Slashdot Mirror

"I presume you don't live in quake country, or it would be preferable to leave them separated."

Their "foundation" is gross overkill heavy section ten-inch steel I-beam across the ends, resting on railroad gravel. Welding (not to "quake country" structural codes which specify a different wire nowadays) was done with stick (6010 root pass) then E71T-11 .045" flux core wire. Top corner fittings are welded together and the splice strip itself is thicker than the ISO roof skin and adds considerable strength. Since the beams themselves are unanchored, they are free to float if my area ever has a serious quake. I did it that way because if the shop ever settles after I add weight in machine tools (unlikely with railroad gravel) I can jack a corner easily.

  I personally like ISOs, but they are just steel boxes and there is more to building with them than meets the eye. Po' folks in the US didn't do well in "the projects" and even more spartan ISO construction is unlikely to take off for warehousing them. Even for the "homeless" you'll need wiring, insulation, plumbing, sprinkler systems, HVAC and waste disposal, as well as security and surveillance so they don't prey on each other quite so much.

Remember this has all been tried before, sans ISOs, many times!
Technical solutions to social problems with (initially) lavish funding were applied, and the result eventually turned more socially toxic than dispersed poverty.

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/28/nyregion/newark-rips-down-its-projects.html

By all means do an ISO structure for yourself. DIY economics can favor ISO construction and not stacking them slashes cost because you don't need crane rental. DIY homes are owned by people who have a personal buy-in to making them work. Modern insulation panels, spray foam, and so forth make ISOs practical in any climate. Adroit scrounging and human networking can turn up lots of quality material for free. They are fun to work with and complementary steel building kits (galvalume beats the shit out of Corten, but ISOs aren't expected to last decades without refurb as they are designed to be expendable) can integrate and protect them. I have a Steelmaster (there are many companies making the same rolled steel panel designs so shop around) building and would not hesitate to use their kits over ISOs. Two people with scaffold and pneumatic tools can erect one if you aren't in a hurry. See Youtube videos for various methods. I anti-seized the bolts and only had to cut a few when I tore mine down for relocation.

http://www.steelmasterusa.com/industrial/products/container-covers

Do get High Cube ISOs. The standard height version limits air circulation and has little room for vertical storage or lofted furniture options.

Lots of container info and useful parts such as corner clamps and twist locks. You could prefab end beams with weld-in twistlocks offsite then connect your ISOs to them, and to each other at the top with corner clamps if you want the option to demount and move them yet want "earthquake resistance" for your structure:

http://www.tandemloc.com/

Check the gallerys for ideas:

http://www.seabox.com/

The best use for shipping containers in refugee situations would be to unload containers holding supplies then use the container with something like the Sea Box kits when it's empty. Of course the rest of the container could be filled with Ikea kits.

http://www.seabox.com/shelterpak.php

Containers can be used to make structures used by the group or NGOs providing relief while families live in the tent-ish shelters.

Containers are stable at high wind velocities, easy to modify with basic equipment, and since they are supported by the end fittings they are easy to elevate above where water may accumulate.

Place tents in the lee of a container and they are protected from wind. Surround tented areas with containers and have a 360-degree windbreak.

(I moved my 40-foot High Cubes using an manual Wyeth-Scott comealong, snatch blocks, and chains. I pivoted the ends by supporting one on an 18-wheeler rim while the other rolled on some 8" diameter scrap pipe. I elevated them using bottle jacks and wood cribbing. If one old guy can do that single-handed it's no wonder ISOs are popular worldwide.)

The use of MIXED solutions using what's available is the way to go.

"They are probably more interested in a datacenter in a shipping container."

Indeed. ISO containers are cheap and you can send one to your site with everything you need AND have storage or workspace INSIDE the container protected from the weather.

If your "AOL in a can" breaks in foul weather, then you need to COVER it to OPEN it.

You don't need to pour a slab for ISOs as they are supported by the corner fittings. A railroad tie under each end is usually just fine.

I use ISOs for personal shop buildings and storage, and have worked in and with them while deployed.

ISO containers are available in small 10-foot configurations too.
Generic example:

http://www.shippingcontainertrader.com/johnads/6/Tmp0002F.jpg

If you are going to pour a slab, USE all of the square footage. Pot four twist-locks in the slab, install ISO, and lock it down. Even a hurricane isn't likely to shift it. Alternately, bolt it down with common expansion anchors through welded-on tabs of your choice then tack weld the bolt heads to the tabs. It ain't leaving on its own.

ISO containers don't have a proprietary form-factor container to deter upgrades either.

I don't sell ISOs, but do have morbid nasty love for them.

Sea Box website with MANY examples of container mods. Your local welding and fab shop can roll your own easily:

http://www.seabox.com/

One reason there are many "shop threads" on gearhead forums is that there are many DIFFERENT ways to set up shop.

Some ideas that are obvious to one group may be new to another.

Here are some examples of very small shop spaces with efficient layouts that might not occur to folks who have only worked in conventional structures:

http://www.seabox.com/v3/modified/gallery/

Using BOTH is an option, and the "shrapnel" factor would required an explosive sufficient to shred the container (and kill everyone in it, which would also apply to a tent). Tents don't arrive alone. There are plenty of ISOs that arrive with other supplies, and accumulate at bases once empty.

Military ISOs are VERY common, very adaptable, and frequently used to replace tents.

http://www.seabox.com/v3/military/

"can they withstand corrosion after a year or more of burial in wet ground?"

Yes if appropriately painted (or tar or foam the outside). The vanilla sort are usually made of corrosion-resisting Cor-Ten steel (they spend much of their lives at sea).

They can be abandoned after they are no longer needed. Third World countries are efficient at re-using steel which is completely recyclable.
A bit of time with a torch will reduce most containers to panels convenient for handling, and they make excellent shops and small buildings as-is (I have two 40' High Cubes, one fitted with power and light).

They have plenty of vertical strength, as can be seen when loaded ISOs are stacked on ships. For even stronger revetting, bury one, set a second atop it, cut open the roof (torch, Sawzall, etc) and fill with earth.

I'll have to plug into an inverter/battery setup (got those) and get off my arse to setup a pedal-operated alternator (have parts) to charge 'em with.

Shipping containers are usually easy to find, especially when you are near the coast. They are SWEET structures, and cheaper by far then the conventional equivalent. I lubs me watertight, comfortable, vermin-proof workspace. Adding power is easy. Use a bimetal holesaw and an electric drill to cut conduit holes, and use heavily galvanized hardware or stainless (if you have big bucks or a good scrounge) hardware to bolt it up. I through-bolt using anti-seize/Nolox and RTV building sealant to caulk seams. paint the roof aluminum or if you can, grab some glass microspheres to mix in the paint.

I found mine by Googling (Transsales in Sumter, SC). The 40 foot High Cube are the nicest, but there are a variety from 20' up.
I can go on at length about getting, unloading, setting, and configuring them so shoot me an email at logisticslist61ATyahooDOTcom with ISO Container in the subject line. I'd be happy to be of help.

Linky with interesting info: http://www.seabox.com/

High Cubes are less common. I had to ask my supplier for them.
They are 9'6" tall and MUCH more desirable for a dwelling!

http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis/taz/h/high_cube.jpg

http://www.proboxinc.com/productsp.htm

Lotta pics and parts:
http://www.tandemloc.com/

BattleBox
http://www.geocities.com/strategicmaneuver/battleb oxes.htm

Sea Box (food for thought)
http://www.seabox.com/id-2

"Real containers are 40' long"

Basic containers are the common 20' and 40', and the 45'. High Cubes give you more height, and extended versions can go longer.

http://www.seabox.com/id-2

http://www.tandemloc.com/0_securing/S_ISO_Containe r_Info.asp

http://www.matts-place.com/intermodal/part1/45foot dryvans.htm