cable. Plastic sheathed wire rope that is designed in accordance with TIR customs convention (Refer to paragraph 4.5.6) and is threaded through the welded loops on the sides, end panels and door panels of an open-top container to secure the tarp. 4.2.16 Flooring. Material that is supported by the cross members and bottom rails to form a load bearing surface for the cargo. The flooring is usually constructed of laminated wood planks, plywood sheets, or other composition material and is screwed or bolted to the cross members. Some containers have welded steel or aluminum flooring, sandwhich panels or a combination of metal and wood. 4.2.17 Joint Strip. A formed steel or aluminum strip (usually hat-shaped section) installed between joints of the plywood sheet flooring or joints of the plywood sheet lining to help integrate and support the edges of the plywood. 4.2.18 Threshold plate. Plate forward of the door sill to protect the entrance area of the container floor. This plate is commonly referred to as a crash plate. 4.2.19 Steps. Folding steps are found on some ISO Shelters and are used to gain access to the roof. They must be folded up prior to transporting shelter. 4.2.20 Sandwich Panel. A type of fixed or removable panel construction used in ISO Shelters consisting of a thin inner and outer sheet aluminum skin, bonded or fastened to a core constructed of either honeycomb or structural foam and aluminum beams. 4.2.21 Striker Plate. An additional metal plate on the exterior of the roof panel adjacent to the top corner fittings that provides protection to the roof panel or top rail components from misaligned handling equipment. 4.2.22 Sling Pad. An additional metal plate on the exterior of the roof panel located in the center of the roof panel that provides protection to the panel from lowered handling equipment. 26 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.4.3 2D Drawing: ISO 20' Shipping Container 2.4.4 2D Drawing: ISO 40' Shipping Container 27 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.4.5 3D Drawing: ISO 20' Shipping Container Model 2.4.6 3D Drawing: ISO 40' Shipping Container Model 28 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.4.7 Shipping Container Door Details: 29 By Woodworkerzjournal.com In the above picture, on the left is a a 20′cargo container. In the middle is a 40′ wind and water tight container. On the right is a 20′ single crossing container with doors at both ends. 30 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.5 Shipping Container Plan and Section Details Below are typical shipping container plan and section details including floor, roof, walls, glazing and container connections. You will find information on container to container connection details and framing on opening in the corrugation. 2.5.1 Typical Container Connection at End-wall Plan Detail 31 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.5.2 Typical Container Connection Plan Detail 2.5.3 Typical Container Termination Plan Detail 32 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.5.4 Typical Exterior Container Back Wall 2.5.5 Typical Container Floor Section Detail 33 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.5.6 Typical Exterior Container Wall 2.5.7 Typical Interior Container Wall 34 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.5.8 Typical Roof Section Detail 35 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.6 ISO Shipping Containers Inherent Strength and Building Code Requirements General Comments on ISO Shipping Container's Inherent Capacity to Satisfy Building Code Requirements in Shipping Container House Applications: ISO shipping cargo containers are tested in accordance with the requirements of International Standard ISO 1496/1 which stipulates static and dynamic design load factors to be complied with. In the case of a 20' steel container, it is designed to have a maximum gross weight of 52,910 lbs (typically has a tare weight of around 5,000 lbs and a payload (P) potential of 47,910 lbs). The container when loaded to its maximum gross weight must be capable of withstanding imposed loads of 2g downwards, 0.6g lateral and 2g longitudinal plus be able to withstand eight similar containers loaded to maximum gross weight stacked on top of it in a ships hold or at a land terminal. It therefore has a very sever operational life and, notwithstanding its low tare weight it is very strongly built. The side walls and end walls/doors have to withstand loadings of 0.6P and 0.4P respectively, these values equate to 28,746 lbs and 19,164 lbs based upon the payload given above. The side wall area in contact with the load is 146.56 sq. ft. giving a pressure of 196 lbs/sq. ft. Corresponding figures for the end wall/doors are 51.78 sq. ft. and 370 lbs/sq. ft. These figures are well in excess of the 20 lbs/sq. ft. wind load required for structures less than 50 ft. high. A wind of 100 MPH produces a pressure of only 30 lbs/sq. ft. The roof load test is 660 lbs over an area of 2' x 1' applied to the weakest part of the roof. The load is usually applied at the center of the containers positioned with the 2' dimension aligned longitudinally. Thus the roof is able to support an imposed load of a minimum of 330 lbs/sq. ft. The design is easily capable of supporting the basic snow loads of 30 lbs per sq. ft. evenly distributed. It is difficult to quantify uplift and suction forces. Unlike a building, the roof of a container is an integral part of the structure; it is continuously welded around its entire periphery and is itself made from sheets of corrugated 14 ga. Cor-Ten steel also continuously welded together. This steel, also used for the side and end walls has a minimum yield strength of 36 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 50 ksi, and tensile of 70 ksi. The probability of the roof being removed by these forces is practically zero as the entire container structure would have to be destroyed for this to happen. However, it is not unusual for the complete container to be lifted or blown over if it is not secured to the ground in storm or hurricane conditions. This would be prevented by adequate foundation design which is the responsibility of the customer. As you know when containers do blow over in container yards the resulting damage is almost always minimal, another testimonial to their strength. The floor is design to pass a concentrated load test of 16,000 lbs over a foot print of 44 sq. inches. The floor has also been designed to pass a test at twice its rated payload capacity of 47,895 for a 20 container and 58,823 lbs for a 40' container when evenly distributed. The boxes are suitable for earthquake areas of seismic rating of up to the California standards. 37 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 2.7 Container Compressive Load Bearing Capacity Document detailing load bearing capacity for Shipping Containers. Fig. 1 shows a typical International Standards Organization (ISO) Series 1 shipping container These containers are designed to make vertical contact with each other through discrete corner fittings; when stacked, all vertical force is transferred through these fittings, in turn loading the corner posts, and not the walls, of the container. The number of containers which can be stacked on each other is determined by the strength of the corner posts. ISO Standard 1496 (1) states that the corner posts of ISO Series 1 containers should be tested to a load of 86,400 kg (190,480 lbs). This is the load applied to the posts of the bottom container in an 8-on-1 stack of 24,000 kg (gross weight) containers, multiplied by a factor of 1.8. This extra factor is used to take into account conditions aboard ship and the relative eccentricities between superimposed containers. The conditions aboard ship were derived from a 1964 study of maximum acceleration values under the worst sea and wind conditions. Calculating the safe stacking height for loaded containers on land requires some understanding of the corner posts, their material properties, possible failure modes, and what constitutes an adequate factor of safety. 38 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3 INTERMODAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND ARCHITECTURE 3.1 ISO Shipping Containers as Building Components Shipping container architecture is a form of architecture using steel intermodal containers (shipping containers) as structural element, because of their inherent strength, wide availability, and relatively low expense. The idea of using shipping containers as a building component and in architecture has a lot of brilliant examples. Most shipping container architecture conversions have however been for temporary accommodation needs, for example, storage, emergency shelters and site offices. However, more and more architects, builders, and prospective home owners are seeing the potential of shipping containers as modular building components in architecture and green prefab home building designs. ISO shipping containers can offer a wide range of building types and configurations, limited only by the technical ability and imagination of the designer. ISO shipping containers are widely available and as various pioneers have shown, can be a low cost building and architecture resource. Fact is, the housing industry needs to increase its building output, quality and speed of erection. There are plentiful stocks of ISO shipping containers, and the use of these as building components offers faster construct time and guaranteed quality, especially where the fit out is prefabricated prior to installation of the unit. Shipping containers are a widely available, low cost resource. 39 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The ISO shipping container has been designed to stringent standards, not only to withstand the extreme weather conditions on sea voyages, but to withstand the stacking of 9 fully laden containers. Shipping containers are used by all exporting and importing nations, consequently there is a global transportation network that already exits to move these containers by sea, road or rail. These containers are reusable but if the need for imports exceeds exports then, as most countries find themselves now, there will continue to be a surplus of containers gathering in cities and ports. Future supply of these units is not an issue with ocean routes still increasing in number and larger ships being built to take up to 10,000 containers at a time. The standard dimensions of an ISO container means that they are an excellent modular unit and their inherent strength, weatherproof nature and availability makes them an ideal modular structural component or as a whole standard accommodation unit. Containers can provide temporary solutions to a particular shortage, be it housing, office space or another accommodation need. They can be used in disaster areas or areas of need and for key worker homes or student housing. These temporary solutions may use brown / green field sites, flood planes, areas earmarked for future development or virtually any flat surface with enough ground stability. The reuse of a container as a prefab building component in architectural design provides a second use (for a container) and assists in reducing the embodied energy of buildings. Therefore as a by-product the reuse has added benefits as planning departments are now regularly asking, “What is the sustainability of the scheme?”. The ISO shipping container has a reduced embodied energy in comparison to other building materials as the unit has already been used for other purposes, possibly for a number of years, where as normal building components and materials are typically a first use of a material. 40 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3.2 Advantages of Shipping Container Architecture 3.2.1 Strength and Durability: Shipping containers are in many ways an ideal building material. They are designed to carry heavy loads and to be stacked in high columns. They are also designed to resist harsh environments, such as on ocean-going vessels or sprayed with road salt while transported on roads. Due to their high strength, containers may be adapted for secure storage. 3.2.2 Modular: All shipping containers are the same width and most have two standard height and length measurements and as such they provide modular elements that can be combined into larger structures. This simplifies design, planning and transport. As they are already designed to interlock for ease of mobility during transportation, structural construction is completed by simply emplacing them. Due to the containers' modular design additional construction is as easy as stacking more containers. They can be stacked up to 12 high when empty. 3.2.3 Labor: The welding and cutting of steel is considered to be specialized labor and can increase construction expenses, yet overall it is still lower than conventional construction. Unlike wood frame construction, attachments must be welded or drilled to the outer skin, which is more time consuming and requires different job site equipment. 3.2.4 Transport: Pre-fabricated modules can also be easily transported by ship, truck or rail, because they already conform to standard shipping sizes. Purchase and delivery of containers are discussed in detail in later chapters. (see Contents for relevant pages) 3.2.5 Availability: Used shipping containers are available across the globe. 41 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3.2.6 Expense: Many used containers are available at an amount that is low compared to a finished structure built by other labor-intensive means such as bricks and mortar, which also require larger more expensive foundations. Construction involves very little labor and used shipping containers requiring only simple modification can be purchased from major transport companies for as little as US $1,000 each. Even when purchased brand new they are seldom more than US $6000. 3.2.7 Foundations: Containers are designed to be supported by their four corners making a very simple foundation possible. As well the top four corners are very strong as they are intended to support a stack of other containers. Foundation issue is discussed in detail in later chapters. (see Contents for relevant pages) 3.3 Disadvantages of Shipping Container Architecture 3.3.1 Temperature: Steel conducts heat very well; containers used for human occupancy in an environment with extreme temperature variations will normally have to be better insulated than most brick, block or wood structures. Insulation issue is discussed in detail in later chapters. (see Contents for relevant pages) 3.3.2 Humidity: As noted above, single wall steel conducts heat. In temperate climates, moist interior air condenses against the steel, becoming clammy. Rust will form unless the steel is well sealed and insulated. Rust issue and what to do to prevent are discussed in detail in later chapters. (see Contents for relevant pages) 42 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3.3.3 Construction site: The size and weight of the containers will, in most cases, require them to be placed by a crane or forklift. Traditional brick, block and lumber construction materials can often be moved by hand, even to upper stories. Purchase and delivery of containers are discussed in detail in later chapters. (see Contents for relevant pages) 3.3.4 Building permits: The use of steel for construction, while prevalent in industrial construction, is not widely used for residential structures. Obtaining building permits may be troublesome in some regions due to municipalities not having seen this application before. However as examples of container houses began to be seen more and more everyday, it will not be difficult to have the building permits. 3.3.5 Treatment of timber floors: To meet Australian government quarantine requirements most container floors when manufactured are treated with insecticides containing copper (23–25%), chromium (38–45%) and arsenic (30–37%). Before human habitation, floors should be removed and safely disposed. Units with steel floors would be preferable, if available. 3.3.6 Cargo spillages: A container can carry a wide variety of cargo during its working life. Spillages or contamination may have occurred on the inside surfaces and will have to be cleaned before habitation. Ideally all internal surfaces should be abrasive blasted to bare metal, and re-painted with a nontoxic paint system. 3.3.7 Damage: While in service, containers are damaged by friction, handling collisions, and force of heavy loads overhead during ship transits. The companies will inspect containers and condemn them if cracked welds, twisted frames or pin holes are found, among other faults. You can find detailed information about the PURCHASE OF CONTAINERS 43 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Chapter Pre-Purchase Inspection Section (see Contents for relevant pages) 3.3.8 Weaknesses: Although the two ends of a container are extremely strong, the roof is not. A limit of 300kg is recommended. (Detailed information is in section "ISO Shipping Containers Inherent Strength and Building Code Requirements". see Contents for relevant pages.) 3.4 Simple Container Architecture Structures Many structures based on shipping containers have already been constructed, and their uses, sizes, locations and appearances vary widely. In 2002 standard ISO shipping containers began to be modified and used as stand-alone on-site wastewater treatment plants. The use of containers creates a cost-effective, modular, and customizable solution to on-site waste water treatment and eliminates the need for construction of a separate building to house the treatment system. Shipping containers are also seen as a basic military accommodation unit. ISO containers are used by the US Department of Defense, the UK Department of Defence and the Danish, Swedish, Finnish, United Kingdom, Czech Republic and German military have all used some forms of container accommodation e.g. ablution containers in Iraq, office containers in Kosovo. Expanding ISO 20 foot containers have been used in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and Northern Norway. 44 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The military uses shipping containers due to their availability, low cost, standardized size, durability and ease of transport, this provides them with an ideal modular construction unit. These benefits can translate to the civilian construction industry, all that is required is some design foresight to take the ISO shipping container from just being a steel box to being a useable and aesthetically pleasing structure. There are several companies selling or leasing modified containers for civilian temporary or emergency accommodation. Such structures do not have to meet Building Regulations and as such are a simple low investment high return product, requiring little or no design input. Empty shipping containers are also used as market stalls and warehouses. Shipping containers have also been used as: • Affordable housing • Press boxes • Emergency hurricane shelters for thoroughbred horses • Concession stands • Fire training facility • Military training facility • Emergency shelters • School buildings • Apartment and office buildings • Artists' studios • Stores • Moveable exhibition spaces on rails • Telco hubs • Bank vaults • Medical clinics • Radar stations • Shopping malls • Sleeping rooms 45 By Woodworkerzjournal.com • Recording studios • Abstract art • Transportable factories • Modular data centers • Experimental labs • Combatant temporary containment (ventilated) • Bathrooms • Showers • Workshops • Intermodal sealed storage on ships, trucks, and trains • House foundations on unstable seismic zones • Elevator/stairwell shafts • Block roads and keep protesters away. • Hotels • Construction trailers • Mine site accommodations • Exploration camp • Aviation maintenance facilities for the United States Marine Corps. 46 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3.5 Architect Designed Container Structures There are a great many architectural practices using shipping containers as the basis of their designs. In 2006, a Southern California architect designed the first two story shipping container home in the U.S. as an approved structural system under the strict guidelines of the nationally recognized Uniform Building Code (UBC). This home was the Beach House and it inspired the creation of a cargo container based pre-fabricated home company. (You can find detailed pictures of the Beach House and many more examples of shipping container homes in our additional books SUPERB CONTAINER HOME PLANS & PROJECTS and SUPERB EXAMPLES OF CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE.) Several architects have built original homes, using discarded shipping containers for their parts or using them in their original form, or doing a mix of both. In 2000, the project called Container City I in London is completed. (Pictures are in our book SUPERB EXAMPLES OF CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE. ) In 2006, the Dutch company finished in Amsterdam the biggest container village in the world: 1,000 student homes from modified shipping containers from China. 47 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4 PLANNING 1. Establish planning and design goals. 2. Define and evaluate space requirements. 3. Review benchmark standards, codes, and guidelines. No two building projects are the same. Even with modular kit applications, variations due to location and climate, site factors such as grading and slope, and home owner preferences (to name a few factors) create substantial differences between projects. The most important thing in any home building project is preparation. Ever hear the old carpenter's axiom "measure twice, cut once" Ninety percent of good architectural design is planning - knowing what you want from your home, what you can afford budget wise, and what the external factors (site, code, costs, etc..) are. Preparation is an important part of the design process. As you start to design your shipping container home, the "limitations" brought about by site, code, and budget can serve to inform many of the necessary design decisions along the way. Being aware of these issues and how they could potentially impact (productively or negatively) the design and budget, will keep the design economical and efficient. And buildable! This is a critical phase where expectations are set, and budget ceilings determined. The primary objective is to establish a conceptual design with input from design professionals, potential contractors, modular suppliers, and material/equipment suppliers. A comprehensive budget and schedule are also developed so a true profile of scope, budget and risk can be understood and assessed early on. 48 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.1 Examining Look closely at shipping containers - photos, drawings, and if possible, go "tour" one. Walk around it. Stand inside it. Getting a sense of the actual size 1:1 , is very helpful in understanding scale and working floor plans. See Chapter 6 PURCHASE OF CONTAINERS Pre-Purchase Inspection for more important issues about how to check the containers. For detailed drawings, the characteristics of an ISO shipping container and the terminology and many more detailed information, see Chapter 2: SHIPPING CONTAINERS OVERVIEW. (see Contents for relevant pages) 49 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.1.1 The relevant binding codes Know the relevant binding codes you will have to contend with. Where you are planning to build your shipping container home dictates all requirements. Even if you are going to have a portion of the container structural modifications done off-site at another location, it will be your local building/planning department that will review drawings for conformance, issue permits, and conduct inspections. It is advisable to contact your local building/planning department sooner than later. Dealing with building issues everyday, they can be a great resource. You don't have to go into great detail about building with containers. Mention it, but in passing. Focus the conversation on the fact that you are contemplating building a home with modular steel components and are looking into preconstruction issues. Ask if there are any planning/zoning restrictions, a maximum square footage for any building(s), a maximum height limitation, or maximum number of bathrooms. Most building departments (even lots of smaller ones) have websites with all relevant code information as well. At this point, don't get too intimidated by the code or scrutinize it. Concern yourself instead with big picture issues. Like, can you build a house(s) on the land/site, and what is the maximum square footage you can build. It is also important to get a list of what drawings, permits and inspections, including fees, will be required. Find out what drawings must be professionally stamped as well. You should also check if their are any deed restrictions on your title. Some jurisdictions dictate zoning and planning in deeds, especially subdivisions. It is worth mentioning here, that most states grant a land owner the defacto right to build a personal residence on their private land, regardless of binding local zoning or building code. However, this is dependent on financing and post occupancy issues. If you are going to finance (mortgage) any of the cost of the build, banks will require a certificate of occupancy (C of O). If you are planning on selling the land and house in the near future, you will also need a C of O. This is to protect the future buyer. To get a C of O, you must conform the building to all zoning and building codes. 50 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.1.2 Project Budget Derive a rough order of magnitude project budget. Get the sticker shock out of the way at the beginning. When you're building a house, you don't want costs appearing from nowhere. Unexpected expenses in both construction costs and professional fees, are typical. Even to the best prepared. The only way to minimize the unknowns is do your homework. Possible required professional services are land surveyor, civil engineer (storm water management, grading, septic), structural engineer, architect, and mechanical engineer. Permitting requirements are a good indicator here. You might also contact local architects who have built conventional but comparably sized projects in your area. A quick preliminary conversation with a good architect can give a sound picture of total soft costs. Also talk to potential contractors/builders, sub-contractors, and shipping container depots/resellers. Contractors can be an excellent source for pricing site portions of the project - including foundation, grading, bringing utilities to site, and septic. Researching/talking to shipping container depots can give a good sense of container prices and availability, but also local shop capabilities. It's good at this stage, to get a sense of what level of container modification (and possibly interior fit-out) and at what cost can be done offsite. Welding on site, particularly on small projects, can be very pricey. Having as much of the container modifications done offsite is a good initial general strategy. Without a building design , it's impossible to fill out the budget. Again, focus on the big picture. Goal is to have at least line items in your budget for all potential costs (including both hard and soft costs). This will help tremendously as you begin to design and detail your shipping container home. The budget will be a crucial document/resource throughout the process. Your project will be best served by continuous budget updates as you get more info and develop/focus the design. 51 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.2 SITE ISSUES AND PASSIVE ENERGY POTENTIALS 4.2.1 Passive vs. Active Heating and Cooling At the risk of being too general, there are two types of building designs. Those that embrace the site, and those that impose themselves on the site. The house pictured below on the left is a solar hemicycle Jacob's house. The house on the right is a Farnsworth house. Both are icon's of 20th century modern architecture built/designed by masters. They are both comparative in size, use, and initial project budget. The maintenance and yearly energy expense for the two however, are substantially different. The contrast is due to the buildings' different shapes, orientations, and wall/surface materials. The Jacob's house design embraces the site. Through the use of an earth berm and orienting the building to the path of the sun, the house advantages passive heating and cooling strategies. These help control temperature and correlate to lower energy consumption. The Farnsworth house imposes itself on the site. Its orientation and open elevations create a seamless, transparent, and breathtaking flow of interior and exterior space. However, it's a glass box that heats up quickly in the summer and is extremely drafty in the winter. Each building illustrates an extreme; the Jacob's house highly passive, the Farnsworth house requires substantially more active heating and cooling. Each has its unique appeal and adaptability to container building and offer lessons to consider in the initial planning and conceiving of your shipping container home design and site orientation. As we look closer at detailing and core envelope issues for a container house design in the PLAN section, we'll return to these two model houses and passive design. However, it's a glass box that heats up quickly in the summer and is extremely drafty in the winter. Each building illustrates an extreme; the Jacob's house highly passive, the Farnsworth house requires substantially more active heating and cooling. Each has its unique appeal and adaptability to container building and offer lessons to consider in the initial planning and conceiving of your shipping container home design and site orientation. As we look closer at detailing and core envelope issues for a container house design in the PLAN section, we'll return to these two model houses and passive design. 52 By Woodworkerzjournal.com EMBRACE IMPOSE 4.2.1.1 Passive Solar Design Considerations Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and air created by exposure to the sun. Passive systems are simple, have few moving parts, and require minimal maintenance and require no mechanical systems. Operable windows, thermal mass, and thermal chimneys are common elements found in passive design. Operable windows are simply windows that can be opened. Thermal mass refers to materials such as masonry and water that can store heat energy for extended time. Thermal mass will prevent rapid temperature fluctuations. Thermal chimneys create or reinforce the effect hot air rising to induce air movement for cooling purposes. Wing walls are vertical exterior wall partitions placed perpendicular to adjoining windows to enhance ventilation through windows. 53 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Passive design is practiced throughout the world and has been shown to produce buildings with low energy costs, reduced maintenance, and superior comfort. Most of the literature pertaining to passive solar technology addresses heating concerns however, cooling issues, which are equally important, are less well documented. Key aspects of passive design include appropriate solar orientation, the use of thermal mass, shading, and appropriate ventilation and window placement. Consideration of high humidity is also a key issue. For example, a basic passive cooling strategy is to permit cooler night air to ventilate a house and cool down the thermal mass (this can be brick, stone, or concrete walls or floors, or large water containers) inside the house. The thermal mass will absorb heat during the day; however, excessive humidity will reduce the cooling effect from the cooler thermal mass. Interior design elements of a home also play a strong role in the effectiveness of passive cooling. For example, carpets, drapes, and fabric-covered furniture will absorb moisture from humid air, forcing the air conditioner to work harder to remove humidity. As a design approach, passive solar design can take many forms. It can be integrated to greater or lesser degrees in a building. Key considerations regarding passive design are determined by the characteristics of the building site. The most effective designs are based on specific understanding of a building site’s wind patterns, terrain, vegetation, solar exposure and other factors often requiring professional architectural services. However, a basic understanding of these issues can have a significant effect on the energy performance of a building. Guidelines Solar energy is a radiant heat source that causes natural processes upon which all life depends. Some of the natural processes can be managed through building design in a manner that helps heat and cool the building. The basic natural processes that are used in passive solar energy are the thermal energy flows associated with radiation, conduction, and natural convection. When sunlight strikes a building, the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation. Additionally, the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces. These basic responses to solar heat lead to design elements, material choices and placements that can provide heating and cooling effects in a home. 54 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Passive solar energy means that mechanical means are not employed to utilize solar energy. Passive solar systems rules of thumb: • The building should be elongated on an east-west axis. • The building’s south face should receive sunlight between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. (sun time) during the heating season. • Interior spaces requiring the most light and heating and cooling should be along the south face of the building. Less used spaces should be located on the north. • An open floor plan optimizes passive system operation. • Use shading to prevent summer sun entering the interior. 4.2.1.2 Passive Solar Heating Two primary elements of passive solar heating are required: • South facing glass • Thermal mass to absorb, store, and distribute heat There are three approaches to passive systems: 1. Direct gain 2. Indirect gain 3. Isolated gain. The goal of all passive solar heating systems is to capture the sun’s heat within the building’s elements and release that heat during periods when the sun is not shining. At the same time that the building’s elements (or materials) is absorbing heat for later use, solar heat is available for keeping the space comfortable (not overheated). 4.2.1.2.1 Direct Gain In this system, the actual living space is a solar collector, heat absorber and distribution system. South facing glass admits solar energy into the house where it strikes directly and indirectly thermal mass materials in the house such as masonry floors and walls. The direct gain system will utilize 60 – 75% of the sun’s energy striking the windows. 55 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Above Figure: Thermal mass in the interior absorbs the sunlight and radiates the heat at night. In a direct gain system, the thermal mass floors and walls are functional parts of the house. It is also possible to use water containers inside the house to store heat. However, it is more difficult to integrate water storage containers in the design of the house. The thermal mass will temper the intensity of the heat during the day by absorbing the heat. At night, the thermal mass radiates heat into the living space. Direct gain system rules of thumb: • A heat load analysis of the house should be conducted. • Do not exceed 6 inches of thickness in thermal mass materials. • Do not cover thermal mass floors with wall to wall carpeting; keep as bare as functionally and aesthetically possible. • Use a medium dark color for masonry floors; use light colors for other lightweight walls; thermal mass walls can be any color. • For every square foot of south glass, use 150 pounds of masonry or 4 gallons of water for thermal mass. • Fill the cavities of any concrete block used as thermal storage with concrete or other high mass substance. • Use thermal mass at less thickness throughout the living space rather than a concentrated area of thicker mass. • The surface area of mass exposed to direct sunlight should be 9 times the area of the glazing. 56 By Woodworkerzjournal.com • Sun tempering is the use of direct gain without added thermal mass. For most homes, multiply the house square footage by 0.08 to determine the amount of south facing glass for sun tempering. 4.2.1.2.2 Indirect Gain In an indirect gain system, thermal mass is located between the sun and the living space. The thermal mass absorbs the sunlight that strikes it and transfers it to the living space by conduction. The indirect gain system will utilize 30 – 45% of the sun’s energy striking the glass adjoining the thermal mass. There are two types of indirect gain systems: 1. Thermal storage wall systems (Trombe Walls) 2. Roof pond systems Thermal storage wall systems: The thermal mass is located immediately behind south facing glass in this system. Above Figure: Thermal Mass Wall or Trombe Wall Day and Night Operation Operable vents at the top and bottom of a thermal storage wall permit heat to convect from between the wall and the glass into the living space. When the vents are closed at night radiant heat from the wall heats the living space. Roof pond systems Six to twelve inches of water are contained on a flat roof. This system is best for cooling in low humidity climates but can be modified to work in 57 By Woodworkerzjournal.com high humidity climates. (Effectively provides heat in southern U.S. latitudes during the heating season for one story or upper stories of buildings.) Water is usually stored in large plastic or fiberglass containers covered by glazing and the space below is warmed by radiant heat from the warm water above. These require somewhat elaborate drainage systems, movable insulation to cover and uncover the water at appropriate times, and a structural system to support up to 65 lbs/sq ft dead load. Indirect gain system rules of thumb for thermal storage walls 1. The exterior of the mass wall (toward the sun) should be a dark color. 2. Use a minimum space of 4 inches between the thermal mass wall and the glass. 3. Vents used in a thermal mass wall must be closed at night. 4. A well insulated home (7-9 BTU/day-sq. ft.-degree F) will require approximately 0.20 square feet of thermal mass wall per square foot of floor area or 0.15 square foot of water wall. 5. If movable night insulation will be used in the thermal wall system, reduce the thermal mass wall area by 15%. 6. Thermal wall thickness should be approximately 10-14 inches for brick, 12-18 inches for concrete, 8-12 inches for adobe or other earth material and at least 6 inches for water. 4.2.1.2.3 Isolated Gain An isolated gain system has its integral parts separate from the main living area of a house. Examples are a sunroom and a convective loop through an air collector to a storage system in the house. The ability to isolate the system from the primary living areas is the point of distinction for this type of system. The isolated gain system will utilize 15 – 30% of the sunlight striking the glazing toward heating the adjoining living areas. Solar energy is also retained in the sunroom itself. Sunrooms (or solar greenhouses) employ a combination of direct gain and indirect gain system features. Sunlight entering the sunroom is retained in the thermal mass and air of the room. Sunlight is brought into the house by means of conduction through a shared mass wall in the rear of the sunroom, or by vents that permit the air between the sunroom and living space to be exchanged by convection. 58 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The use of a south facing air collector to naturally convect air into a storage area is a variation on the active solar system air collector. These are passive collectors. Convective air collectors are located lower than the storage area so that the heated air generated in the collector naturally rises into the storage area and is replaced by return air from the lower cooler section of the storage area. Heat can be released from the storage area either by opening vents that access the storage by mechanical means (fans), or by conduction if the storage is built into the house. Above Figure: Day and Night Operation of a Sunroom Isolated Gain System The sunroom has some advantages as an isolated gain approach in that it can provide additional usable space to the house and plants can be grown in it quite effectively. The convective air collector by comparison becomes more complex in trying to achieve additional functions from the system. This is a drawback in this area where space heating is less of a concern than in colder regions where the system would be used longer. It is best to use a system that provides more than one function if the system is not an integral part of the building. The sunroom approach will be emphasized in this information since it can provide multiple functions. Isolated Gain rules of thumb for: 1. Use a dark color for the thermal wall in a sunspace. 2. The thickness of the thermal wall should be 8-12 inches for adobe or earth materials, 10-14 inches for brick, 12-18 inches for (dense) concrete. 3. Withdraw excess heat in the sunroom (if not used for warm weather plants) until the room reaches 45 degrees and put the excess heat into thermal mass materials in other parts of the house. 4. For a sunroom with a masonry thermal wall, use 0.30 square feet of 59 By Woodworkerzjournal.com south glazing for each square foot of living space floor area. If a water wall is used between the sunroom and living space instead of masonry, use 0.20 square feet of south facing glass for each square foot of living area. 5. Have a ventilation system for summer months. 6. If overhead glass is used in a sunroom, use heat reflecting glass and or shading systems in the overhead areas. 4.2.1.3 Passive Solar Cooling Ventilation & Operable Windows A primary strategy for cooling buildings without mechanical assistance (passive cooling) in hot humid climates is to employ natural ventilation. (The Fan and Landscape sections also address ventilation strategies.) For example, in Austin Texas prevailing summer breezes are from the south and southeast. This matches nicely with the increased glazing on the south side needed for passive heating, making it possible to achieve helpful solar gain and ventilation with the following strategies: 1. Place operable windows on the south exposure. 2. Casement windows offer the best airflow. Awning (or hopper) windows should be fully opened or air will be directed to ceiling. Awning windows offer the best rain protection and perform better than double hung windows. 3. If a room can have windows on only one side, use two widely spaced windows instead of one window. Wing Walls Wing walls are vertical solid panels placed alongside of windows perpendicular to the wall on the windward side of the house. Wing walls will accelerate the natural wind speed due to pressure differences created by the wing wall. 60 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Figure: Top View of Wing Walls Airflow Pattern Thermal Chimney A thermal chimney employs convective currents to draw air out of a building. By creating a warm or hot zone with an exterior exhaust outlet, air can be drawn into the house ventilating the structure. Sunrooms can be designed to perform this function. The excessive heat generated in a south facing sunroom during the summer can be vented at the top. With the connecting lower vents to the living space open along with windows on the north side, air is drawn through the living space to be exhausted through the sunroom upper vents. (The upper vents from the sunroom to the living space and any side operable windows must be closed and the thermal mass wall in the sunroom must be shaded.) Figure: Summer Venting Thermal Mass Wall Thermal mass indirect gain walls can be made to function similarly except that the mass wall should be insulated on the inside when performing this function. 61 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Figure: Thermal Chimney Thermal chimneys can be constructed in a narrow configuration (like a chimney) with an easily heated black metal absorber on the inside behind a glazed front that can reach high temperatures and be insulated from the house. The chimney must terminate above the roof level. A rotating metal scoop at the top which opens opposite the wind will allow heated air to exhaust without being overcome by the prevailing wind. Thermal chimney effects can be integrated into the house with open stairwells and atria. (This approach can be an aesthetic plus to the home as well.) Other Ventilation Strategies 1. Make the outlet openings slightly larger than the inlet openings. 2. Place the inlets at low to medium heights to provide airflow at occupant levels in the room. 62 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Figure: Thermal Chimney Effect Built into Home Inlets close to a wall result in air “washing” along the wall. Be certain to have centrally located inlets for air movement in the center areas of the room. Window insect screens decrease the velocity of slow breezes more than stronger breezes (60% decrease at 1.5 mph, 28% decrease at 6 mph). Screening a porch will not reduce air speeds as much as screening the windows. Night ventilation of a home should be done at a ventilation rate of 30 air changes per hour or greater. Mechanical ventilation will usually be required to achieve this . High mass houses can be cooled with night ventilation providing that fabric furnishings are minimized in the house. Keep a high mass house closed during the day and opened at night. 4.2.2 Picking where to build on site This is a crucial decision. There are many factors to consider including grade, soil bearing, existing landscaping, potential views, and proximity to easements/site boundaries/roads. Generally speaking, if soil bearing capacity is consistent throughout the site, flat/level areas are best suited. They require less grading/excavation, and allow for the most economical foundation designs for shipping container homes. Landscaping and shading are very effective passive design strategies. When you consider where to locate your house/building on site try to take advantage of as much existing greenery as possible. 63 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The location of dense, coniferous trees on the elevation against the prevailing wind (usually west or northwest) may decrease heat loss due to infiltration and wind chill factor in the winter. Sites with deciduous shade trees can reduce summer solar gain if positioned properly on the south and west elevations of the buildings. Views and privacy will also be important things to consider. Every site is different and has its own potentials. If you don't already have a land survey of the site, it's probably a good time to get one done. They're full of relevant information and could bring things to your attention (like easements and utility access locations) that you're unaware of. If you are lucky you received one when you purchased the land or will be able to get one from the record files of your building department. 64 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4.3 Create a Simple Floor Plan and Site Layout Reviewing code and cold calling to get material pricing isn't the best time you'll ever have, even to the most enthusiastic home design/builders. But drawing your shipping container house floor plan and developing the conceptual design, is where the good stuff starts. Earlier, we said we were going to explore how shipping containers are a perfect fit for the design build process. The floor plan is a great example. The 8' width of a shipping container is roughly a small room. Arrange two containers along their length, remove some corrugation, reinforce, and you've got a medium to large room. Remove all the interior corrugation, reinforce, and you have the equivalent of a New York City industrial loft. Containers are "design placeholders" for the perimeter and interior of your home. They allow you to easily conceptualize the interior space and building massing, simultaneously. Buy a tape measure. Even if you have one. A new one. Make sure it has really good action. That it fits well in your hand, and compliments your attire. It will be your new favorite accessory. Start measuring things. Everything. Measure rooms, furniture, circulation/open space. When you are thinking about dimensions of rooms for your shipping container floor plan and not sure what they should be, go measure a space that works and is comparable in size. Measure some more. Before you start drawing and sketching, make a wish list of all the functional elements. A schedule of all the square footage components including bedrooms, baths, kitchen, dining room, living spaces, garage, etc. Whatever that total square footage is, multiply it by a factor of 1.3-1.5 to add circulation/open space. Divide that by 320 and you know how many 40' containers to use. This is your starting point. Get some grid and trace paper. 65 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Houses and apartments in dense urban areas are very small. The average total floor area in a Japanese home is 1,020 square feet (three 40' containers). This should be an additive as well as a reductive process. You want to add to your wish list so you can incorporate/include as much as possible in your shipping container home, but you also want to edit. You can do a lot more with less spatially by introducing sunlight, compacting storage/service spaces, and combining/weaving together program elements. 4.4 PLAN CHECKLIST • Review site and soil bearing capacity. • Check for zoning restrictions. • Determine maximum budget. • Review site servicing requirements. • Determine the binding code and review. • Determine required professional services. • Prepare project budget. • Detail all program requirements - number of bedrooms, baths, home office, etc., and determine rough square footage of each. • Develop schematic design - including container massing configuration, floor plans, and elevations. • Locate local or regional shipping container re-sellers and shops capable of performing modifications and interior fit-outs. 66 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5 DESIGNING Develop your design to a level of detail necessary to work out a clear, coordinated description of all aspects of the project. Derive all construction, permitting, and build drawings and documentation. determine final budget. For readily made container home projects, floor plans and pictures of the real homes made by people from all over the world, and for more interesting ideas about how to design your home, check our additional book "SUPERB CONTAINER HOME PLANS & PROJECTS" including Projects with Floor Plans or 3D Models ; plus our book "SUPERB EXAMPLES OF CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE" where you will find in both of them, hundreds of Photographs of Interior and Exterior Views and Construction Processes, and numerous examples of home designs. You can also use the free software we share with you in order to plan your home. You can find detailed info on Chapter 5.2.1 Home Design Planner Application.. (See Contents for relevant pages) 67 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1 DESIGNING YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME 5.1.1 Foundation This issue is discussed in detail in Chapter 10 FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATIONS. (see Contents for relevant pages) Finalize building location on site. Remember, flat sites are best as they require minimum excavation and grading. If you are planning a build which consists of more than one container, you should talk with an engineer or contractor early. Foundation costs are potentially very expensive, especially if the bearing capacity of the soil is poor or land substantially sloped. 5.1.1.1 Types and Construction Systems The three basic types of foundations are - deep basement, crawl space, and slab-on-grade. There are several construction systems from which to choose for each foundation type. The most common systems are cast-in-place concrete and concrete block foundation walls. Other systems include pressurepreservative-treated wood foundations, precast concrete foundation walls, masonry or concrete piers, cast-in-place concrete sandwich panels, piles, and masonry systems. A slab-on-grade construction with an integral concrete grade beam at the slab edge is common in climates with a shallow frost depth. In colder climates, deeper cast-in-place concrete walls and concrete block walls are 68 By Woodworkerzjournal.com more common, although a shallower footing can sometimes be used depending on soil type, groundwater conditions, and insulation placement. Most of the foundation types and construction systems described above can be designed to meet necessary structural, thermal, radon, termite and moisture or water control requirements. Factors affecting the choice of foundation type and construction system include site conditions, overall building design, the climate, local market preferences, and construction costs. 69 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1.1.2 Site Conditions The topography, water table location, presence of radon, soil type, and depth of bedrock can all affect the choice of a foundation type. Any foundation type can be used on a flat site; however, a sloping site often necessitates the use of a walkout basement or crawl space. On steeper slopes, a walkout basement combines a basement foundation wall on the uphill side, a slab-on- grade foundation on the downhill side, and partially bermed foundation walls on the remaining two sides. A water table depth within 8 feet of the surface will likely make a basement foundation undesirable. Lowering the water table with drainage and pumping usually cannot be justified, and waterproofing may not be feasible or may be too costly. A water table near the surface generally restricts the design to a slab-on-grade or crawl space foundation. The presence of expansive clay soils on a site requires special techniques to avoid foundation movement and significant structural damage. Often, buildings placed on sites with expansive clay require pile foundations extending down to stable soil strata or bedrock. Similarly, sites with bedrock near the surface require special foundation techniques. Expensive bedrock excavation is not required to reach frost depth nor is it economically justifiable to create basement space. In these unusual conditions of expansive clay soils or bedrock near the surface, special variations of the typical foundation types may be appropriate. For starters, you can learn a lot about soil conditions on your site by taking advantage of public-sector resources. The United States Department of Agriculture has prepared soil maps for most of the country. Available at no cost at any local USDA branch office, these maps superimpose soil-type delineations over aerial photographs. By studying these maps and the soil descriptions that accompany them, you can find out information such as whether your site might have a high groundwater table or whether problematic soils -- such as shrink/swell-susceptible clays -- might lurk beneath the surface. 70 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1.1.3 Overall Building Design The foundation type and construction system are chosen in part because of appearance factors. Although it is not usually a major aesthetic element, the foundation at the base of a building can be raised above the ground plane, so the foundation wall materials can affect the overall appearance. A building with a slab-on-grade foundation has little visible foundation; however, the foundation wall of a crawl space or basement can vary considerably from almost no exposure to full exposure above grade. 5.1.1.4 Climate The preference of foundation type varies with climatic region, although examples of most types can generally be found in any given region. One of the principal factors behind foundation preference is the impact of frost depth on foundation design. The impact of frost depth basically arises from the need to place foundations at greater depths in colder climates. For example, a footing in Minnesota must be at least 42 inches below the surface, while in states along the Gulf Coast, footings need not extend below the surface at all in order to avoid structural damage from frost heave. Because a foundation wall extending to a substantial depth is required in northern climates, the incremental cost of creating basement space is much less, since it is necessary to build approximately half the basement wall anyway. In a southern climate the incremental first cost of creating a basement is greater when compared with a slab-on-grade with no significant required footing depth. This historic perception that foundations must extend below the natural frost depth is not entirely accurate. Buildings with very shallow foundations can be used in cold climates if they are insulated properly. 71 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1.1.5 Local Market Preferences and Construction Costs The foundation type and construction system are also chosen based on cost and market factors that vary regionally or even locally. Virtually any foundation type and construction system can be built in any location in the United States. The relative costs, however, are likely to differ. These costs reflect local material and labor costs as well as the availability of certain materials and the preferences of local contractors. For example, in certain regions there are many contractors specializing in cast-in-place concrete foundation walls. Because they have the concrete forms and the required experience with this system and because bidding is very competitive, this system may be more cost-effective compared with other alternatives. In other regions, the availability of concrete blocks is greater and there are many contractors specializing in masonry foundation walls. In these areas, a cast-in-place concrete system may be less competitive economically because fewer contractors are available. More subjective factors that influence a designer’s choice of foundation type and construction system are the expectations and preferences of individual clients and the home-buying public. These market influences are based not only on cost but also on the area’s tradition. If people in a certain region expect basements, then builders generally provide them. Of course, analyzing the cost-effectiveness of providing a basement requires a somewhat subjective judgment concerning the value of basement space. These more subjective market factors and regional preferences tend to increase the availability of materials and contractors for the preferred systems, which in turn makes these systems more cost-effective choices. 72 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1.2 Core Envelope The exterior walls, ground floor, roof, and glazing make up the core envelope of a building. Energy code compliance and your site's location, thermal zone, and climate factor strongly here and will determine insulation requirements. Keeping the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer with minimal mechanical system help will do much to drive down monthly utility costs. The design section has information on passive vs. active heating and cooling strategies. These should be reviewed prior to developing/detailing the core envelope. The US Department of Energy has a fantastic tool (REScheck) to simplify and clarify code compliance with the Model Energy Code (MEC), the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and a number of state codes. You input the square footage of each core envelope element (wall, roof, slab, etc.) and project location. This will determine the binding energy code and allow you to play with different R values (insulation levels) until the envelope design is in compliance and thereby setting the required Rvalues. Even if your project is small or not subject to energy code ompliance, the REScheck exercise is worth the time. Check the R-Value Table in Chapter 12. Once you know the required R73 By Woodworkerzjournal.com values for the core envelope elements you can begin detailing. For illustration, consider a cold climate that requires an R-30 value for exterior walls. This could be achieved with batt (R 3.25 per inch ~ R30 would require 9-10"), foam panels (R 5 per inch ~ R30 would require 6"), and standard spray foam (R 6.75 per inch ~ R30 would require 4.5"). 5.1.3 Plan and Section Details - Typical Container Connection Plan Details Check "2.5 Shipping Container Plan and Section Details" for detailed drawings. See contents for relevant pages. 74 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.1.4 Utilities and Mechanical Utilites -Water supply and sewage, electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications/fiber optics. Mechanical - Air circulation and temperature regulation. All these options must be thoroughly planned for, just as with the build out of a typical wood-frame home. There are no short cuts and consulting with a contractor who specializes in these fields is highly recommended. This issue is discussed in detail in the following chapters, in Chapter 12 FINISHING ASPECTS OF CONTAINER BUILDINGS. 5.2 DRAWINGS & DOCUMENTATION The drawings of a typical home construction project evolve through each of the design milestones - Conceptual/Scheme Design, Design Development, Permitting, and Bid/Construction Documents. Conceptual/Scheme Design and Design Development drawings are important to develop the necessary design, floor plans, elevations, and the budget square footage takeoffs. Typically, they are a communication tool between the designer and client as they vet through the design of the home. If you are the designer, you will develop these drawings loosely yourself as you outline/document the design. You can use hand sketches or utilize one of the many consumer 75 By Woodworkerzjournal.com modeling and drafting applications. But, they are for your own reference and not necessary for filing. For readily made container home projects, floor plans and pictures of the real homes made by people from all over the world, check our additional book "SUPERB CONTAINER HOME PLANS & PROJECTS" including Projects with Floor Plans or 3D Models ; and the book "SUPERB EXAMPLES OF CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE" where you will find in both of them, hundreds of Photographs of Interior and Exterior Views and Construction Processes, and numerous examples of home designs. 5.2.1 Home Design Planner Application We give you this amazing software which we use for our work too. There are many free softwares in the market, and it is really difficult to find out which one to use, which one is the best and so on... Thus we want to save you from this frustrating search too! You can download it at the section where you have downloaded this book after your purchase. This is an amazing home design planner application, which helps you draw the plan of your house, arrange furniture on it and visit the results in 3D. It is one of the best 3D modeling application available and will help you cut down on the guesswork. You can plan all of your rooms, including kitchen and bathroom or office. You can design not only the interior, but also the exterior of your home, your garden, the swimming pool, etc.. It helps you design everything you can think of about a home. 76 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.2.2 Permitting Drawings If for what every reason you are not subject to any building department / jurisdictional approval (very rare) you will not need to assemble a Permitting Drawing set. If you are, which is most cases, first thing to do is call the building department and get a permitting submittal checklist. Things typically required will be plans (site, foundation, floors, and roof), elevations, land survey, water treatment (septic and run-off), energy code compliance, structural drawings, and soils report. Also make sure to check which of these documents will need to be stamped by a licensed professional. 5.2.3 Bid and Construction Drawings Contract Documents. They should include drawings and specifications for all components and systems of the building. A complete set of Contract Documents provides a comprehensive, fully coordinated set of construction documents and specifications that the contractor uses to determine a guaranteed maximum or lump sum price, obtain necessary permits, coordinate with factory for modular components, and construct the project. Even if you are planning on taking on the construction yourself or managing the project through sub-contractors, you should put together as detailed and extensive set of construction documents as possible. Putting the construction documents together will help tremendously in understanding the design and verifying the projected budget prior to construction. 5.3 BUILD STRATEGY Regardless if you are going to bid the project out to general contractors (GC) or build yourself, you should speak with as many potential GC's as possible throughout the design process. Having done this prior to bidding the project will do three things; help get accurate pricing for budget development, assemble a list of general contractors to bid competitively for the project (if you are not building yourself), and problem solve the design. 77 By Woodworkerzjournal.com If you go the GC route, there are fundamentally three project delivery methods: Design/Bid/Build, Construction Management, and Design/Build. The different methods are distinguished by the way the contracts between the Owner, the Architect (if there is one), and the Contractor/Factory are formed and the technical relationships that evolve between each party inside those contracts. Typically, there is no single "best" method for all projects, and no method delivers fastest, cheapest, and highest quality simultaneously. What distinguishes each is the amount of design information and drawings available prior to construction and whether the build price is fixed or relative to actual costs. The design and manufacturing of shipping container homes is a viable alternative to conventional construction for many reasons, but despite a strong showing of successful container projects, building with shipping containers is still in it's early stages. From the design perspective, there are many design entities with "Kit" shipping container home offerings. These however, are very far from turnkey. Virtual none of the "design entities" have shop/manufacturing capabilities. The ones that do, have very small custom shops with limited output which is highly customized and high in price. From the manufacturing perspective, there are more and more factories/companies building with containers. Typically, they have a "stock" catalogue of very base shipping container home designs to purchase turnkey. Some can provide customized solutions (design to your specs), at higher cost points. Ultimately, whether to hire a general contractor or build yourself depends on - the complexity of the project, your skill and/or experience in building, how much time you have to devote, expected level of finish or craftsmanship, and budget. 78 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5.4 DESIGN CHECKLIST • Foundation Design • Develop floor plans and elevations • Determine Structural Design and Container Modification Requirements • Envelope/Core Shell Detailing • Figure out Energy consumption • Investigate passive design moves to improve thermal performance • Interior Fit-out development • Prepare Mechanical and Electrical Design • Outline Material Specifications • Outline Lighting and IT Requirements • Outline Build Strategy (think about whether you are going to act as general contractor or hire a builder). • Outline Procurement Strategy (what level of container modification and fit-out will be done at factory and on site). • Prepare Construction Documentation (both Architectural and Structural) • Prepare Mechanical and Electrical Documentation • Finalize structural design criteria • Coordinate Preliminary Plan Review with building official • Coordinate documentation for manufactured components • Coordinate documentation for potential contractors • Prepare final specifications • Prepare final budget 79 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6 PURCHASE OF CONTAINERS 6.1 Foundation construction and delivery coordination: Concrete footings and slab foundations should be planned and installed prior to taking delivery of your containers. Builders need to consider what type of trailer their containers will arrive on, roll-bed or standard. Also, will a crane rental be on-site at the same time (for transfer of containers onto the foundation)? Will you need to rent the crane two separate times? How long will it take for your concrete foundation to cure (when can it support the containers)? Make sure to coordinate all the details of: 1) Foundation construction. 2) Delivery date, and delivery vehicle, 3) Crane rental. All three aspects must work in concert for a smooth transition of your containers from delivery truck to permanent concrete foundation. The logical way to start your container building project is to come up with a plan for your building on paper, deciding if you want to use 20 or 40 ft units. Evaluate whether a 20 foot container or a 40 foot container length will suit your needs. A 40 foot container will be more expensive than a 20 foot container, so measure before starting to shop. Common heights include 8 feet 6 inches and 9 feet 6 inches. They are usually 8 feet wide. Extra wide containers are also available and they can run up to 48 feet in length. The next step is to locate possible containers for purchase. Once you have a source for purchasing your units, plan out and install your foundation. Then you can pay for the containers and arrange for delivery after concrete (if using a concrete foundation) cures. You can also reserve a truck mounted crane (if needed) to place units on the foundation. 80 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.2 Pre-Purchase Inspection: Buying containers can be looked at like buying cars. You can buy new, or used, from a dealer, or a private party. For the lowest prices, you should probably go the used route. Anything that is described as "used," can be well-worn or relatively new. A certain amount of searching is usually needed to dig up a really great deal. This is just like looking for a good used car, with the main difference being cars for sale are much more common than containers. It's also harder to get a 'lemon' when buying containers, as they have few mechanical aspects that can suddenly breakdown. Look for "one-trip" containers if you are looking for a nearly new look and condition. These containers are usually made in Asia and used once for cargo shipping before being sold. They are often listed as "new" or "like new" but they will have a few scratches from their initial trip. 6.2.1 Inspecting Used Containers: Check the ID placards on any container you are interested in purchasing. These are sort of like VIN numbers for containers. 81 By Woodworkerzjournal.com There are also some possible points of damage that you should look at within the structure of the container, prior to buying. Give the container a complete visual inspection. Check for: 1) Cracks, breaks, cuts, tears, punctures, corrosion in corner fitting joints, sidewall joints, and floors cross member structure (pull out a few pieces of the plywood flooring or jack up the container to check the cross members). 2) Missing, cracked, or broken welds at any major structural juncture. 3) Loose or missing fasteners at any major structural juncture. 4) Any deformations such as dents, bends, or bowing. 5) Check for old repairs such as welded on steel patches. 6) Check to make sure that the container is square (see diagram). Working on the top of the container, first measure the distances from the center of each corner post diagonally across the length of the unit. These distances should be the same within a 1-2" variable. Secondly, measure diagonally across the length of the unit (in the same manner) on the sides. If the distances are way off, the container is warped, and it may cause problems later on when you attempt to use it for building. 82 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3 Checklist: 10 Important Items to Inspect When Buying Used Shipping Containers Buying the right container the first time and every time: In the following pages you will find a step by step list of items to look at when you are inspecting a container prior to purchasing. Remember all used containers will have had different experiences as they transported goods across oceans, so not every inspection will be like another. The items discussed here are the major components that you should look at and use your best judgment as to the condition. Unless the container is a complete basket case, many repairs are not extremely costly so don’t worry if you miss something. In addition make sure to use the actual condition as a negotiation point. We want to make you an educated buyer, use the information here to point issues out to the seller and negotiate the best price possible. Also you will find a section that clearly defines the commonly accepted condition codes for shipping containers. This will give you an idea of what to expect when the seller tells you about the container during your initial contact. Remember, these condition codes can be somewhat subjective. In general, you’ll find the container depots and intermodals giving you a more accurate condition rating than the guy selling a container from the back of his lot. 83 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.1 Parts of a Container Above is a drawing that you can refer as you read the following sections of this book. The drawing will show you where you can find the various container parts we’ll discuss. For detailed drawings check 2.4 SHIPPING CONTAINER STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS AND TERMINOLOGY. 84 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.2 Inspecting Used Shipping Containers The following inspection points that we are going to discuss apply mainly to help you determine if you are looking at a cargo worthy unit or a-wind-andweather-tight unit or an as-is unit. If you are purchasing a certified single crossing unit, you will not find near the deterioration that we’ll show you here. If you are buying single crossing units from a reputable dealer, you should not have concern over the condition or appearance. 6.3.2.1 Rust: At first glance, don’t let a little rust scare you. You need to look further into the container, especially the structural components, roof, doors and latches. Shipping containers are constructed from a product called Cor-Ten Steel or weathering steel. Cor-Ten steel was developed to be used in industrial applications in order to reduce the maintenance costs associated with painting it to protect it from the environment. Cor-Ten steel forms a rust layer which unlike regular carbon steel will protect the steel from further corrosion. Some light rusting on paint scratches is normal and in one way impacts the containers long term performance. If it’s showing some surface rust then it’s actually doing its job! What you don’t want to see is dents on horizontal surfaces that hold water. These must be repaired as they will rust through. Check the following Chapter for more information about rust issues. 6.3.2.2 Doors: Do they open and close freely or do they bind up? Check the door bottoms for voids where water can collect. Clean and seal as required. In the below picture: Need to repair undetermined Door panel dented less than 35 mm (1-3/8in), which does not require repair. However, if door is not water-tight and light-tight, repair would be required. 85 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.2.3 Locking Mechanisms These are handles that you use to unlock the container doors and the vertical rods that actually lock the container at the top and bottom of the container. If the rods or handles are bent, that could make the container hard to open and close. Make sure to open and close both container doors yourself as opposed to the person selling you the container, as they are generally very skilled at opening and closing difficult container doors and make it look easy. 6.3.2.4 Hinges Once the doors are unlocked check the hinges. Can you easily swing the doors open? Once again make sure to open both doors all the way. 6.3.2.4.1 Different Options for Shipping Container Hinge Maintenance There are two parts to a shipping container turned storage container that actually get used, those are the hinges and the cam locks. Since these two 86 By Woodworkerzjournal.com parts get moved and operated, any problems become apparent quickly and they get more frustrating as the ability to use them deteriorates. The things that need to occur in hinge maintenance are twofold; the first one is to get the crud out. The crud build up is what binds the door and makes it difficult to move. The second thing needed is to lubricate the two hinge surfaces to maintain smooth operation and to keep crud from building up again. If both of these items occur you will have a smooth operating door. People have used muriatic acid and liquid soap, paint thinner and brake fluid, diesel fuel and motor oil, three parts WD40 and one part automatic transmission fluid, automatic transmission fluid and acetone to name a few. Each of these had one thing in common, one of the mixture parts broke down or forced out the gunk and the other part of the mixture offered some form of lubrication to the hinge. Two products that people have had success with are “Fluid Film” and “Rust Check”. These products clean out the crud and provide some lubrication as well. The straight forward plan would be to clean out the hinges with penetrating fluid or paint thinner then drill a hole, tap it and install a zerk fitting in each hinge and fill them with grease once or twice a year. The grease will both lubricate for smooth action and will keep crud for entering back into the hinge and causing the door to bind up once again. 6.3.2.5 Door Gaskets Do the gaskets seal tight? Containers have two door gaskets. Often the exterior gasket may be damaged, but the inner gasket will still create a watertight seal. Inspect the door around the gasket; rust may occur between the gasket and the door, especially at the bottom of the door. 87 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.2.6 Roof Inspect the roof of the container from the inside; are there many dents and dings from the top down? If so, that’s where water will collect eventually causing rust to eat through the container roof. Turn your flashlight off, close the door and check for daylight through pin holes. Up on top of the container, inspect for dents and dings, which will rust through the container roof. Realize that these issues are not deal killers but that they will require attention sooner than later and may give you some negotiation leverage. 6.3.2.6.1 Repair Small Holes or Bad Seams in Shipping Container Roofs With a Good Quality Coating Shipping containers have generally lived an active life by the time they are retired from overseas service work. Many shipping containers are retired after a single ocean crossing but others may end up traveling the high seas three to five times before reaching their golden years. It’s at this point they are purchased and begin a new career in the storage business, or they are modified into a home or small business or else they get buried and become a storm shelter. One item that is critical for a shipping container to continue to perform in any of these areas is the condition of the roof. Shipping container roofing is simply corrugated sheet metal with a slight side to side pitch to drain water. The steel is a special formulation called Cor-Ten Steel which protects itself by forming a rust layer and then the 88 By Woodworkerzjournal.com deterioration stops. If water puddles in a particular spot the roofing will continue to deteriorate and you may encounter small pin holes in the container roof. If you find a large tear or other kind of opening in your roofing material during your inspection then you will need to repair that with patches or do a complete tear off and replace the roof, but if you just have a deteriorating roof condition then look into Kool Seal reflective roof coatings. The Kool Seal Elastometric roof coating product forms a thick rubber-like blanket of protection that protects against moisture and expands and contracts with your roof. It remains flexible from -10F to 160F. Once you have applied Kool Seal it will last for many years, I can’t think of an occasion where I have had to re-coat a container that was coated in Kool Seal. Simply follow the manufactures application directions and you will have a long lasting and efficient roof system on your shipping container and you will seal up any small pin holes that may have formed. Kool Seal is available at many big box home improvement and at mobile home part retailers. 6.3.2.7 Side Walls Inspect the exterior side wall of the container where it meets the flat portion of the steel beam at the bottom of the container. Water may collect at that point especially on older containers causing rust to eat through the side of the container. Minor dents are okay but dents deeper than an inch should be repaired. 6.3.2.8 Rails The rails are the structure of the container or its bones. Walk around the box once looking up and again looking down. Look for torn spots, broken weld, and heavy rust or dents deeper than an inch. These conditions will need to be repaired. 6.3.2.9 Floors Check for splits and gaps where light may show through. In containers with 89 By Woodworkerzjournal.com plywood floors check for soft spots which occur when some of the original flooring has split off. The resulting damage could lead to a fork truck falling through the floor. Check for missing fasteners, splintered boards and delamination; repair any changes in panel heights greater than 3/16”. You should know that most container floors are chemically treated with insecticides. All of the original wood flooring should be removed and replaced if the container will be used to serve or store food or be lived in. 90 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.2.9.1 Shipping Container Floor Issues to Consider The wood floors constructed into shipping containers have become a hotly contested issue over the past several years. As people find more and more creative uses for retired shipping containers they are claiming a positive environmental impact for their recycling efforts. On the other side of the equation, many container floors are manufactured using tropical hardwood trees. While still a renewable resource, it takes fifty to sixty years to replace one of these trees that was cut down to make container floors out of. A larger issue for consideration is the chemicals impregnated into the container floors during manufacture. Australia has very strict requirements for treating shipping container floors; they are treated with serious insecticides and fungicides to keep alien insects and rodents from hitching a ride into Australia. Wood preservatives containing a number of organochlorine insecticides, including aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane and lindane, that have been approved in Australia for treating timber used as structural components in cargo containers. Subsequently, manufactures treat all containers for the Australian standards, they determined it is impossible to separate the units for a single country out of the pool and risk the fines and sanctions possible if an unapproved container is caught entering Australia. Studies were done on these floors and they determined that insecticides 91 By Woodworkerzjournal.com can be transferred on to the products sitting on the container floors. The physiccontainer lableal pick-up of insecticide from the surface of the floor is considered to be the major source of contamination. The highest insecticide residue levels were found in flour samples which were stored on newly treated laminated sawn timber. Chemicals like these previously mentioned do dissipate greatly after a couple of years, so with special prepping, cleanup, and sealing using epoxy coatings the chemicals can be isolated. Experts concur, if the out-gassing of chemicals is inhibited by a barrier then there is virtually no risk. This is similar to lead paint hazards in the past which have been corrected in traditional houses. If the data plate is still on the container, it will indicate the types of chemicals the floor was originally treated with. Obviously if the flooring was damaged and changed somewhere along the line the data plate won’t help you. Nor will you ever learn what was shipped in and or spilled on your container floor during its high seas career. If a container is to be used for any type of permanent habitation, like a section of a container house for instance, the prudent course of action is to remove the original flooring, have it properly disposed of and install new flooring. You’re looking at ten sheets of plywood in a 40’ container plus labor; if you’re going to live in or serve food out of a container then you should include these costs in your modification budget. 6.3.2.10 Bottom Just like looking at used cars, you may need to get dirty to do a complete inspection. Inspect the steel cross members for damage and heavy rust. If the undercarriage is severely rotted it can break away from the rail and allow the floor to collapse. 92 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 6.3.3 Condition Codes While these are not “official,” or sanctioned in any way the generally accepted grading used for shipping containers is as follows: ”AS-IS” refers to containers that have been inspected, found to have been damaged, and can no longer be considered as “Wind and Weather Tight” (WWT). “AS-IS” containers should be inspected before you purchase them to determine the necessary repairs. If you intend to simply use it to store roofing materials, landscape ornaments or something else that you are not concerned about getting wet due to a roof leak then these should be able to adequately secure your materials. As-is units can be found at the cheapest price points. “Wind and Weather Tight” (WWT) These units are randomly colored and have surface rust where they have been scratched or dented These containers will cost a little more, but is the most cost-efficient portable storage solutions today. These are clean, sturdy and serve many purposes. If you stay on top of the maintenance they will last a long time. Cargo Worthy (CW) This grade of container is Certified to be “Wind and Water Tight” (WWT) and is suitable to transport cargo on all ocean vessels. These units come with a certificate that allows this container to be transported on a container ship. If you plan on shipping your loaded container, you will be required to have this (CW) certificate. Single Crossing or One Trip These containers are manufactured overseas and are shipped with a single container cargo load. Once the container reaches its destination they are often available for sale. A single crossing unit is considered new in the United States. If you intend to use your container as a home, cabin, or small business where much of the container skin will remain then I would recommend spending the additional money and purchase a unit in cargo worthy or single crossing condition. The unit will be tight, clean and look 93 By Woodworkerzjournal.com good. It will be You will still be able to read the manufacturer’s label and be able to determine what chemicals the floor was treated with when manufactured and whether you will need to replace the floor boards or not. 6.4 Container Sources Regional classified papers such as trader publications, and little nickel press are good sources for buying containers. Titles of these newspapers vary from state to state, but most of you know the types of publications to which I am referring. The classified papers with just stuff for sale advertised. You can also look through the phone book under 'shipping', 'containerized freight','mobile storage', 'shipping containers' or 'freight shipping' for local sales outlets. Other surplus items of interest that you can search for are ISO Shelters. ISO Shelters are built on 20 ft Intermodal frames, but use a foam sandwich core rigid wall material in place of the standard corrugated steel side panels. This has the effect of insulating the units, and reducing the overall weight by 1000+ lbs. 94 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 7 CORROSION (RUST) ISSUES WITH SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES There are many popular myths and misunderstandings about Container based Construction but none of the often quoted misunderstandings are nearly as pervasive amongst Industry Professionals – Architects, Building Designers, Contractors etc as the idea that Shipping Containers are made from some special, virtually indestructible steel that will not rust like regular structural steel and as such warrants little concern or consideration regarding pre-construction preparation or ongoing preventative maintenance for corrosion management. 7.1 Cor-Ten Steel In the 1930s, the United States Steel Corporation developed Cor-Ten, primarily for use in railway coal wagons. The controlled corrosion that is a feature of the material was a welcome by-product of the need for a tough steel capable of withstanding the rigours of America's burgeoning marshalling yards and collieries. Because of its inherent toughness, weathering steel (the generic name for Cor-Ten, along with weatherresisting steel) is used extensively for ISO shipping containers. The civil engineering applications that appeared in the early 1960s made direct use of the improved resistance to corrosion, and it would not be long before the applications in architecture would become apparent. Cor-Ten gets its properties from a careful manipulation of the alloying elements added to steels during the production process. All steel produced by the primary route (in other words, from iron ore as opposed to scrap) comes into being when the iron smelted in blast furnaces is reduced in a converter. The carbon content is lowered and the resultant iron, now steel, is less brittle and has a higher capacity for loading than before. Other material is commonly added during the process. Weathering steel has a combination of chromium, copper, silicon and phosphorus, the amounts depending on the exact attributes required. Weather-resistant steel works by controlling the rate at which oxygen in the atmosphere can react with the surface of the metal. Iron and steel both rust in the presence of air and water, resulting in the product of corrosion - rust, 95 By Woodworkerzjournal.com iron oxide. Non-weather-resisting steels have a relatively porous oxide layer, which can hold moisture and promote further corrosion. After a certain time (dependent on conditions), this rust layer will delaminate from the surface of the metal, exposing the surface and causing more damage. Rusting rates seen on a graph would appear as a series of curves approximating to a straight line. Cor-Ten exhibits superior corrosion resistance over regular carbon steel as a result of the development of a protective oxide film on the metals surface that slows down further corrosion. Their yield strength allows cost reduction through the ability to design lighter sections into structures. These steels were designed, primarily to be used in unpainted applications where a reduction in maintenance costs, such as painting, were desired. Weathering steels are now being used in a variety of applications, including bridges, rail cars, transmission towers, chimneys and shipbuilding. It is also becoming increasingly popular with sculptors and as an architectural feature. Cor-Ten is the primary brand name for corrosion resistant products that were developed by United States Steel Corp. Cor-Ten has subsequently been licensed to be produced by other steel producers. There are basically two types of Cor-Ten that are most prevalent, Cor-Ten A (generally up to 12mm thick) and Cor-Ten B (generally 15mm thick and above). The comparison of Cor-Ten to the ASTM grades is loosely stated as Cor-Ten A is equivalent to ASTM A242 and Cor-Ten B is equivalent to ASTM A588 Grade A. Cor-Ten A and B both meet and/or exceed the requirements of ASTM A606 Type 4. 7.1.1 Considerations for use of Cor-Ten and weathering steels 1. The actual corrosion loss varies with the environment. For long-life, corrosion allowance must be considered. 2. Crevices and water/dirt traps should be avoided 3. Rust stains may run to adjacent surfaces and cause staining 4. Fasteners should be made of weathering steel 96 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 5. Specific low alloy welding rods should be used 6. For an even weathering result, surface blasting may be necessary 7. Weathering steels are unsuitable for use in marine and aggressive industrial environments 7.1.2 Rate of corrosion The oxide layer on weathering steel is not as porous because it adheres more firmly to the base metal. The curve of rate of corrosion initially progresses at the same rate as ordinary steel, but soon begins to level out. The weathering process is dependent on the aggressiveness of the environment into which the steel is placed. As might be expected, rural sites fare the best and marine ones the worst when it comes to the eventual longevity of the material. Another factor to consider is the aspect of the weathering steel. West- and south-facing surfaces weather at a more even rate and form a more even oxide layer. North- and east-facing surfaces tend to be wetter for longer periods of time and often have areas that are darker and more uneven in colouration. This is unavoidable, unfortunately, and is a feature of the material. In the same way that timber bleaching in red-cedar cladding is regarded as something mildly unpredictable, we should look upon the eventual appearance of the oxide layer in weather-resistant steel as an equally natural, and therefore serendipitous, process. The wetting and drying cycle is important. Continuous dryness is obviously not a problem, (hence those burned-out Second World War vehicles that litter North Africa and are destined to remain for some time because they don't rust). Continuous wetness can be problematic, however. Some time ago a series of bridges was constructed from weather-resistant steel for some forest roads. The condition of the forest floor was typical, moist and mildly acidic. The bridges rusted in the same way as ordinary steel, with the oxide layer attacked by the corrosion products of leaves and the continual exposure to moisture. Ideally, to weather in the expected fashion, weather-resistant steel needs wetting and drying cycles. This is because moisture activates the corrosion process but, with the drying, the oxide layer obtains its nonporous state. The more rapid the wet-dry cycle, the more even the oxide layer. 97 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Another factor that can affect the finished appearance is size. One reason the Angel of the North exhibits an even orange layer of rust is because of its mass. The south- and west-facing aspects, which collect the majority of the sun's energy, absorb and transmit sufficient heat to limit the amount of condensation that can form on the rest of the statue. If the north and east aspects are borrowing the heat, they will tend to weather at more or less the same rate. Cor-Ten A and Cor-Ten B differ primarily in the amounts of phosphorous alloyed into the mixture. Uses reflect the different properties imparted to the steel. The first type is typically produced as sheet or coil (from 1.0mm up to 12mm) and has applications in cladding and ductwork. The second type is more commonly produced as plate (15mm up to 50mm). Applications of weather-resisting steel vary widely but recently there has been a trend towards an appreciation of the finish in more elegant surroundings. The Royal Court Theatre is a good example of the gentrification process slowly happening to what has been regarded as one of the more muscular industrial products. Another application is in high-temperature environments. Normal steel grades - that is, carbon or carbon, manganese steels - form an oxide layer in the absence of moisture at around -IOOC. Weather-resisting grades of steel typically exhibit an improvement in the region 50C. In practice, this means that where surface loss due to oxidation in normal steels might be 1 mm per year, the temperature to achieve the same loss in weather-resisting grades would be that much higher. Load bearing capacity can be maintained up to temperatures of about 450C. Improved abrasion resistance (as in the coal wagons) is another feature. 7.1.3 Welding If its less than 10mm thick and the weld is a single pass (a fillet) you can weld it with mild steel. If its MIG ER70s-6 / SG2 / G3Si1. You will get enough dilution from the plate to weatherise the weld. If its over 10mm or if its multi-pass you need either a similar composition (nominally 1%Ni 0.5%Cu) usually classified as ER80S-G or ER80S-W 98 By Woodworkerzjournal.com alternatively you can use a 2.5% Nickel steel ER80S-Ni2 Corten "A" is a weathering steel that has a higher than normal copper content, this forms a rust preventative oxide on the surface that prevents "weathering" you can get a specific wire for corten but the general concensus is to treat it like s355 type material. 7.1.4 Wetting-drying cycle Designing in weathering steel is primarily concerned with ensuring the wetting-drying cycle, which forms the protective oxide layer, is allowed to happen. As in previous technical articles, the importance of detailing out pockets, crevices, upward-facing channels and so on cannot be overemphasised. Where such a condition is unavoidable, say for structural reasons, then it is important to include drainage holes or to ensure sufficient ventilation. Anything that retains moisture should be discouraged, again preferably by design. Leaves, moss and the proximity of trees can all affect the performance of the material adversely. When viewed in conjunction with the intended environment, detailing can make the difference between success and failure of a weather-resisting steel structure. There are some environments where special care must be exercised. 1. First, atmospheres where there is a high concentration of industrial fumes. 2. Second, submerging, or burying in the ground. If this is unavoidable other methods of protection can be employed such as concrete encasement or cathodic protection. 3. Third, exposure to chloride ions, such as in a marine environment or close to a highway, where exposure to salt may pose a problem. Salt can affect the oxide layer because it is hygroscopic and will retain moisture. 99 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Another detailing problem is that of runoff from the steel. It will be impossible, especially while the oxide layer is forming, to prevent the run off from staining susceptible materials unless the detailing of channels and the position of such materials is considered carefully. 7.1.5 Organic coatings Non-porous materials are much better. Glass, stainless steel, glazed bricks and tiles, washable organic coatings and paints, aluminium (anodised or non-anodised), polycarbonates and neoprene remain unaffected or can be cleaned if necessary. The rules that apply regarding the electrochemical series of metals should be observed. If dissimilar metals are to be placed in proximity to weathering steel, then good detailing practice should ensure the elimination of traps for water and / or the separation of the metal, with an inert material. This will apply in some cases with fixing techniques. It is common to specify weathering steel nuts and bolts in conjunction with the main structure. It is also possible to use stainless steel or even galvanised steel fixings, providing the latter are isolated from the surface of the weathering steel. Welding poses no problem. Most manufacturers of welding materials provide consumables suitable for the fabrication of weather-resisting steel. 7.1.6 Restrictions The hygroscopic nature of salt adversely affects the 'patina' as it maintains a continuously damp environment on the metal surface. Consequently, as a general rule, unprotected weathering steel should not be used within 2km of the coastline The texture of weathering steel is influenced by the orientation of the structure and the degree of shelter it provides. Surfaces facing south and west, and those subject to frequent wet and dry cycles, develop a smoother fine-grained texture. Sheltered structures, and surfaces facing north and 100 By Woodworkerzjournal.com east (slower drying), tend to develop a coarse granular texture. Concrete, stone and unglazed brick may suffer from oxide staining when in contact with weathering steel. Connections to dissimilar materials, such as zinc or cadmium plated bolts, should be avoided. It is possible to paint weather-resistant steel. The requirements of such a paint system do not differ from those required for normal grades of steel. One significant advantage that occurs when doing this (as is common in containerised storage) is that damage to the paint does not result in undercreep corrosion to the surrounding painted area. Weathering steels are high strength, low alloy, weldable structural steels that possess good weather resistance in many atmospheric conditions without the need for protective coatings. They contain up to 2.5% alloying elements, e.g. chromium, copper and nickel. On exposure to air, a protective rust patina forms that adheres to the surface of the steel. This layer causes the rate of corrosion to slow so that after 2-5 years, corrosion almost ceases. Requirement for the formation of the protective corrosion product layer is regular wetting and curing of the surface. Long wet periods may prevent the formation of the protective layer. Wet environments, immersed or buried conditions are unsuitable for weathering steels. 101 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 7.2 Cor-Ten Steel and Shipping Containers The primary construction material for Type 1A GP or General Purpose and Type 1A HC or High Cube Containers, the two container types most commonly used in Container based Construction is of course Cor-Ten Steel also sometimes called “Weathering Steel” Quite bluntly this often quoted statement that Containers don’t suffer from corrosion issues because they are manufactured using Cor-Ten Steel simply isn’t true. The truth is that Cor-Ten Steel is a high strength, low alloy structural Steel using copper, chromium, silicon and phosphorus as alloys - and this alloy under the right conditions displays a much greater level of resistance to corrosion when compared with unalloyed steels. 7.3 Technical Notes The comparison of Cor-Ten to the ASTM grades can loosely be stated as CorTen A is equivalent to ASTM A242 and Cor-Ten B is equivalent to ASTM A588 Grade A. Type 1A ISO Shipping Containers are typically constructed from Cor-Ten B Steel Cor-Ten A and B both meet or exceed the requirements of ASTM A606 Type 4. Of course as with any real world discussion the keywords in this statement are highlighted as under the right conditions. 102 By Woodworkerzjournal.com This building was constructed from 3 x 40’ GP Type 1A Containers and 1 x 20’ GP in Southern Thailand in 2007. After just five years the structure is already displaying major corrosion damage resulting from incorrect preconstruction preparation of the Containers and inadequate ongoing preventative maintenance in a high salt laden coastal environment. It’s not widely understood that Cor-Ten Steel is actually very sensitive to salt-laden air environments – See notes below. Secondly using Cor-Ten Steel in construction presents a number of challenges. Cor- Ten is not rustproof in itself and if water is allowed to accumulate in pockets as has occurred in many places here those areas will experience high corrosion rates on par with regular ASTM grade steel. Great care must be taken for provision for drainage in the building design when using Cor-Ten Steel. 103 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Photographs showing typical detail damage to Structure after 5 Years. Bottom Side Rail – 1.6mm wall sheet steel is fully penetrated in many places. Bottom Side Rail 104 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Shipping Container Home Foundations must be designed correctly. In the authors opinion Containers should not be simply placed on a slab on grade foundation such as shown here. Looking up under Bottom Right Front ISO Corner Fitting of 2nd Story Container 105 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Now I think it’s reasonable to say that Thailand in general doesn’t have a reputation for high quality building practices or preventative maintenance process and additionally this building is located in an exposed coastal area on the Island of Phuket. So it is accepted that this is an extreme case, but that tends to be the nature of case studies - both good and bad – they tend to highlight the margins rather than the average. The real purpose of including these images here is graphically demonstrate the Issue of Shipping Container Homes and Corrosion ( Rust ) is very real and it deserves far more serious consideration that the subject gets today. Just how vulnerable Type 1A Containers can be to corrosion issues is perhaps best put in perspective by revealing that the standards governing container manufacture state that a manufacturer must guarantee that a container will remain corrosion free for a period of 3 years - although I have seen some 5 year guarantees from some manufacturers. Corrosion in this context is defined as rusting which exceeds a particular European Scale of degree of Rusting on at least ten percent of the total container surface, excluding that resulting from impact or abrasion damage. 106 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Now don’t get me wrong that is an impressive feat given the extreme environment under which most containers operate under but a 3 to 5 year corrosion guarantee – excluding areas affected by physical damage is a LOT less than most people would expect from a product with the corrosion proof reputation of Shipping Containers. Cor-Ten steel’s corrosion resistance comes from its chemical composition that actually promotes the early formation of a protective oxide layer ( in laymans terms that really just means rust layer ) once its been formed this oxide layer protects the underlying material from further corrosion by controlling the rate at which oxygen in the atmosphere can react with the surface of the metal. When compared with Cor-Ten Steel non-weather-resisting steels have a relatively porous oxide layer which will in turn hold moisture which will of course then promote further corrosion. In the case of ordinary steel after a certain amount time this rust layer will delaminate from the surface of the metal, exposing the material underneath in turn causing even more damage. However the rust layer on Cor-Ten steel is not as porous because it adheres more firmly to the base metal. The rate of corrosion initially progresses at about the same rate as ordinary steel, but it soon begins to level out and under the right conditions it stabilizes and becomes virtually maintenance free. Considered aesthetically pleasing by some people this finish has become quite popular with many high profile architects over the last 20 years and has been specified and used in a wide variety of construction applications including building facades, architectural sculptures and even bridges CorTen steel was developed in the 1930’s by US Steel - primarily for use in railway coal wagons and the same attributes that gained it favor in this original application was what saw Cor-Ten later adopted for use in ISO shipping containers. Cor-Ten steel was developed in the 1930’s by US Steel - primarily for use in railway coal wagons and the same attributes that gained it favor in this original application was what saw Cor-Ten later adopted for use in ISO shipping containers. 107 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Now this corrosion resistance is of course a tremendous asset and a benefit that we can take advantage of - however there are several requirements that must be adhered to in order to ensure the material performs as intended and the greatest threat to its corrosion resistance performance is what is referred to as the wetting and drying cycle. The wetting and drying cycle is basically the simple concept that the surface of the steel when it gets wet must be allowed to dry out. Ideally, to weather in the expected fashion, corrosion resistant steel needs to under go both wetting and drying cycles. This is because moisture activates the corrosion process but, with the drying, the oxide layer it creates obtains its nonporous state. The more rapid the wet-dry cycle, the more even the oxide layer that is created in the process. Continuous dryness is perhaps quite obviously not a problem whereas continuous wetness can be a really big problem for corten steel. 7.4 Design considerations and Cor-Ten steel Designing in Cor-Ten steel with a view to maximizing its corrosion resistant properties is primarily concerned with ensuring anything that retains moisture is discouraged - and - in an interesting counter intuitive twist this includes salt. The very nature of salt adversely affects the 'patina' as it is called as it maintains a continuously damp environment on the metal surface and as a general rule of thumb unprotected weathering steel should not be used within 1 - 2km of the coastline. This is counterintuitive of course because as “Shipping Containers” ISBU’s are virtually permanently exposed to these conditions and hence the very real world issue of containers being affected by corrosion and the earlier mentioned 3 – 5 years guarantee requirement. In these challenging environments additional protection is gained by the application of protective paint coatings applied to the containers. 108 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The requirements of painting Cor-Ten Steel doesn’t really differ from that of normal grades of steel. One significant advantage that occurs from painting Cor-Ten steel however is that damage to the paint does not typically result in what we call under-creep corrosion to the surrounding painted area. So lets take a moment to summarize our new understanding of Cor-Ten Steel and explore what it all means for those interested in ISBU based construction. 1. Corten steel is corrosion resistant when compared to unalloyed steels. 2. Corrosion is a big issue with Shipping Containers, its a major consideration that is built into every detail of the design of Shipping containers themselves by factory engineers. 3. You must carefully inspect second hand containers for corrosion issues prior to purchase and the most likely places to have corrosion issues are the places that people tend not to look - specifically underneath the floor subassembly where the container has been in regular contact with moisture from the ground. Just remember corrosion is not the only pre-purchase inspection requirement and there is more on what to look for which are mentioned in detail in this book. 109 By Woodworkerzjournal.com This is (above) a photograph of a 40’ Type 1A GP Container that had been partially refurbished for sale. A first glance it looks to be in fair condition but just as with buying a second hand car you must look under the “bonnet”. Same Container (below) with a section of the floor removed – As you can see a Container that superficially looks to be in fair condition can hide major issues. 110 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 4. When using containers in a non intended purpose such as ISBU based construction you must take care to avoid creating crevices and water or dirt traps by virtue of your design or any modifications you make. This is particularly relevant where we join two containers together and create a possible water or dirt trap at the location of the join anywhere that can collect fallen leaves or even the growth of moss can also adversely affect Cor-Ten steels corrosion resistance performance. 5. When working with containers connections to dissimilar materials, such as when using zinc or cadmium plated bolts should be avoided whenever possible – all fasteners where practical should also be made of weathering steel or stainless steel. It is possible to use galvanized or plated steel fixings providing they are isolated from the surface of the weathering steel. 6. When welding specific low alloy welding rods should be used. 7. All wet environments, immersed or buried conditions are unsuitable for weathering steels. 111 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 8 DELIVERY OF CONTAINERS Containers are by their very nature, mobile, but designed mainly for sea travel. Yet, thanks to the increasing number of transport companies, units are now available just about anywhere in North America. Many of these companies offer delivery with a roll-bed truck similar to the type that picks up full size construction dumpsters. Delivery is offered with or without dropping the container to the ground, and is based on a per mile fee. Drop delivery operations require fair road access (gravel or dirt is ok), and a 75' cleared area. For the container purchaser who only requires the unit delivered to a firm surface, at the end of a easily accessible road (for a delivery truck), the process will be easy. On the other hand, if your destination is more off-thebeaten-track, logistical problems can arise. The seller will ask about this when you buy your units. Most companies will drop the unit as close as possible to the area you want, and let you wrangle it from there. The seller will discuss logistics with you before actual delivery. Take care not be overcharged for delivery, or jump at a great deal on a container, and be hit with a high delivery fee. Expect to pay a dollar +/- per mile for delivery. If you find a superior deal on delivery fees, it is possible to purchase a container from one source, and have another trucking company pick it up. 112 By Woodworkerzjournal.com You can also tow a 20 ft container yourself with a 3/4 ton pickup truck and a flat bed trailer of adequate size. Attempting to move a 40ft container via small trailer yourself is not advised. Delivery drivers are often flexible, and may go off-road to drop your unit in the spot you desire. Of course there are limits to this. Expecting a semi truck to cross muddy fields or navigate your atv trails is wishful thinking. Many companies use specialized delivery trucks for 20' containers. These are called side-loaders and drop the container on the passenger side of the truck with miniature crane arms. These vehicles are usually able to reach a more back-woods locations than a semi towing a flat bed trailer. In general, a 20' unit will get into more spots than the 40', but dealing with the driver, and perhaps coaxing him, is always a possibility when taking delivery. Drivers do the best they can to get the container as close as possible to the location you want. If no arrangements for a special delivery truck have been made, you will need to hire a crane capable of lifting the container off the flat bed trailer and onto your foundation, and have it waiting on site at delivery. The expense of hiring heavy equipment will be worthwhile, and still bring your structure together for a low cost. 113 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Renting a crane is not as big a deal as you may think. Most local equipment rental yards have a truck mounted crane available for about $150 per day. These are usually the Terex telescopic boom crane type trucks, and can be operated by a normal person much like renting a U-Haul truck. The compact truck mounted crane or 'boom truck' is the preferred method of unloading a stacking containers for small scale building projects. A medium sized excavator is usually capable of lifting 20,000 lbs 30 ft high, and can also be used for container movement if a crane is not available. You can look in the phone book under 'excavating / back hoe' services for excavator rental. Chains, hooks, cables, and lifting straps are connected to the excavators shovel for lifting. The excavator can be used for 2 level container stacking, or for creation of underground container based bomb shelters, but a crane is required for most other container building projects. 8.1 Inquiring about crane or excavator rental: Basic information you should convey when inquiring about crane or excavator rental: For 20 foot single level buildings: lifting of 5000 lbs approximately 12 ft to ground (4 ft truck trailer height plus container) will be required. For 20 foot 2 level buildings: lifting of 5000 lbs approximately 12 ft to ground from trailer will be required. Then the container must be lifted another 8 ft (20 ft total) to set it in place as the 2nd level. For 40 foot single level buildings: lifting of 8000 lbs approximately 12 ft to ground (4 ft truck trailer height plus container) will be required. 114 By Woodworkerzjournal.com For 40 foot 2 level buildings: lifting of 8000 lbs approximately 12 ft to ground from trailer will be required. Then the container must be lifted another 8 ft (20 ft total) to set it in place as the 2nd level. Typical Telescopic Boom Truck Mounted Crane Specs: Terex Stinger Model Maximum Lift Capacity Maximum Boom Length 2000 20,000 lbs 57 ft 2400 24,000 lbs 63 ft 3000 30,000 lbs 63 ft ISO corner fittings are designed to accept standard lifting hooks. Often times, a crane will come stocked with an assortment of hooks, and basic lifting equipment, but you may need to purchase some additional hardware yourself. You can inquire about this when you contact your local equipment rental yard. If you need to purchase lifting hardware, Northern Tool (www.northerntool.com) is a good source for hooks, straps, and general devices. They sell via mail order and offer a giant free catalog by request (I always keep a copy of the latest edition on my toilet tank for daily study). 115 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Tip: Lay pieces of scrap 2x8 lumber down on top of concrete footings to absorb any sudden impact they may encounter during placement of the container via heavy equipment. Use a auto jack to raise your container and remove these later. It is possible to tow containers short distances yourself in no-truck-access areas. Two words you should remember when planning to move a container without heavy equipment are physics and leverage. If you must move the container yourself, this task may prove the most difficult part of the project. With that said, the use of common everyday tools will be of great assistance. Techniques and tools to assist a self mover include: winches, block and tackle set-ups, cables, hand-cranes, come-a-longs, pickup trucks, large diameter steel pipes or logs (to tow containers over), large casters, homebuilt buggies (inserted through high-low holes), jack stands, hydraulic ram lifters, tractor jacks, old axles with tires, etc. Many of these items are available locally. The simplest and most straightforward technique is to tow the container with a full sized pickup truck. This works best on fairly level terrain, and a half dozen or more 6-8" diameter steel pipes or uniformly round logs. Enlist the help of one or two assistants to replace pipes or logs as the container moves forward. Use a thick slab of plywood or 1/4" steel as a base to rest a floor jack on and lift the leading edge of the container a few inches each time a pipe or log is replaced. Take care not to attempt this is very muddy or loose soils, as the pipes or logs may sink into the ground and lose their ability to provide forward motion. Self movers can also build a container-buggy from steel stock that will insert through the forklift slots located on the bottom edges (of newer containers). This will require some engineering and assembly, but if you plan to relocate your container often, the buggy is a valuable tool to have available. You can purchase 12" casters and bolt, or weld them to the structural beams. Make sure to leave at least one side of the buggy assembly fastened with only bolts (so it can be removed from the high-low slots) if welding. There are companies that manufacture container-buggies for the military, 116 By Woodworkerzjournal.com but these are expensive and designed for rolling units around on airstrip tarmac surfaces. The homemade buggy will function better on unpaved surfaces, towed with a full sized pickup truck or tractor. 117 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 9 EXECUTION - THE BUILD Building a house is no small feet. Even a small one. There are thousands of materials, pieces, and tasks involved. Unless you are a builder or experienced it's intimidating. But, what containers as perfect modules allow you to do, is simplify the entire process. Think of a typical 1,000 square foot house. Try and work through in your head the total length of timber for the framing, square footage of sheathing, number of floor joists required, and ceiling rafters. Can't do it. Not too many can. Now think about that 1,000 square foot house made out of shipping containers. It's 3 Forty foot containers. By reducing the house into 3 base component pieces (modules), it's much easier to understand, design, and build. 9.1 PERMITTING, BIDDING, & PRE-ORDER • Finish construction documents for your shipping container home and submit to building authority for permitting. • Submit construction documents to factory for pricing and engineering of container modules. 118 By Woodworkerzjournal.com • Clarifications to building authority and factory as required . • Get required permits from building authority. • Submittal of construction documents to general and sub contractors. • Execute purchase order of container modules from factory. 9.2 9.2.1 THE BUILD Site Work Begin grading work including any required excavation for foundation, utilities, storm water management, and septic. Bring required utilities to site. Install septic system and any storm water management system if required. 9.2.2 Foundation The foundation shown below is a typical slab on grade application for a 1000sf (three 40' containers) shipping container home design. There is a 24' x 40' perimeter foundation wall made from precast concrete panels, but could easily be cmu block or poured concrete. The perimeter was excavated 119 By Woodworkerzjournal.com and trench filled with gravel (for drainage). The precast panels were dropped in via a crane and tied together. The panels included insulation and exterior water proofing membranes added at the factory. Utilities (water, electircal, and gas supply lines) are run to the base of the foundation and then to there respective locations in plan. Foundation walls were then backfilled, soil compacted, gravel added, rebar laid out, and then slab poured. For detailed information about foundations, check Chapter 10, (and Chapter 3 and Chapter 5). 120 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 10 FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATIONS Before we start, let's remember what we have pointed out previously: "Concrete footings and slab foundations should be planned and installed prior to taking delivery of your containers. Builders need to consider what type of trailer their containers will arrive on, roll-bed or standard. Also, will a crane rental be on-site at the same time (for transfer of containers onto the foundation)? Will you need to rent the crane two separate times? How long will it take for your concrete foundation to cure (when can it support the containers)? Make sure to coordinate all the details of: 4) Foundation construction. 5) Delivery date, and delivery vehicle, 6) Crane rental. All three aspects must work in concert for a smooth transition of your containers from delivery truck to permanent concrete foundation." Although not an absolute requirement, the design of your container structure will be improved with a solid foundation for it to rest upon. Some type of foundation will also reduce the corrosive effects of moisture over time. Slabs, concrete footings, and simple wood beam footings are depicted in my illustrations throughout this book. There are a few other types of foundations (seen at the end of this chapter) that you can also use. You should choose one of these based on: 1) your budget, 2) your needs, and 3) the design of your building. The designs presented in this book tend to favor concrete footings placed at a ratio of one per ISO corner. This way, all of the load bearing aspects of each containers ISO corners are transferred directly to the footing and into the ground. Besides being low cost, one of the (other) reasons concrete footings are favored by me, is that installing them is something the lone container builder can do in their spare time, perhaps one per weekend, in preparation for a future container delivery date. I also like the fact that, like the steel container that will be placed upon it, concrete footings are super tough, and will most likely survive for the better part of a century. I will 121 By Woodworkerzjournal.com cover detailed installation aspects of concrete footings later in this chapter, but first let's look at some of the other basic foundation materials you can use. 10.1 Wood Footings Wood footings are your next upgrade from no footings at all. They are cheap and easy to install. Pressure treated footings, or 'skids', can be placed under a container after mild site preparation. Just make sure to create a level area of grade before your container is delivered. Containers only require support at each of the four corners, but many builders often install extra wood footings placed two at mid-level for added stability. This is optional. If building on raw grade, level grade (as just mentioned), then install a 4-6" deep bed of gravel under planned wood based footings. This will assist in water drainage and discourage rotting of the beams. Material for use as wood beam footings is readily available at most local lumber yards in the form of: 1) double stacked pressure treated 2x6's, 2) double stacked pressure treated 2x8's, 3) pressure treated 4x4's, 4) pressure treated or oiled railroad ties and other beams 6" x 6" or larger. 122 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Wood footings can also be hand cut from raw timber using a chainsaw or portable milling device. This may be a cost effective route to take for those of you with available timber. A simple slab of log one foot by one foot, after assuring proper squareness, will serve as a strong footing under each ISO container corner. Treating the top and bottom of each log segment with hot tar or other such preservative is recommended. 10.2 Concrete Slabs A poured concrete slab is the largest container foundation you can utilize. A slab is also an integral aspect of the 'Super Carport' design featured in this book. Since slab construction requires a large amount of ready mix delivered to your site, hiring a concrete crew to pour it is best. While it is possible to have all aspects, from site preparation, to form construction, rebar placement, pouring and finishing, handled by a cement contractor, keep in mind that container slabs require a slightly different design than standard slabs, thus, building your own form (the mold) is probably best. This way, you can simply pay the cement contractor to fill the form via a cement truck pouring, and finish the slab using a professional crew. Regular building slabs are thicker around their outside perimeters where the slab will carry the weight of the structure. Slabs for container buildings use these 'thicker sections', but they are located under the containers ISO corners as opposed to all around the perimeter. To create these deeper or thicker sections of slab, the builder simply digs deeper into the ground when preparing the site and creating the form. The deeper sections of the form will allow more concrete to flow into the space creating a thicker segment of slab. Locating these thicker sections under the corner of each container is key. The remainder of your slab can be of regular thickness (4-6 in thick). In most cases, a container slab will require 20% less concrete then a standard slab due to this absence of a load bearing section on the full perimeter of the slab. 10.2.1 Container Slab Construction Process 1. Slab is decided upon, a plan is sketched on paper, and all aspects of construction are worked out. 2. Site is prepared by a) digging out grade to accommodate the form, b) 123 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. compacting soil, and c) laying a 4 in. bed of gravel. 2x6 lumber is installed around the edges of the form to contain poured concrete, and create a slab 4-6 inches thick. Load bearing sections 1 ft long x 1 ft wide x 1 ft deep (under each container corner) are created within the form. Reinforcement materials including #4 rebar, #10 welded wire mesh, and wire ties are installed resting on 2-3" tall bricks or stakes to create a 'floating' reinforcement system within the form (this will provide added strength when the concrete dries). J-hooks, post anchors, and other (optional) hardware is installed within the form. Everything is double checked before concrete is poured and smoothed. 10.2.2 Pre-construction considerations Pre-construction considerations for slabs include: Placement of post anchors for decks and balconies, j-bolt anchors for securing container to slab, PVC and conduit placement for utilities (if any), preparation of soil and site for proper drainage and possible freezing of ground in cold climates. 10.2.3 Estimating concrete for slabs: A single 80 lb bag of dry concrete yields a mere 2/3 of a cubic foot of finished concrete. For this reason, and as mentioned earlier, it is best to call in a pre-mixed concrete truck to pour your slab. You can estimate the total cubic yards of concrete you will need to order by measuring the inside dimensions of your form in feet using the following formula: Length in ft x Width in ft x Height in ft, divided by 27 = Total Cubic Yards 124 By Woodworkerzjournal.com If building the 'Super Carport' design featured in this book, a 'concrete saving slab' can be used (see diagram on previous page). This allows you to take advantage of the containers pre-existing floors, which do not require a slab under them, by installing a shorter slab that only spans from inside edge-to-inside edge. Then install four independent concrete footings (two on each container) to support the outside facing edges. 125 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 10.3 Concrete Footings Many of my designs are depicted in the illustrations with slabs, and the 'Super Carport' plan really does require a slab, but I actually prefer concrete footings on most designs. Why? Because their just plain cheaper to build. In the case of the 'Super Carport' plan, the slab provides a great surface for working on cars and other projects, but in most instances, all that cement under an enclosed container building is sort of a waste. Footings are a much more cost effective choice for most applications. You can purchase 80 lb bags of pre mixed dry concrete to make footings yourself. Fortunately bags of concrete only cost a couple dollars each, and a few trips to the builders store will provide you with your material. You might want to enlist the help of an assistant to carry concrete bags due to their excessive heft. Safety note: Take care not to overload vehicles with sacks of cement. This can damage your suspension, and also create an unsafe driving situation. Remember, it only takes six bags of concrete to equal 480 lbs, and that can be a considerable weight in some smaller vehicles. Local home improvement stores offer a variety of powdered instant concrete. Most are sold in the 80 lb bag size, and cost a few dollars each. The favored brand of instant concrete is usually Quikrete, but many other brands are available. Most of these products produce high strength concrete, reaching 3000-4000 psi of compressive strength when cured. They are made from a blend of portland cement, sand, and gravel or stone. To prepare these dry concrete mixes, you simply add the correct amount of clean water, and mix. 10.3.1 Footing Sizes The first step in footing construction is deciding the depth of the footings you will install. Footings can be prone to frost heave, and this phenomenon will be the primary factor in early footing foundation design. If you live in an area where the ground does not freeze, you can skip over this step. Frost heave occurs only in cold areas where the ground freezes. This results in a slight movement of the soil that can push up on the footing and structure resting upon it. 126 By Woodworkerzjournal.com When footing movement of more than one inch occurs on a container building, a noticeable tilt in leveling can be produced. This could result in flaws to the entire structure later on, and is best combated early in the design process. The only way to fully avoid this problem is to install footings six inches below the frost line. The frost line is the maximum depth where the ground will freeze in the winter. In super cold North Dakota for example, 50 inch deep footings might be required, while in balmy Florida, extended footings underground might not be needed at all. The next step is to decide how big your footings will be. A very large size 2'x2'x2' footing would require about six 80 lb bags of concrete to fill the form, but you can usually get away with building footings much smaller than this. A good general size, that will support one and two level container buildings via ISO corner fittings, is 10" deep, x 20" wide, by x 20" wide. This will result in a 2.3 cu. ft. footing that will require 3.8 bags of concrete mix. Of course, you may need to extend the 10 inch depth of the footing to prevent frost heave as previously discussed. The rule of thumb for square footing size, and (round footing) diameter is one half-inch per foot of span. Thus a container that spans 20 feet will stand comfortably on 10-inch-diameter piers, or 10 in. x 10 in. square footings, while a container that spans 40 feet will require 20-inch-diameter piers, or 20 in. x 20 in. square footings. 127 By Woodworkerzjournal.com FOOTING SIZE AND STYLE CUBIC YARDS CUBIC FEET NUMBER OF 80 LBS BAGS 8" x 16" x 16" SQUARE FOOTING .044 1.2 2 BAGS PER FOOTING 10" X 20" X 20" SQUARE FOOTING .086 2.3 3.8 BAGS PER FOOTING 12" X 24" X 24" SQUARE FOOTING .15 4 6.75 BAGS PER FOOTING For other sizes of footings, you can quickly figure the amount of concrete needed by multiplying: For square footings... (measure in inches) Length x Width x Depth, divided by 1728 = cu. ft For round footings... (measure in inches) Radius x Radius x Height, divided by 1728 = cu .ft. Each 80 lb bag of ready mixed concrete yields: .66 cubic feet, or .022 cubic yards, of finished product. 128 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 10.3.2 Site Preparation: First clear the building site of any rocks, foliage, and stumps, and level any obvious high spots. Then mark out the building’s location with spray paint applied to the ground. Insert stakes at each corner, mapping out an area that’s the exact size of the proposed container buildings foundation perimeter, then tie string on the stakes to mark out the site. To insure that this large area is square, you can rely on the fact that triangles with sides of 3 units by 4 units by 5 units are right triangles. The corner opposite the "five side" contains the right angle. You can use this simple trick to check squareness of your foundation layout, it's called the 34-5 method. Stretch strings along what will be the path of the sides. Tie the strings to batter boards. Mark one string 3 feet from the corner. Mark the other string 4 feet from the corner. Have a helper stand at the far end of either one of the strings and slide it along the batter board until the diagonal distance between the 3- and 4-foot marks equals 5 feet. At this point, the corners are square. Next, find the highest corner of the site and excavate for construction of the first footing. Plan on having 6 to 8 in. of the footing exposed above grade. Dig out an area several inches wider than the footing, and several inches deeper than the depth required. Compact loose soil in the bottom of the footing pit by tamping firmly with the end of a post or board. Add a 2-3" bed of gravel covering the floor of the footing pit. Next, begin to construct a wooden form that will create the footing when filled with concrete. You can use 1/4" plywood or OSB, secured at the corners with old 2x2's, 2x4's, or 129 By Woodworkerzjournal.com whatever you have on hand. Consider assembling the form with screws to aid in removal when the concrete sets-up (you will need to re-use this lumber - unless you build several forms). Proper alignment of all footings is key. The first footing 'sets the pace' so to speak. The remaining footings are installed based on this first one, so it must be correctly installed. After the first footing dries for 48 hours, and the form has been removed, use a laser level to plot out the placement of the remaining footings (diagram on next page), and insure future footings adhere to the squareness of the first footing. Laser levels take the place of a chalk line and regular levels by emitting a red laser beam (from one end) that projects levelness up to 100 ft away. These laser levels cost cheap and are readily available at your local builders store. 130 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 131 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 10.3.3 Pouring Concrete Footings Appropriate mixing containers are the key to consistency when preparing concrete from a bag. Use a wheelbarrow, or a large shallow plastic tub to mix your concrete in. An ideal setup would be three or four wheelbarrows that could be filled, mixed and then poured into the footing form in an assembly line fashion with the help of a few friends. Use a hose to gradually add water to your concrete, mixing it together in the wheelbarrow with a piece of scrap 2x2. The water hose is also used frequently to blast wheelbarrows, and other mixing vessels clean, preparing them for another load. Concrete should reach it's proper consistency during mixing; to much water will result in brittle concrete that cracks, while not enough water will produce dry spots that will remain powder. Make sure to read the products mixing instructions thoroughly. I would advise you to visit your local equipment rental facility and rent a portable cement mixer if you plan to do several footings in the same day (it will make the job much easier). Finally, make sure you have shovels, trowels, floats, sponges, and extra mix on hand before starting a concrete job. Note: allow concrete to cure before installing containers - keep in mind it may take several weeks to fully cure. 10.3.4 Reinforcing Footings with Rebar All footings that are poured with concrete can be reinforced with rebar. Adding # 4 rebar (steel rod) to a concrete footing will increase the strength of the footing, and the footing will be less likely to crack or splinter. For each footing, cut two #4 rerods that are 8 inches longer than the depth of the footing hole. Insert the cut rerods vertically into the footing form (the rerods should be a few inches apart from each other). Push the rerods into the hole until the end of the rerod is below the top of the footing. 10.3.5 Concrete Footings Summary Pre-made fiber tubes can be used for pouring concrete footings, or you can build square forms from wood. A footing can be kept flat to set the containers ISO corner on, or a j-bolt can be set into the cement for anchoring. Steel containers weight 5000+ lbs, and are not likely to move easily, so anchoring it to the slab or footings is optional. Installing a 3" bed 132 By Woodworkerzjournal.com of sand, a 3" bed of fine gravel, and a vapor barrier under all concrete is advised. Wire mesh or rebar should be added to all concrete container building applications for increased reinforcement. 10.4 Other Footings Other options for footings include jack stands for use on a concrete pad or in a parking lot, or the installation of weld-on style jacks. These offer the advantage of being adjustable via a built-in worm gear and attachable hand crank. I looked at some trailer parts supply websites, and found that these are most commonly available in a price range of $50-$120 new in the box (per jack). Lifting capacity ranges from 7000 lbs to 10,000 per jack, and lifting range is from 22" to 54" depending on model. These are designed with a smooth surface on one side for welding to your trailer, or in our case, container, and will require a few steel fittings or plates be made to create a flush surface between the corner fitting and side rail. The Army and Marine ISO Shelters feature these type of built-in jacks for adaptation to a variety of terrain conditions. These might be a good choice if you are setting up on extremely soft ground and do not want to install permanent footings. You can simply give the corners a few cranks when the inevitable settling occurs. 133 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 11 CONTAINER MODIFICATIONS Shipping containers have monocoque bodies. The corrugation panels (roof, sides, and back), floor, purlins, front doors, frame, and rails form an integrated structural skin. They are strong and made to carry floor loads far in excess of what is required for typical home construction. But, when you modify them, cutting holes or penetrating members, they are weakened. In the following sections you wil find detailed explanations. As we said above, when cutting a shipping container or removing any of the paneling, it's structural integrity is compromised. 11.1 An Extreme Example: As an extreme example, consider the removal of all a container's corrugated paneling along the length of one side (see the images below). Without reinforcement, the container deforms and then fails structurally. As a general rule, whenever you remove portions of the panelized 134 By Woodworkerzjournal.com corrugation, steel framing will be required to frame out the opening. In addition, column and roof support will be necessary depending on the size of the opening(s) and roof/wind loads. Steel cutting, framing, and welding is a large part of shipping container home design and construction. Typically, steel construction is not used much in single family or smaller home design because of expense. Cost of steel vs. wood/light guage framing is substantial and the labor cost for steel vs. carpentry is also higher. To combat this, it is best to have as much of the welding and reinforcing done off-site before setting the containers on site and starting the interior fit-out. Most (if not all) container re-sellers have the facilities to make these modifications. If you don't have experience in metal work, or are not hiring a general contractor, you should plan on doing most of the container modification work off-site prior to delivery. 135 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Most Containers are made of CorTen Steel as discussed in Chapter 7. You should understand the qualities of this particular type of steel before considering the paint application for your finished product. CorTen develops a natural rust patina to build a protective layer against erosion... most paint products will not stop this process. Set and Secure Containers to Foundation and Each Other 136 By Woodworkerzjournal.com When the shipping containers arrive on site, they are crane-lifted one by one onto the foundation, hooked into place, and welded down to marry them completely to the foundation. These heavy-gauge steel containers are so strong—each is designed to carry 57,000 pounds—that they need only be fastened at the corners to hold fast, much as they would be on a ship. In the example above, the shipping container bottom corner blocks are welded to steel plates imbedded in the concrete slab to secure the house to the foundation. All corner blocks are welded to each other to secure the containers to themselves in the image below. 137 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12 FINISHING ASPECTS OF CONTAINER BUILDINGS The finishing aspects of your container building can be anything from installing pre-hung doors, to building a bathroom inside. You can build walls inside to create rooms, run wiring or plumbing, even install a hot-tub. Many container builders like to install work benches, shelves, and fixtures for utility use. This is a very broad portion of the building process, which can be interpreted in many different ways. Most of you will have your own unique plan of 'fitting out' your building for your specific use. Due to this fact, I have included a grab-bag of ideas in this chapter that you can use as you see fit. Some of these ideas may not be useful for your plan at all, but at least you will be able to get an idea of some ways you can fasten interior framing studs, hang doors, and windows, and even build a deck outside. Install windows, exterior doors, flashing, and any sky lights. Windows are set into openings that were measured and cut prior to delivery of the shipping containers or roughed out on site. All openings for windows and doors should be framed with a steel section. Hollow rectangle sections work the best, but an L section will work as well. Images below show openings for sliding door systems in the end and sidewall panels of a container. The details will be discussed in the following pages. 138 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Install interior framing, insulation, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, and rough out all fixtures. Supertherm insulative coating, is sprayed on both sides of the remaining container walls. Supertherm is a high-performance, four-part ceramic coating that carries an R value of R-19 and adheres to the steel surface of the shipping containers. A 1⁄2- inch plywood floor over the existing 3⁄4- inch plywood sub-floor is installed. Metal hat channels for wiring are run along the walls and vertical support beams are secured. Metal studs and drywall are used for interior partition walls. Once insulated, the existing container walls are faced in drywall for finishing. The details will be discussed in the following pages. 139 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.1 Framing Interior Framing container interiors is an easy task. One way to do it, is to use the affordable and easy to work with 2x2. Since the container already possesses all of its load-bearing qualities built-in, strength of the framing material is not an issue. This interior framework merely serves to hold insulation, paneling, windows and doors. I recommend that you avoid fastening studs or other interior framing material to the corrugated metal of the container with drilled holes, bolts, or other fasteners. This is not necessary. Using bolt-through fasteners will fill your containers walls with holes. I devised a method that calls for precise cut studs to fit snugly in place (they should require a light tapping into place with a hammer). Then run a bead of Liquid Nails style construction adhesive on each stud. Liquid Nails is effective on steel and wood. This method will produce more than satisfactory results, while saving time, effort, and money. Studs should be placed every 2ft-4ft to allow for easy attachment of standard 4x8 drywall or other interior paneling material. Thin layers of fiberglass insulation placed under the paneling will help retain heat in the winter time, and should be considered. A 2x2 frame is adequate to support and mount a standard vinyl pre-made window. For windows and pre-hung doors requiring a wider mounting surface, you should build-up the frame using 2x4's or 2x6's inside the openings. 140 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.2 Stairways If you are building a 2-story structure, and are considering a ladder or stairway (inside) leading to the upper level, the cross-member floor of the top container may present a problem. Cutting a pathway through any load bearing steel (on the 2nd floor) should be ok if you do not plan on placing heavy equipment or machinery up there. You can probably get away with removing a section of the cross members to install stairs if a bedroom or office is planned, but I would not advise setting up a 2000 lb lathe on a container (second) floor modified in this fashion. 12.3 Exterior Decks and Balconies Decks and balconies, made from pressure treated lumber, are a natural addition to container buildings. Most hardware and home improvement stores stock a wide range of stamped steel fittings suitable for all sorts of decking applications. Specialized achors, or wood beam ledgers can easily be attached to your container (with heavy duty self expanding bolts) creating a strong point of attachment for decking. The materials required to complete your pressure treated deck or balcony will vary depending on design. 141 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Exterior decks, terraces, and support beam aspects of your building can be built using standard readily available pressure treated decking lumber and connecting hardware. 4x4 beams and the corresponding anchoring hardware should be used for support of overhanging second story decks, and balconies. If using concrete footings, a separate footing is recommended under each 4x4 support beam. 142 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 143 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.4 Doors and Windows You can cut the 14 gauge (.075") corrugated steel side panel material using a reciprocating saw or angle grinder. Air powered shears are usually not able to cut sheet steel thicker than 16 gauge, but if you have a model that can (cut the 14 gauge side panels), this would probably be the fastest method. Carefully measure and mark door and window placement prior to making any cuts in the steel. Pre-hung doors can be purchased, and installed in your container using a simple 2x4 frame. Vinyl type windows are also readily available, and can be installed in a similar fashion. Metal storm windows may be substituted, and as in a regular home, these are installed from the outside using screws. An obvious problem you will encounter as a container builder; filling the gaps around door and window frames. These are a natural result of the peaks and valleys in the corrugated steel side panels. Steel roof flashing, installed on window and door trim, can often cover most of these small gaps. You can also use expanding foam. This product (expanding foam) has come a long way since the days of the stuff that blew up three times its original size and warped your door jams. Several companies now make minimal expanding foam that provides a water resistant paintable surface, and expands less offering greater control of application. 144 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.4.1 Door security tip: Standard foam filled pre-hung doors are not the most secure in the world, as they can be kicked-in fairly easily. To increase security when using these doors, install them so they open out, then weld or bolt hinged steel swingarms to the containers existing steel side walls material. These door securing rails can be pad locked down to prevent door from opening outwards. 12.4.2 Window security tip: Standard vinyl pre-hung windows are not the most secure in the world, as they can be broken-into fairly easily. To increase security when opting for extra windows, installation of steel security bars is recommended. 1/4 in up to 1/2 in steel bars can be bolted or welded to the existing steel side wall material to prevent break-in's. 145 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 146 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 147 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 148 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 149 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.5 Cost Saving Tips for Finishing Aspects of Container Buildings Up until the finishing aspects portion of your container project, you really didn't have too much control over the cost of the required material. While you probably did shop around for the lowest container price, other materials such as concrete for foundations, and lumber for roofs, are usually at a fixed price (when purchased new) wherever you go. Now that you are ready to add final aspects to your building, you should take extra precautions not to go hog wild at the home improvement super store. Small fittings and fixtures such as lights, wiring, outlets, plumbing, etc, can add up quickly amassing into a several thousand dollar tab. Before setting out on a plan to add these elements to your building, take a moment and think about possible sources for low cost or free materials. Used building material shops have begun to spring up, perhaps there is one near you that has materials you could use. Classified papers, hotel liquidation sales, neighbors, friends and family could also be queried for salvage items. Maybe your uncle Bill has a 100 ft roll of romex (copper electrical wire) he never used? Also check out Craig's List (www.craigslist.com), a community bulletin board that has a category for 150 By Woodworkerzjournal.com free stuff, much of which is building material folks want rid of (they're usually happy just to get rid of it). 12.5.1 Recycling (removed) Side Wall Steel Panels As discussed previously (Joining Containers), the steel side wall paneling can be salvaged if removing walls. It's best to have a plan for this material in mind before you join your containers so as to avoid haphazardly cutting away side walls in a non-uniform manner. When you trim out your side walls in neat squares, you can use the saved steel for a wide variety of applications that fall within the cost saving category. Recycled side wall material uses: - make a shower stall - make new interior walls - make porch coverings - cover small roofs - cover smaller outbuildings - build a dog house - storage tank for solar water heater - line drainage ditches - make gutters 12.6 Avoiding Condensation We can think of containers as land based sailboats, as hey possess a similar lengthy body and relatively short beam (width). One thing a container has in common with a sailboat, besides dimensional, is the need that measures be taken for reduction of condensation or moisture, inside the sailboats cabin, and inside the container. The shipping industry even has a term for container condensation....it's called 'container sweat'. Container sweat is less of a problem for us the container builder, because we will have doors, windows, and other sources of constant ventilation, but this problem should still be considered. 151 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 'Container Sweat' occurs when the outside temperature drops (at night time) and cools down warm air inside a sealed container. When the interior temperature of the sealed container falls below the dew point, condensation droplets form on the containers ceiling and walls. The worst sweat formations take place during sunny weather, if the (sealed) container is exposed to direct solar rays during the day, then is subject to outward radiation (cooling) at night. A gable roof can help prevent this heating via the suns rays, but the best defense against condensation or 'container sweat' is constant use of your building. If you are in and out, opening doors and windows, providing lots of ventilation, you probably won't experience much of a problem. Still, it's a good idea to take a lesson from the many seasoned boat and RV owners, and install a series of small closeable vents for those times when you can't be there to open windows yourself. These vents can be un-powered, or powered with small AC or DC motorized fans, and all should have a seal or louver that can be closed in cold weather. Check out RV and boat supply catalogs or websites for these type of vents. They make some great solar powered models that require no attention after installation, see diagram left. You can also use just about any other type of closeable vent, just make sure to follow the manufactures installation directions. Vents are best installed on the upper part of side walls, see diagram below. 152 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.7 Heaters and Insulation Before we start discussing this issue, let us remind that you can find detailed information about Passive vs. Active Heating and Cooling and passive solar design issues to consider while planning and designing your shipping container home, in Chapter 4. Most of the people in North America endure temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for a good part the year. If your container building will be used as a workshop, studio, or residence, and you live in a cold region, installation of a heater will make for a much more pleasant environment. You can use wall mounted LP heaters, cast iron wood stoves, and electric radiant heaters to warm your building. Container buildings can be insulated in a variety of ways. For containers that will have an interior framework of 2x2's, standard rolled fiberglass insulation can be used. For containers without a framework, foam panel insulation will have to be used. Application of insulation is critical regardless of which type you install. Insulation should be applied to: a) exterior underside between cross member support beams b) interior side walls c) interior ceilings. The exterior underside insulation should be installed on top of visqueen or other vapor barrier material to prevent moisture infiltration. All insulation should have a vapor barrier that faces toward the living area. For example, rolled fiberglass insulation is backed with a paper vapor barrier that must face in towards the living area when installed. 153 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Insulation Type R-Value per inch Materials Use Installation Comments Rolled Fiberglass 3.3 Glass fiber batts or blankets bundled in rolls Lumber framed container walls, ceilings, and between cross beam floor supports. Fit between wood frame studs, joints, and beams Common, easy to install, and effective. Rigid Panels 4.0 Molded polystyrene Extruded polystyrene Isocyanurate board Fiberglass board Non-lumber framed container walls, ceilings, and between cross beam floor supports Cut to fit and secure in place; should be covered with finishing material for fire safety High insulating value for relatively little thickness. Note: material can be flammable. 5.0 7.4 4.5 154 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.8 INSULATION - Building Envelope It would be hard to find a more critical decision than your choice of insulation. In addition to R-value, you also need to look at these materials’ relationship with the rest of the building envelope. Though the fundamentals of building heating and cooling are unchanging, new products and evolving best practices allow insulation to play an increasingly important role in whole-house system design. A comprehensive insulation strategy takes into consideration the products’ efficiency, cost, application techniques, and environmental impact. One also needs to factor in comfort and durability. Some of the products and practices being used to insulate today’s high-performance homes are outlined below. 12.8.1 Thermal Resistance Defined Thermal energy travels from hot to cold, so we lose heat from inside to outside in cold months and lose our cool in the summer as heat tries to move indoors. Insulation’s job is to slow down that transfer of heat. R-value is a measurement of a material’s ability to resist the transfer of energy; as we all know, the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation (a chart of typical R-values is available below). By doubling the thickness of an insulating material, we can double its R-value, cutting energy transfer in half; however, the law of diminishing returns means that the same resources applied over again yield half the net change. Looking at a complete wall assembly design and its energy analysis is the only way to find the right balance between construction cost, long-term energy savings, and overall environmental impact. 155 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.8.2 R-Value Table - Insulation Values For Selected Materials Use the R-value table below to help you determine the R-value of your wall or ceiling assemblies. To obtain a wall or ceiling assembly R-value you must add the r-values of the individual components together. Calculating Assembly Wall R-Value Formula: Assembly R-value = 1 / (Assembly U-value) = 1 / (U-studs x % + U-cavity x %) Example Component Assembly R-Value Studs R-Value Cavity Assembly R-Value Wall - Outside Air Film 0.17 0.17 Siding - Wood Bevel 0.80 0.80 Container Side Wall Steel Corrugation" 0.33 0.33 3 1/2" Fiberglass Batt 11.00 3 1/2" Stud 4.38 1/2" Drywall 0.45 0.45 Inside Air Film 0.68 0.68 Percent for 16" o.c. + Additional studs 15% 15% Total Wall Component R-Values 7.12 13.73 Wall Component U-Values 0.1404 0.0728 Total Wall Assembly R-Value 12.05 * This example is just for wood frame construction. Steel studs are a more complicated calculation. 156 By Woodworkerzjournal.com R-Value Table Material Insulation Materials Fiberglass Batt Fiberglass Blown (attic) Fiberglass Blown (wall) Rock Wool Batt Rock Wool Blown (attic) Rock Wool Blown (wall) Cellulose Blown (attic) Cellulose Blown (wall) Vermiculite Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Urea Terpolymer Foam Rigid Fiberglass (> 4lb/ft3) Expanded Polystyrene (beadboard) Extruded Polystyrene Polyurethane (foamed-in-place) Polyisocyanurate (foil-faced) Construction Materials Concrete Block 4" Concrete Block 8" Concrete Block 12" Brick 4" common Brick 4" face Poured Concrete Soft Wood Lumber 2" nominal (1 1/2") 2x4 (3 1/2") 2x6 (5 1/2") Cedar Logs and Lumber 157 R/ R/ Inch Thickness 3.14-4.30 2.20-4.30 3.70-4.30 3.14-4.00 3.10-4.00 3.10-4.00 3.13 3.70 2.13 1.05 4.48 4.00 4.00 5.00 6.25 7.20 0.08 1.25 1.33 0.80 1.11 1.28 0.80 0.44 1.88 4.38 6.88 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Material Sheathing Materials Plywood 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" Fiberboard 1/2" 25/32" Fiberglass (3/4") (1") (1 1/2") Extruded Polystyrene (3/4") (1") (1 1/2") Foil-faced Polyisocyanurate (3/4") (1") (1 1/2") Siding Materials Hardboard (1/2") Plywood (5/8") (3/4") Wood Bevel Lapped Aluminum, Steel, Vinyl (hollow backed) (w/ 1/2" Insulating board) Brick 4" Interior Finish Materials Gypsum Board (drywall 1/2") (5/8") Paneling (3/8") 158 R/ R/ Inch Thickness 1.25 2.64 0.31 0.47 0.63 0.77 0.94 1.32 2.06 3.00 4.00 6.00 3.75 5.00 7.50 5.40 7.20 10.80 0.34 0.77 0.93 0.80 0.61 1.80 0.44 0.45 0.56 0.47 By Woodworkerzjournal.com R/ R/ Inch Thickness 1.25 1.31 0.91 0.93 0.82 0.68 0.05 2.08 1.23 0.44 0.97 0.91 2.00 1.61 1.69 2.04 2.38 3.13 2.77 3.85 4.05 2.56 3.23 0.29 2.17 (1 3/4") Solid Core Flush (1 3/4") Solid Core Flush (2 1/4") Panel Door w/ 7/16" Panels 3.03 3.70 1.85 (1 3/4") Storm Door (wood 50% glass) (metal) Metal Insulating 1.25 1.00 15.00 Material Flooring Materials Plywood (3/4") Particle Board (underlayment) (5/8") Hardwood Flooring (3/4") Tile, Linoleum Carpet (fibrous pad) (rubber pad) Roofing Materials Asphalt Shingles Wood Shingles Windows Single Glass w/storm Double insulating glass (3/16") air space (1/4" air space) (1/2" air space) (3/4" air space) (1/2" w/ Low-E 0.20) (w/ suspended film) (w/ 2 suspended films) (w/ suspended film and low-E) Triple insulating glass (1/4" air spaces) (1/2" air spaces) Addition for tight fitting drapes or shades, or closed Doors Wood Hollow Core Flush (2" w/ urethane) 159 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Material Air Films Interior Ceiling Interior Wall Exterior Air Spaces 1/2" to 4" approximately R/ R/ Inch Thickness 0.61 0.68 0.17 1.00 12.8.3 Product Selection Below is a brief review of the major types of insulation, from simplest to more complex and from least cost to most. Remember: As we improve our thermal enclosure, we also can reduce the complexity and size of our heating and cooling systems. This reduces first cost and saves on long-term operating cost. In a Life Cycle Assessment of this approach, higherperforming insulation will result in the best choice. 12.8.3.1 BATTS: If you are considering using batt insulation, select high-density batts with a higher insulating value. Remember that careful installation is vital; too often, poor installation techniques, design complexities, framing challenges, and other factors can cause gaps and voids between and around batts, seriously deteriorating their performance over time. 12.8.3.2 LOOSE-FILL SPRAY: Fibrous spray insulations are an innovative use of some traditional blown insulation products or recycled materials all using low-toxicity binders. These loose-fill solutions can be sprayed when mixed with moisture or binding agents. Some are intended for filling cavities while others are designed to adhere to exposed surfaces such as joists and floor pans. Correct installation requires careful management of moisture content and carefully watching the installed density. Cellulose-based solutions such as Green Fiber’s Cocoon System are made from recycled newspaper and incorporate EPA-registered fungicide. Some companies are fine-tuning their blends to emphasize fireproofing and acoustical attenuation along with energy-saving insulation. 160 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.8.3.3 SPRAY FOAM: Foam-in-place technology is playing an increasingly important role in establishing a tight building envelope. Historically, most of these products utilized high-density, closed-cell polyurethanes, which involved exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals during application. Today they usually flash their VOCs quickly and become fairly innocuous after a short time. Closedcell foams are very effective at managing air leakage and can have high Rvalues of up to 7 per inch. Unfortunately, most still use HCFCs as blowing agents (with some notable exceptions such as SuperGreen). But there are now a number of non-ozone-depleting, open-cell products available. These open-cell foams have lower R-values, but manufacturing them requires fewer hydrocarbon resources. Some are managing to replace petrochemicals with bio-based raw materials. The Icynene insulation system has a very long track record and is the most widely installed open-cell foam used today. BioBased 501 is a polyurethane foam with a soybean-oil base that uses carbon dioxide as a blowing agent. These products seem to be gaining rapid acceptance as builders look for alternatives to traditional insulation. 12.8.3.4 SIPS: An alternative to installing traditional insulation, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are typically constructed of OSB sandwiching a foam core. Pros appreciate the ease of assembly and the improved performance SIPs can provide. Typical wall system R-values are from 22 to 30; these walls actually perform remarkably well as they have less framing materials thus reducing thermal bridging. This would eliminate the conventional framing approach and provide a faster and very tight enclosure. Still, these are not perfect either and require some training to install them correctly. 161 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.8.4 Framing Details Regardless of the system you choose, remember that structural framing has a significant impact on insulation performance. The space between the studs may be R-22, but the studs, trimmers, headers, and rim joists themselves are only R-7 or R-8. Also remember that complex framing designs increase the building envelope’s surface area, and more surface area means more energy loss. Design the building shell with less surface area, and you’ll be miles ahead before you even start thinking about insulation. Most wall insulation is traditionally installed in wood stud cavities, but adding insulation on the outside of the frame can significantly improve building performance if traditional framing is used. Besides adding additional insulation value, insulating the exterior of the enclosure also reduces dew-point potentials in cold climates and condensation potentials in high latent-load cooling climates. Exterior insulation also reduces the thermal bridging effect that studs have in a wall. Because steel-stud exterior walls lose much more heat than wood-framed walls, they have the additional need to be sheathed in extruded or expanded polystyrene. The Department of Energy specifies the application of a minimum 1- to 2-inch layer over steel framing members to prevent thermal transfers that bypass the insulated cavities. In most climates, I would recommend installing at least 2 to 3 inches of foam if steel studs are 162 By Woodworkerzjournal.com being used. Enclosing the box with rigid insulation also can tighten up the envelope and will keep framing materials warmer and drier. Remember, in all but the most extreme climates a house enclosed in foam sheathing should not have an interior polyethylene vapor barrier. Put It All Together With all of these approaches, real success comes from paying attention to the details. When wall and roof assemblies effectively connect with improved insulation products, we achieve synergistic gains. As our industry increases understanding of and respect for the fundamentals of building science, it is leading to many significant product innovations. Keep your eyes and knowledge tuned to improving our buildings’ performance. 163 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.9 Insulation: Product Review Sometimes finding the right insulation can be extremely tricky. Fernando Pages Ruiz wrote a great article for ecohome magazine that lays a comprehensive list and product review of most insulations available: Insulation represents an inherently green building material because it is designed to save energy. Still, while any insulation is better than none, the many choices present a broad range of benefits, with certain products inherently more ecological than others. Here is a sampling of the major types of insulation, their properties, and their sustainability beyond simply saving energy. 12.9.1 Fiberglass Ubiquitous and economical, fiberglass represents the largest share of the market, comprising more than 50% of the insulation installed in the U.S. in 2007, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA). It’s available in loose form for blown-in installation and in blankets, rolls, and batts for compression installation. Depending on density, both blown and stuffed fiberglass products provide R-13 to R-15 in a 2×4 wall cavity. Medium-density fiberglass designed for 2×6 constructions now provides R-21. In a 9?1/2-inch (2×10) cavity, high-density fiberglass can deliver a whopping R-38. All fiberglass insulation manufacturers use 25% to 40% recycled glass in their products, according to Paul Bertram, director of environment and sustainability for NAIMA. The balance is sand, an abundant natural resource, with chemical binders added to create loft and a cohesive mat in the case of batt-style insulation. One ecological issue with fiberglass is that glass and sand have to bake at extremely high temperatures to produce fibers. On the flip side, a typical pound of fiberglass insulation “saves 12 times as much energy in its first year in place as the energy used to produce it,” says Bertram. Most of the health concerns and allegations made about fiberglass 164 By Woodworkerzjournal.com insulation have been retracted or disproved. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reported in 2000 that epidemiological studies of glass-fiber manufacturing workers indicate “glass fibers do not appear to increase the risk of respiratory system cancer.” NAS now supports the exposure limit of 1.0 f/cc that has been the industry recommendation since the early 1990s. And as of 2001, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), on which the California standards for Proposition 65 are based, no longer classifies fiberglass as a human carcinogen. Perhaps the biggest objection to fiberglass batts in green building circles comes from the binders used to glue the glass fibers into a cohesive mat. These binders usually contain formaldehyde, a chemical known to cause sensitivity in certain people and classified as a human carcinogen by the IARC and as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA. Most manufacturers insist that the low levels of formaldehyde used in manufacturing fiberglass batts makes any health concern exaggerated when compared to many other building products and naturally occurring off-gassing from raw materials, such as wood. In fact, some fiberglass batt insulation with added formaldehyde has gained Greenguard certification. But if you are concerned, loose fill or blown fiberglass insulation requires no binder, which means no formaldehyde. For those using batts, Johns Manville offers the only fiberglass batt product line with no added formaldehyde. “We don’t consider the formaldehyde binders in insulation to be a big contributor to indoor air pollution, but since we can use alternatives without formaldehyde, why not do our little part to improve the environment?” explains Erick Olson, a senior technical product specialist for Johns Manville. Any stuffed insulation requires excellent on-site quality control to perform at its rated R-value. A few missed cuts, gaps, or cracks left between batts, and the R-value plummets. Blown and foamed insulation usually provide a more foolproof system to prevent air infiltration, but an excellent sealing job using a well-aimed caulk gun and a few cans of foam sealant coupled with a craftsmanlike batt installation can yield low-cost insulation results comparable to the blown systems. 165 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.9.2 Non-Fiberglass Batts Non-fiberglass batts can be made of cotton, sheep’s wool, or mineral (rock or slag) wool. All of the alternative batt insulation products are made almost entirely from recycled or renewable materials. They offer similar thermal performance as fiberglass but at a slight cost premium. They come unfaced and need the addition of a separate vapor retarder in extreme-cold climate zones. To make them fire resistant and prevent mold and insect infestation, most alternative batt (and cellulose) insulation fibers are coated with ammonium sulfate or borate. Although one manufacturer advertises its product as so safe a child could eat it, both sulfates and borate are used as pesticides and have toxic properties. At a minimum, a respirator should be worn when installing any kind of insulation. 12.9.3 Cellulose Although the broad category of cellulose insulation includes a variety of products such as granulated cork, hemp fibers, straw, and grains, the most common and readily available cellulose insulation is made almost entirely from recycled newspapers, cardboard, waste paper, and wood pulp. Cellulose insulation is perhaps the best example of a significant recycled product in widespread use. Most is approximately 90% post-consumer recycled waste paper, with fire-retardant chemicals and, in some products, acrylic binders added. “Mineral fiber materials take at least 25 to 30 times more energy to make than cellulose of equivalent R-value,” says Daniel Lea, executive director of the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association, citing cellulose’s lowintensity manufacturing process and high recycled content. Nowadays, blown cellulose is applied dry or merely damp, eliminating the extended drying times required for older, “wet” applications. Because of its relative high density and fire suppressants, this recycled newsprint product increases the fire resistance of building assemblies by 22% to 55%, per the Canadian National Research Council. It also provides a better air seal than fiberglass because of its higher density and slight dampness when applied, 166 By Woodworkerzjournal.com which tend to push the material into framing member penetrations. As with cotton and wool, cellulose is an organic and flammable product that requires added biocides and flame retardants, usually borate and ammonium sulfate. Most cellulose installations are done by contractors using special equipment, but loose fill is also available that anyone can simply pour out of a bag. As with all other insulation products, installers should wear proper respirators as recommended by the manufacturer, especially since some people have sensitivity to newsprint ink. Foam Although R-values remain close to equivalent across all insulation products, expanding foam has an added benefit because of the excellent air seal it provides. Foams are two-part products that are mixed through a blowing mechanism and sprayed into the framing cavity. The two chemicals react and expand. As the foam expands, it fuses tightly around all pipes, ducts, and wires, creating an airtight seal that yields much higher thermal performance than R-value alone would suggest. The adhesive quality of foam offers another benefit rarely associated with insulation: High-density foam insulation provides improved structural integrity that helps make a building a little stronger. Nowadays, most foams use HCFCs as blowing agents, which are less destructive to the ozone layer than the old, and now banned, CFCs but still considered environmentally detrimental. Foams that do not use ozone-depleting blowing agents include Icynene, which uses carbon dioxide and water; Air Krete, a foam produced from magnesium oxide (derived from sea water) and compressed air; and BioBased, which uses compressed air. As a builder of low-cost houses, I look for the least expensive option to achieve the best possible results. For this reason, I often use high-density fiberglass batts coupled with an excellent sealing job. But when my company set out to build a LEED for Homes–certified demonstration house, we chose BioBased insulation as a high-performance alternative. Depending on market niche, the variety of insulation products available lets a builder distinguish his house as a comfortable, energy-efficient, and environmentally safe place to call home. 167 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.9.4 Owens Corning The manufacturer says its entire line of fiberglass insulation products has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems to contain an average of 35% recycled content, 5% of which comes from post-consumer sources. ProPink fiberglass insulation carries Greenguard certification, including its highest level with Greenguard Children & Schools product emission standards. 12.9.5 Demilec Sealection Agribalance open-cell, semi-rigid, polyurethane spray-foam insulation contains more than 10% renewable, agriculture-based products, says the firm. The material expands to fill the cavity, sealing cracks, gaps, and voids. It provides an R-value of 4.45 per inch. 12.9.6 CertainTeed Designed for attic areas, InsulSafe SP blown-in fiberglass insulation is manufactured with no formaldehyde and is Greenguard certified. The product offers up to 20% better coverage versus competitors, the company says, with one bag covering up to 67 square feet. InsulSafe SP installed in the attic at 113/4 inches is R-30 and 141/2 inches is R-38. 12.9.7 Advanced Fiber Technology AFT cellulose insulation is made from 85% post-consumer recycled newspaper and cardboard. The pulp is ground into a fine, fluffy powder, then treated with primarily boric acid and borax to render it fire resistant. The higher density of this cellulose insulation makes for a tight seal, second only to foam products in blocking air infiltration and sound deadening, says the company. The blown-in insulation provides an R-value of 3.8 per inch. 168 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.9.8 Thermafiber Thermafiber mineral wool insulation is made with up to 90% post-industrial recycled content. It exceeds the California purchase specifications for total volatile organic compounds and general emissions with formaldehyde concentrations of 12 ppb, exceeding the California standard of 20 ppb maximum for formaldehyde concentration. Thermafiber can provide high sound-transmission coefficients that improve indoor environmental quality. The product also offers fire resistance of more than 2,000 degrees F for more than five hours, the maker says. 12.9.9 Air Krete The company’s magnesium silicate, cement-based insulation is foamed or pumped into closed cavities. This insulation is purportedly hypoallergenic and popular with chemically sensitive people, the company claims. Since it is not temperature sensitive, it can be installed indoors under any weather conditions and tolerates contact with high-heat sources, such as exhaust pipes, without concerns for combustion. The product is fully recyclable and can be used for soil enrichment. Air Krete has an R-value of about 3.9 per inch. 12.9.10 Icynene Icynene water-blown foam insulation expands to 100 times its volume to fill cracks and crevices and minimize air leakage. It carries an R-value of 3.6 per inch. The product also is available in a pour-fill variation that expands upward to 60 times its original volume; it will not expand outward and damage the wall. The pour-fill version has an R-value of 4 per inch. 12.9.11 Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free MR faced fiberglass batts use a water-based acrylic binder that meets California’s Section 01350 standards. The facing serves as an integral vapor retarder, chemically protected against potential fungi growth. The company claims to obtain its sand from sources close to the 169 By Woodworkerzjournal.com manufacturing plant to reduce transportation impacts, and 20% of its recycled content is post-consumer 12.9.12 Second Nature Sheep’s wool is an insulation product commonly used in Europe and available in the United States through the Internet. A natural insulator, wool has a slightly higher R-value per inch than fiberglass and does not lose its insulating property when wet. It has inherent properties that resist both flame and many insects, but remains susceptible to moths, so it is treated with boron. Thermafleece comes in 2-inch-thick batts cut to friction fit within 16- and 24-inch stud spacing. They carry an R value of 3.8 per inch and can be layered to achieve the desired total R value. 12.9.13 BioBased 1701 BioBased Insulation. Unlike some traditional spray-foam insulation products that are petroleum-based and use HCFCs as blowing agents, BioBased 1701 is a soy-based, 100% water-blown, closed-cell polyurethane insulation. It has earned the Greenguard air quality certification. BioBased 1701 has an Rvalue of 19 at 3?1/2 inches. 12.9.14 Bonded Logic Ultra Touch cotton friction-fit batt insulation can be used for 16- and 24inch spacing. The product is made with 85% post-industrial recycled content. The line includes an R-30 batt that fits into 2×6 walls or joist cavities. Cotton insulation offers acoustic properties 36% higher than fiberglass, says the company, only slightly less than mineral wool. 170 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.10 UTILITIES: Installing Electricity, Water, and a Sewage Line If you've gotten this far with your container building, why turn back now.... you might as well go the whole nine yards and install electricity, water, and a sewage line. Just don't make the mistake of informing the building department of your plans, as addition of these aspects is usually what makes an ordinary utility building into a residential structure... vulnerable to all codes and restrictions on the books (as far as their concerned). Electricity is not such a big deal, but the building inspector will really turn red over unregulated water and sewage lines being installed. For these reasons, and so as not to attract the attention of a passing building inspector, I advise running utilities underground. Rural builders can connect a simple PVC sweage line to a septic system or cesspool. Water lines can be run underground via PVC. Electricity can be delivered via nonmetallic sheath wire run inside steel conduit (pipes). Steel conduit and PVC water and sewage pipes should be installed in trenches 6-8 inches deep. Electrical wiring must be buried in trenches 24 inches deep when steel conduit pipe is not used. Utilities should enter a container through the bottom edge of the floor or the lower portion of the side wall. The basic level of electrical service for your structure should be 120/240volts delivered via a single 3-lead wire (2 hot wires delivering 120 volts each, and 1 ground wire) with a 100 amp breaker box installed inside. You will also need to establish a ground (point of zero voltage) for your container building. This will connect to all ground wires (in the building) ensuring a safe electrical system. The old way of creating a ground was by connecting ground wires to the steel water pipes most buildings had. Since we're using low cost PVC, we will have to purchase a special grounding rod, and burry it 12 inches underground near the buildings foundation. This rod must be wired to the breaker box, ultimately connecting to the buildings entire electrical system. See utility connections diagram below. 171 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 172 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.11 Painting Container Buildings Hopefully, your containers will not require painting and refinishing when you obtain them, but if they do, don't panic, here's the scoop on container coatings. Steel containers should be painted with a rust-inhibiting urethane enamel on the exterior, and an acrylic rust-inhibiting enamel for the interior (steel surfaces). The most common brand that comes to mind for this task is good old 'Rust-Oleum' brand paints and primers, but there are many others available, and you can investigate these further. You get what you pay for when it comes to paint, and quality paint can cost you. Opting for a high quality product, and devoting most of the time (for the task of painting), on surface preparation and priming is the best thing to do. The easiest part of the job should be applying the paint onto a perfectly prepared surface. You should prepare your container for painting by removing all rust and scale with rotary sanders, steel wool, and sand blasting (if needed). Pressure washing can then be used to rapidly clean the unit and blast away any loose material. After drying, apply the proper primer, lastly, apply the paint from gallon or five gallon containers using either an air sprayer, airless sprayer, electric sprayer, or rollers and brushes. Super Therm Ceramic Insulation Installation on Shipping Container External Surface It is for exterior wall treatments. Ceramic paint is applied to the exterior of the shipping container house and blocks the sun on the exterior of the home to reduce heat gain. It is the same product used on the space shuttle to control heat fluctuation during re-entry. Improving thermal performance is one of the biggest necessities of green home building and design. You can find detailed information on preliminary passive design strategies, in Chapter 4. 173 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.12 Container Home Roofs One of the perceived advantages of using a shipping container as a building element is that the raw ISBU modules already come with a floor, four walls and a roof. However whilst the roof of an unmodified container is perfectly designed to completely enclose its cargo in its original role as a shipping container – we need to remember it was designed around the premise of creating the lowest cost, lightest weight, highest strength, weather-tight, highly portable enclosure possible and that doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a great design for a fixed structure roof. The roof on a general purpose 40 ft shipping container is constructed from 11 pieces of 2.0mm thick die-stamp corrugated corten steel sheets. These sheets are pressed with an upwards camber at the center of each trough and corrugation that is designed to displace pooling water however this water displacement method no longer works if you place two ( or more ) containers side by side and close the gap formed by the ISO corner offset by joining them together – this means that water will no longer run freely off the container roof but will tend to pool along the join and this is 174 By Woodworkerzjournal.com something we seriously want to avoid as it will lead to major corrosion issues. It’s also important to understand that a shipping container roof is not designed for any kind of roof loading beyond a man working on the roof for repairs or maintenance. Specifically the CSC stipulates that it need only withstand a 200 kg load over an area of 600 x 300 mm – ALL of the weight borne by a Shipping Container in stacking applications is via the 4 corner posts. A double roof can play a big role in helping us to slow the transfer of heat into our building envelope not only by shielding the existing container roof from direct solar radiation but by providing overhang shading to the walls and windows as well. And if you are going to consider rain water harvesting; the best, easiest, most effective way to harvest rainwater is by simply creating a roof structure over all of our buildings including shipping container homes and channeling the runoff water via gutters into a suitable rainwater storage tank. So – if we are going to be constructing anything more than a single, rapid deployment, accommodation container it just makes sense on many fronts to design and create a real roof structure for our building. 175 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.13 Container Home Kitchen The kitchen is the focal point of any home. It should be functional, inviting and a reflection of your personal taste and style. Designing a great kitchen involves integrating functional work-flow requirements together with a space which is both pleasant to work in and visually pleasing. In the early 1920s architects and designers reinvented the way we approach house design and planning by introducing the concept of placing function over purely decorative criteria. Below image of a 1920’s Bauhaus designed “family home of the future” shows an early L-shaped kitchen including the sink, the newly invented gas cooker and a sideboard placed along the wall of the kitchen. 176 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The sideboard in this new design was for the first time split into two separate elements – a base cabinet and wall mounted cabinets. The worktop then continued in an L shape around the corner fitting flush up to the gas cooker and then was extended with another worktop on the other side of the oven. Now this new style of kitchen proved extremely popular and the large window, L-shaped run of continuous worktops with a large food preparation area, a sink, a cooker and a refrigerator is still the basic concept followed by most kitchens that are built today. In the 1930s furniture manufacturers around the world started to make kitchen cabinets in a modular format that where designed to hold almost everything needed for meal preparation and clean up. It wasn’t until the 1940’s however that the guiding principal of the three work centers that are at the very heart of modern kitchen design were defined: These three work centres are: 1: Storage and Preservation 2: Cleaning and Preparation 3: Cooking and Serving. 177 By Woodworkerzjournal.com In the 1950’s extensive studies where conducted at Cornell University where the concept of the kitchen triangle workspace was developed. That is the deceptively simple but profound relationship between the three most used appliances found in a kitchen – the sink, the cooker and the refrigerator. It was from these studies that todays “recommendations” were also developed for the standard heights of worktops, the bottom of kitchen sinks and the optimum levels for kitchen shelving – what we refer to as ergonomics. After World War II household servants for the middle classes at least all but disappeared – first having been called up for war time service and then on returning home finding better paying and more rewarding jobs in the industrial boom of the 1950’s Now however the 1950’s “housewife” – typically working alone – felt isolated from the rest of the household in the separate “kitchen” room and this in turn lead to the next revolution in kitchen design that of joining the kitchen or “kitchen work space” with the formal dining room effectively creating the now common combined kitchen/dining room layout. Finally with well made kitchen cabinets featuring easily cleaned surfaces and new electric extractor fans that could deal effectively with eliminating cooking and food preparation smells, the kitchen in the 1960’s and 1970’s become a status space within its own right and today the kitchen has become the active heart of most homes where the family can meet, eat, work and play, where parents can supervise young children whilst doing domestic duties and even entertain guests. Today the kitchen is typically the most used and serviced room in the house, and the single room on which the most money is spent by a very significant margin. The guiding principals of Modern Kitchen Design There are several questions that should be asked in any preliminary discussion about kitchen design. 178 By Woodworkerzjournal.com While considering these questions you should keep in mind the kitchen is usually the most scrutinized area of a home by new home buyers – so its considered good practice that whilst you should definitely make the design your own – good design should at the same time not be so quirky as to significantly devalue the property if you should choose to sell it at some point in the future. This is one of the flaws of container homes in general, and in order to gain wider acceptable of this construction technique we need to ensure that we design and build homes that boast “regular” sized kitchens and bathrooms. The quirkiness of container homes should – in good design – try to be limited to the greatest extent possible. Some uniqueness and quirkiness is fun and expected of alternative design but other elements like poorly planned out kitchens jammed into standard 8 feet room widths as little more that an after thought – “we will just put the kitchen over there” is just poor design. With the obvious limitation of containers and their 8 ft width the kitchen is one of the areas that will benefit the most from placing two ( or more ) containers side by side and removing some of the internal side walls to accommodate the creation of a regular sized kitchen. Kitchen styles are broadly divided into three categories: traditional, contemporary and casual, however you can of course express yourself by choosing elements and accessories from a variety of styles. The Traditional Look: 179 By Woodworkerzjournal.com The Contemporary Look: The Casual Look: For more interesting ideas about how to design your kitchen, check our additional book "SUPERB CONTAINER HOME PLANS & PROJECTS" including Projects with Floor Plans or 3D Models ; and "SUPERB EXAMPLES OF CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE" book, where you will find in both of them, hundreds of Photographs of Interior and Exterior Views and Construction Processes, and numerous examples of home and kitchen designs. You can also use the free software we share with you in order to plan your house and kitchen. You can find detailed info on Chapter 5.2.1 Home Design Planner Application (See Contents for relevant pages). 180 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.13.1 Do's and Don'ts of designing your kitchen Do: Have one element that's fun or creative. Don't: Be boring. A famous designer says: "The best kitchens have a soul or a spirit that's warm, inviting, and personal." "Every project is a chance to do something new and creative. It's not just about the cabinets and countertops, the whole room has to sing." Do: Bring cabinets up to the ceiling. Don't: Have cabinets that fall short of the ceiling. "They collect dust and un-needed accessories," a famous designer says. In one of my designs, cabinets are full height and create the maximum amount of storage, while glass fronts keep the space feeling airy. The panes are restoration glass, which is uneven. Do: Know when to stop. Don't: Overdo it. Knowing when to stop is the real challenge. Do: Use cabinetry to conceal some appliances. Don't: Go overboard with stainless-steel appliances. "Stainless steel can be a wonderful accent. However, as with all good design, there should be a rhythm with the placement. Splashes of stainless all over the place make any kitchen look and feel choppy and small." Do: Make a small kitchen work for you. Don't: Think bigger is always better. "A well-designed kitchen with high-quality materials and thoughtful details can make even the smallest space suit you perfectly." In this compact California kitchen below, an island on castors can be easily be moved around to where it's needed most. 181 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Do: Have countertop around wall ovens. Don't: Put a wall oven off by itself. "Where are you going to put the turkey when you take it out of the oven?" points out a kitchen designer . Do: Leave some space to breathe. Don't: Go overboard with storage and fill all of the walls with cabinets. "There's rarely a need to completely fill a room with cabinets. A good layout is a balancing act between storage, function, and aesthetics". In this New York kitchen below, there is an open space above the sink means there's room to breath. 182 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Do: Invest in strong and good-looking cabinets. Don't: Skimp on poor-quality. "Think about it — you're opening and closing those doors and drawers all the time. Get something strong and good-looking. Hardwoods, a good finish, and strong hinges are essential." 183 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 12.14 Container Home Green Roof and Framing The main factor for designing your shipping container home's roof is expected loading. Loads are categorized as dead or live. Dead loads are things like wall, equipment, and furniture weight, live loads are people walking. For comparison, a typical interior floor live load is 40 psf and dead load is 70 psf (110 psf combined), uniform roof loads for a home in a severe winter climate (lots of snow) is 25 psf dead load and 40 psf snow load (65 psf combined). Having a roof deck or green roof planting will add roughly an additional 60-75 psf load. The roofs of unmodified 20' shipping containers are capable of withstanding 330 psf per ISO requirements. (More information on shipping container load capacity is available in Chapter 2: ISO Shipping Containers Inherent Strength and Building Code Requirements and Container Compressive Load Bearing Capacity.) However, when containers are modified and portions of their monocoque structural skin/body are removed (i.e. side paneling), their load capacity decreases substantially. The image labeled "Container Reinforcement" below, illustrates a very general rule of thumb for container reinforcement after modification. Basically, wherever you remove side corrugated paneling you must reinforce above with new steel. Information in this section is meant as a very, general guide, one should consult an architect or structural engineer with their specific requirements when finalizing roof design for their shipping container home or application. 184 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Below is an example of a 1000 sf (3 40' container) roof framing layout for a shipping container home green roof application. In this example, there has been minimum modification/removal of the side corrugation on the exterior faces of the home (one small 1.5' x 1.5' window on each side). The interior side panels however, have been greatly modified with 20'+ sections removed to create contiguous interior spaces. Highlighted in gray are the main steel reinforcement members running along the length of the containers to reinforce the openings below and support the additional grass(dead) and live load above. Wood paneling (3/4" plywood) is also used to further reinforce the existing container roof panel (much like a sandwich panel). 185 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Below is a shipping container home green roof detail composed (from top down) of planting medium (in this case "roofrug"), waterproof membrane, insulation, and plywood. One of the biggest issues with any roof is standing water. Green roofs "process" that water very effectively in the planting medium growth cycle, however there should be an additional drainage mechanism in the detail. The edge condition below shows a very conventional side gutter and weep hole set that works nicely. 186 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 187 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 13 INSPECTION & SIGN OFF • Staged inspections through the build with contractor and building official - foundation, plumbing and electrical, architectural, and fire. • Put together final check/punch list for contractor • Review punch list with contractor • Final inspection with building official for certificate of occupancy 188 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14 SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME MASSING EXAMPLES 14.1 Mini Triple 189 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.2 Sports Building Two 20 ft stacked containers. Could be used for sporting events, announcers booth, concessions stand, or equipment storage. Possible applications: high schools, skeet and trap clubs, dirt-bike, horse, or dog racing facilities. 14.3 Handgun Range Fortified 40 ft container. Temporary low cost shooting range for police departments. Other possible configurations: ballistics testing lab, archery range, single lane bowling alley. 190 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.4 Ranch House Two 40 ft containers, and one 20 ft container. The single 20 ft unit is bridged across the end of two parallel 40 ft units to form a horseshoe shaped, three room building with a rafter built roof. 191 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.5 Split Level One 40 ft container, with an additional one, or two 20 ft containers stacked on top. Upper level 20 ft containers are braced at the midway point with a steel I-beam suspension system. This transfers the weight of the second, and optional third floors to the ground, bypassing the (non load bearing) center of the 40 ft base unit. 192 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.6 Flood Proof A single 20 ft x 8.5 ft container is attached to a steel I-beam framework foundation (container can be raised 6-12 ft above ground level using this system). May be useful in deep snow, flood or tsunami prone regions. Four vertical I-beams are sunk into underground (2 ft x 3 ft concrete) footings providing a high strength foundation for container mounting. 193 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.7 Underground Shelter A One 20 ft container painted with rubberized undercoating spray to prevent corrosion. A large excavator digs the hole, lowers the container in, then fills the remaining 1 ft wide gaps with gravel creating a drainage wall around the unit. Steel beam framework and 1/4" plate is used to create the entry space under ladder and hatch. Note vent tube on container. Loss of oxygen is a risk with this design if not properly constructed. Vents are required. Use at your own risk. 194 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.8 Underground Shelter B One 20 ft container painted with rubberized undercoating spray to prevent corrosion. A large excavator digs the hole, then lowers the container 3/4 of the way in. Open end and ISO doors remain exposed 2 ft above grade. Loss of oxygen is a risk with this design if not properly constructed. Vents are required. Use at your own risk. 195 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.9 House Boat A 20 ft container is mounted (with ISO doors facing to the rear), onto a steel houseboat or small barge hull. 196 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.10 Mechanics Strongbox One 40 ft container with a bulkhead dividing wall. Useful as a small car or motorcycle repair facility offering a high level of security for expensive vehicles and tools. 14.11 Solar Cabin One 20 ft container with art deco style metal roof and solar panels. Roof shades the container from hot sun, while simultaneously generating all required electrical power for the occupant. Use 12 volt deep cycle batteries connected to a DC-to-AC power inverter. Unit has steel shipping doors intact (these can be opened to provide a breeze and 'outside patio' feel). Another option is to replace cargo doors with a 6' glass patio slider, or install a glass patio slider behind the ISO doors for a dual-use door system. 197 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 14.12 Cube Four 20 ft containers joined, and stacked to form a cube. Building is set on concrete footings, and covered with a gable roof. 198 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 15 FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Aren't shipping containers just hot ovens when they are used for homes or offices? A: Absolutely not! Sure, if you don't know what you're doing and don't insulate. The reality is, that the new Ceramic spray insulation is most effective when applied to metal. In fact, if you build a home, office, emergency shelter or storage unitusing Ceramic Insulation paint (spray) the structure will probably be more energy efficient than a conventional home. Q: I see big stacks of shipping containers in many locations near us but I am having difficulty buying any of them. Why? A: Most people think that all stacks of shipping containers are surplus. That's not true. The shipping companies keep reserves (inventory) so they will be immediately available for export shipments. So when you see all the shipping containers that doesn't mean they are surplus or for sale. Q: Why are mobile homes and RV trailers being used at emergencylocations like Katrina instead of shipping container homes? A: We have no idea. To us it is absolutely ridiculous also. A shipping container home is safer, stronger, lower cost, and mobile. Q: Some recommend the use of Insulation Paint for use on container Homes, isn't the Ceramic Insulation too expensive for that type use? A: No, it is actually less expensive than fiberglass or foam insulation. The paint is applied to the exterior surface and allows more space inside the home if needed. Q: Aren't Prefab homes and Emergency Homes lower priced when made in China? A: No. The cost of shipping the container home to the U.S. adds too much expense so it usually compensates for the added cost of American labor when the home is built in the U.S. or Canada. In this situation, China is not a better option unless you buy Flat Pack containers or large quantities of them. Q: What about rust and corrosion? Won't a metal shipping container rust quite easily? 199 By Woodworkerzjournal.com A: No. Most Shipping Containers are used for ocean shipping, humidity and saltwater. A shipping container is a special, non corrosive Corten steel; then, when coated with the Ceramic Insulation paint, it becomes virtually rust proof and also prevents mildew, mold and is highly antiseptic. You can find more information about rust issues in our book. Q: Who wants to live in a home that looks like a Cargo Container? A: Most of the homes that are made from shipping containers, do not look like a Shipping Container. You can find many examples in our books. Most of these can be covered with any surface, Wood, stucco, vinyl siding, or anything. Second, the Cargo Container look is also becoming a bit trendy and some prefer all or part of the home to remain natural. It can be any look you want when finished. Q: What cities would ever allow Shipping Container homes all over the neighborhoods? A: Any intelligent Planning Commission will approve such homes and development. They are already being accepted. The exterior design can become any look you want. A conventional home design can be made of multiple units for economy and super strength. Then the exterior looks very normal. So it doesn't matter whether you use wood walls or ISBU walls, the exterior will be the same. Q: Are shipping container homes Hurricane proof? A: Yes, either single units or multiple units connected, can withstand 100 MPH winds on a foundation, or 175 MPH winds when easily anchored with pylons. ...extremely solid in Tornados or Hurricanes. Q: Is it true shipping container Home is Earthquake proof? A: Basically yes. Even in a direct hit, he structure my possibly roll around a little but certainly not collapse. It would be the most perfect safety cocoon in an Earthquake. It would be at least 100 times safer and stronger than a conventional housing structure. ...in any earthquake, I'de rather be in an shipping container constructed home or office. Q: I have heard that unprotected weathering steel should not be used within 2km of a shoreline. Does this mean it's ok to use them in a marine environment if you protect them? A: The nature of shipping container use requires them to endure salty 200 By Woodworkerzjournal.com ocean air and water, which are very corrosive. They are designed to combat the harsh effects of maritime transit and are coated with a zinc-laden paint which protects them. When using containers for inland homes it is not as much of a concern, but when container homes are close to shore lines best practice is to "touch up" any blemishes, chips, and dents in the container's surfaces with similar paint. Q: Is it feasible to use containers for floathomes if the shell is protected, and water-trapping pockets are eliminated? A: Would say it is feasible, but again corrosion would be a big concern. Containers used in such an application would require more yearly maintenance to keep corrosion at bay. As you have indicated in your question, eliminating all water-trapping pockets and reduction of all standing water is key. Q: As I understand it, by the time I insulate the walls, floor and roof to r30, I would not be able to stand up in the space. How does one insulate a container project? A: Unless you are building on an insulated/heated slab on grade or in a moderately warm climate, the ground floors are the trickiest part of a container building to insulate. For the walls and ceilings there are many options; batt (R 3.25 per inch ~ R30 would require 9-10" ), foam panels(R 5 per inch ~ R30 would require 6"), and standard spray foam (R 6.75 per inch ~ R30 would require 4.5"). You certainly loose some interior ceiling height, but still ample room/clearance. With the floor, there are fundamentally three options; Insulated/heated slab on grade (as mentioned above), Traditional crawl space (roughly 3') with batt insulation under container between the purins, or If you are trying to minimize step up to finish floor from grade, you can use closed-cell polyurethane spray foam on the underside of the container. This type of spray foam insulation has a very high R value (R 6 per inch) and durable. This yields R30 in 5", which fits within the 5.5" depth of the purins. Takes some logistic planning or crane help to get under there to spray it on, but works. More information on insulating your shipping container home available at the Insulation and R-Value Table sections in our book. Please check the contents for relevant pages. 201 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Q: Why promote Containers for home and office construction? A: Shipping container modules are the most logical structure base for multiple reasons. • Strongest structure. Stronger than wood, concrete, and even stronger than normal steel buildings. • Lower cost per square foot than other base structures. • They are truly Eco-Green structures: they are 85% recycled steel, and fully recyclable if demolished. • Energy Efficiently because the metal is so cohesive to the Ceramic Insulation paints they are #1 in energy efficiency. • Their use reduces the extreme surplus of Shipping Containers being stored near our harbors, ports, beaches and even inland cities. Q: How is container housing different from the traditional construction methods in terms of durability and sustainability? A: Container housing construction differs from traditional construction in many respects. Relative to durability and strength container building far exceeds conventional framing alternatives. Containers are made to endure extreme loads and heavy wear and tear. Further reading on their inherent strength is available from the iso shipping containers inherent strength and building code requirements sections in our book. Please check the contents for relevant pages. In regards to sustainability, depends on if you are purchasing/working with used recycled containers for your shipping container home or building them out of new steel, and the distance they need to travel to get to the site goes to embodied energy debate. Other components of sustainability like mechanical (heating and cooling) efficiencies are no different than conventional alternatives. The passive solar design issues section has further reading on passive strategies that are at the heart of sustainable design. It talks about building orientation and utilizing prevailing winds and shading. Q: Will it not wear and tear in some 5-10 years given that it is prefabricated steel? If so, what are the preventive measures for such problems primarily rust? Another thing, since we plan to construct in a tropical country, would humidity be an issue and add to the withstanding issue of corrosion? A: Container homes, like steel metal buildings, when properly detailed have an expected life span of 30+ years under normal wear and tear conditions. 202 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Shipping containers are made of cor-ten steel. This is a weathering steel that is meant to rust continuously by means of a wet/dry cycle which creates a patina finish, the most economical and durable exterior finish/coating for shipping container homes. The cor-ten - shipping container weathering steel section has more information on this. Please check the contents for relevant pages. Q: Also, since the climate is fairly hot and humid, what will be an ideal insulation/ wall treatment and roofing? A: Given the climate of your container home location a "white roof" would be best. This is meant to deflect the sun. Ideal exterior wall treatment would be reflective ceramic paints. More effective than both of these measures is proper shading and building orientation. The passive solar design issues pages in this book addresses this as well. Please check the contents for relevant pages. 203 By Woodworkerzjournal.com 16 GLOSSARY Access Control Usually referring to home or building entry systems, such as alarms or keyed or biometric entry equipment. Agro-Housing A home, condominium or apartment project which provide and uses growing areas for plants, fruits and vegetables for the residents. This may be simply a Green roof, however Agro-Housing usually means that other growing areas are designed into the building also. Antiseptic Wood A wood that contains natural oils and turpines that make it naturally antiseptic against insects, bacteria, and molds. The most popular such woods are Teak and Bulau. Beside their extreme hardness, insects, termites, bacteria, and mold are never a problem. Bio-Energy- (also Bio-fuels) A general and very broad term for energy or fuels that are renewable and hopefully also less polluting. Generally, Bio-energy refers to things that are grown by agriculture such as corn and other crops. The term Bio-energy is used more in Europe, and Bi-fuels is used mostly in the U.S. Both refer to the same concepts and technologies. Not all Bio-fuels are less polluting, but they are simply renewable unlike oil or gas. Cargo Container Same as a ISO Shipping Container ccSPF The acronym for Closed-Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam used as an Ecofriendly building insulation. 204 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Cenosphere- (also Nanospheres) A microscopic ball or bead that is hollow; a thin walled microscopic sphere that is hollow and offers thermal non-conducting properties. The most common Cenospheres are a highly filtered by-product of a certain type coal burning process; white or light graying color. Cenospheres have many technological uses because they are non-conductive, non-toxic, highly heat resistant, and extremely hard. Ceramic Insulation A highly efficient microscopic insulation made from a powdery mix of Cenospheres or Nanospheres. Usually added to paint and then applied as a coating on any products or equipment the deflect heat and stop the transmission of heat and cold; non-conductive. Ceramic coatings are NASA "spin-off" technology and in high demand because it is completely nontoxic and recyclable; a truly Eco-Green technology. CSC This is an inspection primarily used for containers used for shipping and transportation. This is not an inspection or certification meant for use of used containers and ISBU. The CSC inspection information is also stamped on a metal plate known as a CSC plate which is attached to the shipping container. The CSC plate is usually removed when the containers are used for storage and construction ISBU. Conex Box The name given to the ISO shipping container by the U.S. military back in the '70's. There are no other differences. Container Home A home or building, constructed from an ISBU (shipping container) base. The term Container Home is often misused by some modular and prefab manufacturers. The true Container home must be constructed of one, or multiple ISBU's to qualify as a true Container home. Corrosion Corrosion is more than simply rust. Corrosion is a response when water, 205 By Woodworkerzjournal.com salts, pollutants and other chemicals come in contact with most metals and actually eats deeply into the metal and dissolves it. One metal that is noncorrosive is Corten steel, widely used in marine, freeway and bridge construction. Other the non-corrosive metals are gold, platinum, silver. Corten steel is always used in the construction of true ISO shipping containers. Corten steel Also known as "Weathering Steel", because it withstands weather and is the only steel that is non-corrosive and will not rust out. Corten steel does oxidize which looks like the beginning of rust, but the oxidation stops and never will become rust or corrosion to deteriorate the Corten steel. Corten steel is more than 40% stronger than the common mild steel and some test as much as 75%. Corten steel (Cor-ten) is the copyrighted name owned by US Steel company. Cor-Ten steel- (see Corten) The original and legal name for Corten steel, however the manufacturing trade generally refers to it as Corten. Used on newer ships, bridges, shipping containers, and outdoor steel art work because it only oxidizes and does not rust or corrode as normal steel. Corrugated Any material with a wavy "S", "W", or "U" like design. Usually used when referring to paper boxes or metal; Corrugated metal. Digital Security The new security systems for monitoring home, children, day care, office, and business production facilities. They are PC based digital technology which also allows the Remote viewing of all cameras over the internet. Ideal technology for prefabs, and ISBU construction. Best when integrating CAT-5 and video cables during the new construction process. DIY This term means Do It Yourself (DIY); usually meaning it is a simple project that can be done either by a Consumer or Professional. 206 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Dormitory Commonly thought of student housing at colleges and universities, but also a dormitory is employee housing. Shipping container based construction has become a new trend globally for safe and attractive dormitories and student housing facilities. Dry Shipping Container A standard 20', 40', or 40' shipping container used to ship dry, nonagricultural cargo such normal boxes and commodities is referred to as Dry. Dry just means the common shipping container for common commodities. Eco Construction Construction that is friendly to the environment, using recyclable materials and energy efficient. However, the term is very loosely used with almost any construction and very difficult for the Consumer to separate and understand. ISBU's are one of the few true Eco construction bases and materials. Eco Insulation Insulation that is highly efficient, non-toxic and safe to humans and the environment. ISBA recognizes only two Eco insulations at this time that are safe, non-toxic, fire retardant, and highly efficient. Ceramic based insulations using cenospheres and nanospheres, and also Closed-cell sprayfoam insulation. Emergency Housing Mobile, ready to use housing for use in disaster areas. The US government uses, expensive, dangerous and toxic trailer homes, eventhough there are hundreds of thousands of shipping containers available from coast to coast. Other countries manufacture extremely safe, durable, and cost effective ISBU based Emergency housing from China. Emergency Shelters See Emergency Housing 207 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Energy Efficient A product, group of products, or home that conserves and uses less energy than previous standard technology. Flat Pack Housing A growing, but dangerous housing trend mostly in Europe and Africa and which modules resemble ISBU shipping container base, but is constructed with very thin gauge aluminum and low quality materials. The Flat Pack housing is shipped flat, then opened and assembled on site. ...not the same quality and safety as normal Prefab, Modular, or ISBU based Prefab construction. Note: not to be confused with Flat rack shipping containers, or Flat Packed ISO shipping containers for onsite assembly. Geothermal Energy Utilizing hot and super-hot water from the earths sub-surface to heat homes, greenhouses, aquaculture, and even create electricity. Green Business Any business which promotes the use, sale, or manufacturing of Eco-Green technology that Recycles, Saves Energy, and is non-Polluting. These type businesses are some of the most profitable and fastest growing business trends Globally. Green Construction Building construction methods using Recyclable, Energy efficient, and nonPolluting products, materials, and technologies. The new trend of ISBU shipping container based construction is the most ideal construction base for Green construction technologies. Green Energy Energy sources that are non-polluting, renewable, and sustainable, consisting of Solar energy, Wind turbines, Bio-fuels, and Geothermal. 208 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Greenhouse A secure building structure for growing of fruits, vegetables, and other plants; providing protection from wind, cold, heat and insects. There are many forms of greenhouses, including the standard, hydroponic, and sunless greenhouses which are underground for insulation, and use LED lights to provide all necessary UV light forms. Green Roof A traditional type roofing in the UK which is now being adapted using new technologies, providing insulation, air purification, and even food sources for many home owners and communities. The ISBU shipping container based home is the strongest and most ideal structure for supporting Green roof technology. Grid Referring to an electrical Grid; traditional power companies and LP/propane gas companies. A Grid is a national network of energy. Off-Grid When you cut your dependency on the traditional Grid and national energy sources-adding your own Solar, Wind, Bio, or Geothermal. Usually meaning Renewable energy, but can also mean providing your own energy from a gas or diesel generator. Hardwood Our reference to hardwoods is mostly regarding the super-hardwoods that are the most sustainable (long life) and maintenance free. Meaning they will last a life time at a lower cost. The best hardwoods for indoor or outdoor use are Balau, and Teak. All other hardwoods are in a category far below these two. Home Automation A complete system utilizing electronic and digital technologies to save energy, control lighting, appliances, security cameras, alarms, and audiovideo multimedia functions for the entire home. This now includes the exact energy control of solar panels, solar heating, wind turbines and 209 By Woodworkerzjournal.com battery storage units. Home Decor The design, furnishing and decorating of the home or apartment; the products used to decorate a home. HQ Referring specifically to an ISO shipping container that is 1 foot taller than the standard 8'9" container. HQ, or HC means high cube and is 9'6". 40HQ and also 20HQ, but are not so common unless buying from the factory. Hydroponic A method of greenhouse growing using water with nutrients in it rather than putting the plants in soil. The Hydroponic method is excellent for many types of vegetables and produce; faster growing, more production per square foot, and better control of nutrients. Infrastructure The internal structure of something, not the outer shell. If a home is made using ISBU shipping containers then the infrastructure is the steel of the ISBU and all other parts of the home are built around it. The foundation may be concrete, but the infrastructure is ISBU. ISBU ISBU is the short term for Intermodal Steel Shipping Unit. An ISO shipping container shell that is not used for shipping, but the steel shell is used for residential or commercial storage or construction. If a home is built with 7 shipping containers, we say it is built with 7 ISBU's because they are no longer shipping containers. ISBU and C-Blox are the same thing. ISO The international term for standardized manufacturing of everything. ISO ( International Standardization Organization). Shipping containers and ISBU modules are are standardized in size for safety and easier transport by sea, rail, truck, and air. ...ISO Shipping Containers. 210 By Woodworkerzjournal.com LED Lighting Light sources that use Light Emitting Diodes to create the light rather than incandescent or fluorescent sources. The LED is the brightest, most economical and energy efficient lighting source today, lasting 10-20 years per LED. LED lighting is also now used to provide Full Spectrum, and UV light to greenhouse plants in full spectrum and at an energy savings of 5090%. LED's are now the growing basis of the Sunless Greenhouse trend. Local Grown Foods Foods that are grown within100 miles of their consumption. Either growing your own foods or buying from local growers assures higher quality, better flavors, and less transport pollution from the vehicles which normally carry the food 1000's of miles to the consumer. Many consumers are very concerned also about being so dependant on other countries for our food supplies. Your personal greenhouse, patio garden, and outdoor garden can help to eliminate that concern. Logistics The organized and efficient moving of products from their origin to the consumer. Large corporations have logistics departments whose job is to move, ship and warehouse in the most cost effective manner. International logistics companies include shipping companies, freight forwarders, and trucking companies who organize the shipping of Shipping Containers from the factory, by ship, through the ports and Customs clearance, then by rail or truck in their local country for delivery to the dealer or consumer. Logistics is the efficient and most economical method of moving cargo from one point to another. Mobile Home Typically a home which is built in a factory and can be transported on wheels. The construction is light and economical. The same home could be built using an ISBU but with a virtually indestructible core. ...safer, easier to transport, and a longer housing life. Modular A home built in pieces inside a factory, then transported by multiple truck 211 By Woodworkerzjournal.com loads to the destination site and assembled. Usually allowing a lower construction price, better quality control, and faster construction time. The same is being done with ISBU shipping containers and the homes, hotels and apartments have much stronger construction, lower cost and faster construction time. A modular home created by multiple ISBU's will have 2-5 times more strength in an earthquake tornado, or hurricane than a standard modular home. Mild Steel The standard steel used in building factories offices, homes, storage units and automobiles. Compared to Corten steel, mild steel is weaker and will rust and corrode. Mold Inhibitor A chemical or sealant the stops or deters mold from growing on a surface. Ceramic Insulative coatings and Closed-cell sprayfoarm insulations are both extremely efficient insulations and also mold inhibitors. Mold poisoning is a growing concern in home construction. Nanosphere A cousin to the microscopic Cenosphere but even smaller, giving a smoother coating which may be required for some finishes. ocSPF The acronym for Open-Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam used in building insulation. [ see ccSPF ] Oxidation A combination of substances and chemicals including oxygen that changes color or physical properties of substances. Steel and metals oxidize in the presence of moisture, salts, pollution and time. Extreme oxidation can cause rust and then corrosion. Some metals, such as Corten steel used on shipping containers will oxidize, but will not rust or corrode the finish as with other metals. 212 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Plasma Cutter The simple explanation is a tool to cut electrically conductive metal such as steel. It is the easiest cutter to use and goes through thick or thin metals quickly and accurately. It is and electric product which creates and arc to produce the high heat flame. The higher the amperage of the cutter, the faster the cutter will go through thicker metals. Sometimes called a Plasma torch. Used to easily cut and modify ISBU shipping containers. It cuts through thick metal as easy as a circular saw cuts through wood. Plywood Thin layers of wood glued together and compressed to make thick, strong ply's with great strength. Pod Another term for module, unit, or container. Generally referring to a small module. Portable Housing Structures that can be moved easily from one location to another. The ideal portable housing base is an ISBU (shipping container). The ideal portable housing can be trucked, shipped, and transported with no special equipment or over-sized trucks. Portable Storage Containers Usually referring to genuine ISO shipping containers (ISBU), or ISO certified storage containers (CSC) which the ISBU Association certifies as safe for storage and certain construction. Check with your dealer before buying to be certain your Portable Storage Containers are ISBU or Certified Storage Containers (CSC type). For safety and recyclability your storage container must either be ISBU or CSC type. Pre-built Housing A home built in pieces inside a factory, then transported by multiple truck loads to the destination site and assembled. Usually allowing a lower construction price, better quality control, and faster construction time. The same is being done with ISBU shipping containers and the homes, hotels 213 By Woodworkerzjournal.com and apartments have much stronger construction, lower cost and faster construction time. A pre-built home created by multiple ISBU's will have 2-5 times more strength in an earthquake tornado, or hurricane than a standard modular home. Prefab A home built in pieces inside a factory, then transported by multiple truck loads to the destination site and assembled. Usually allowing a lower construction price, better quality control, and faster construction time. The same is being done with ISBU shipping containers and the homes, hotels and apartments have much stronger construction, lower cost and faster construction time. A prefab home created by multiple ISBU's will have 2-5 times more strength in an earthquake tornado, or hurricane than a standard modular home. Prefab Schools Classrooms that are built in a factory then trucked and assembled to the site for final assembly. [ see Prefab ] Recyclable A product or substance that can be re-used again or used for another purpose. To recycle a can we melt it down and use the aluminum for another can or create aluminum for construction. Recycling reduces waste and pollution and keep our environment clean. R-factor The level or efficiency of insulation; R-19, R-25; also called R-value. The higher the number, the more efficient the insulation. Reflective Coating Related to housing and construction; a coating on a roof or building that will reflect the heat before it enters the building skin. Different than insulation, a reflective coating is on the exterior and not interior. Rust An extreme form of oxidation. Rust and corrosion cause damage to metals. 214 By Woodworkerzjournal.com Rust is the second step of oxidation. Safe Room A safe room is often one room or area of a home, school, or office building that can protect the occupants from some deadly force, either natural or man made. In some areas people have a safe room under or attached to their home in the event of tornado, hurricane, earthquakes, or even violence. A growing trend is to simply add an ISBU to, or under a home or office for the ultimate protection in the event of any emergency or disaster. It's very affordable, simple, comfortable, and extremely versatile. Shipping Container Also known as ISO shipping container, or ISBU; it is a standardized steel box specifically used to ship cargo internationally and locally and designed to fit on ships, trucks, rail, and airplanes to easily go anywhere in the world. Because it must be bumped, banged, dropped, and stacked on by 5 or 8 other heavy shipping containers during transport, the ISO shipping container is the strongest mobile storage or housing structure in the world. Build with heavy gauge Corten steel frame and shell, it will not rust or corrode and easily repaired. SIR Structural Integrity Report (SIR) is a comprehensive inspection and report that certifies used shipping containers for strength, and toxic safety and also verifies the container with it's CIN ID code. This inspection is essential for obtaining building permits from government inspectors. Skins As related to housing and ISBU shipping container home construction, a Skin on the outside of the home. The Infrastructure may be wood, aluminum, plywood, or an ISBU shipping container, but the Skin can be wood siding, stucco, brick or any other material to look nice. Skin: the exterior of a home or office. Solar Heating Simply, it is using the sun to heat surfaces of the interior of a home or 215 By Woodworkerzjournal.com office. Also the heating and storing of water heated by the sun during the day to later heat the structure or bath water. Solar heating is very cheap and simply, but very unused by most consumers. Solar Panel A Solar panel is a group of solar-electric cells which generate electricity when the sun strikes the surface. The simplest example is the calculator in your pocket, purse, or briefcase. We have been using solar cells and solar panels on a small scale very efficiently for at least 20 years. Today, solar panels are very low, highly efficient and flexible for any home owner to easily create their own power supply with very little maintenance. Steel Building A building structure utilizing steel frame and or steel siding to create a strong structure. The steel buildings are seen from farms to the beautiful high rises in the city. Storage Units A building or cubical for the safe storing of products and equipment; usually thin metal or aluminum. The ideal storage unit for homes, farms, construction, businesses, or rental units are ISBU based storage units which can be purchased and modified usually for less than buying a thin metal or wood shed. Sustainable Housing Possibly the most "over used" and maybe meaningless word in our vocabulary the past 3 years. It should mean: long life with limited effort to maintain. So we will leave it there for our definition of Sustainable Housing. ...if any type housing is "Sustainable" it would be housing constructed from the base of multiple ISBU shipping containers. ...sustainable everything. Sunless Greenhouse A greenhouse, often underground for insulation purposes, the inexpensive UV lighting provided by LED technology. The demand for a strong inexpensive structure to withstand the weight of 2-6 feet of earth has led to the use of ISBU for the underground greenhouse. Previously, expensive UV grow lights, metal halide and reinforced concrete structures were the 216 By Woodworkerzjournal.com only option. Today, LED and ISBU are making Sunless Greenhouse extremely affordable and realistic. Sustainability The ability to maintain something at a certain level indefinitely ...hopefully a sustainable home with low maintenance and highly efficient insulation; sustainable energy using low cost, no maintenance solar or wind; food from a sustainable onsite greenhouse. The ultimate definition for Sustainable would be: forever, with no cost, no maintenance, and no pollution. Thermal Barrier A coating, film, or membrane that reduces or stops the conduction of heat to the other side. Toxic Materials Materials and substances that create, promote or support toxicity. Certain glues, paints, laminates and insulations are considered toxic. Wind Energy The use of wind generators and wind turbines to create electricity for either private or public energy consumption. Wind Turbine An electrical generator with propeller type blades which are turned by the wind to turn the generator and produce an electrical output. 217 By Woodworkerzjournal.com What are the steps to building a shipping container home?6 Steps to Building a Shipping Container Home. Choose Your Location. Before you can start your container home build, you need a plot of land. ... . Plan Your Project. ... . Get Approval for Your Building Plans. ... . Prep Your Site. ... . Lay the Foundations and Buy Your Containers. ... . Await Delivery and Installation.. Is it cheaper to build your own container home?Shipping container houses are significantly cheaper to build than regular homes. They are very resource efficient and can be made to look like regular houses. You will need a building permit to build or install a container house, and you'll likely need a site plan in order to obtain the building permit.
What kind of foundation do you need for a shipping container house?The four main foundation types which can be used with container homes are pier, pile, slab and strip. There are other types of foundations but these are the most commonly used with container homes.
Can you build a container home yourself?There are three common ways to own a shipping container home. They are to build it yourself, to hire a contractor to build it for you, or to purchase a prefabricated container home. Each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages.
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How to build a shipping container home the complete guide pdf
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