ACCOMMODATION CONTAINERS

Tuesday 24 January 2012 Filed in: General

This week at Containers Direct we have been working on a slightly unusual project – constructing a cabin office from a shipping container. This is a slightly unusual request, as most accommodation cabins are purpose built, as opposed to conversions. However it is worth noting there are some situations where the best option is to use a shipping container as the basic structure for a portable cabin, and this is why Containers Direct can offer a shipping container conversion service to the customer where appropriate.

The project we are currently working on is to transform a container into an office, which will then be shipped to its new owner in Africa on completion. Portable cabins made for the UK are not usually made from shipping containers, as the standard width of these containers is only 8ft. Greater width is normally desirable for office use, but this width is a major drawback if the final destination of the cabin is overseas. The cost of shipping a purpose built cabin soars above the cost of shipping an ISO (shipping) container. Shipping containers have to conform to dimensions and standards that allow them to be stacked on top of one another – known in the trade as ISO Interchangeable. Anything wider has to be shipped as deck cargo, hence the high costs. So quite simply it is not cost effective to ship cabins that don't conform to these standards. As you can see from the dimension chart, although ISO shipping containers are 8ft wide, they do come in two lengths - either 20ft or 40ft, so there is still plenty of room for the conversion longways.

Leaving costs aside, the other advantage of using a shipping container lies in its strength. Shipping containers are more robust than purpose built cabins, as they are constructed to withstand stacking for shipping. For a professional looking finish, the container is painted in the customer's chosen colour, which completes the transformation.

It's hard to believe this great little office was once an ordinary shipping container!

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