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Residential Shipping Container Primer (RSCP)

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BUILDING YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER HOME.

Co nce ive It . Fo cus It . Act io n It .

Get Help Building a Shipping Container Home:

Design Questio ns + Services RSCPCo llabo rative Fo rum Answers to Yo ur Design Questio ns Everything Abo ut Co ntainers

Action It.
Building a ho use is no small feet. Even a small o ne. There are tho usands o f materials, pieces, and tasks invo lved. Unless yo u are a builder o r experienced it's intimidating. But, what co ntainers as pe rf e ct m o dule s allo w yo u to do , is sim plif y the entire pro cess. Think o f a typical 1,0 0 0 square fo o t ho use. Try and wo rk thro ugh in yo ur head the to tal length o f timber fo r the framing, square fo o tage o f sheathing, number o f flo o r jo ists required, and ceiling rafters. Can't do it. No t to o many can. No w think abo ut that 1,0 0 0 square fo o t ho use made o ut o f shipping co ntainers. It's 3 fo rty fo o t co ntainers. By reducing the ho use into 3 base co mpo nent pieces (mo dules), it's much easier to understand, design, and build.

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Example Architecture Projects and Homes Built With Shipping Containers:

PHOTOS - Shipping Co ntainer Architecture VIDEOS - Shipping Co ntainer Building

I. Permitting, Bidding, and Pre-order

Finish co nstructio n do cuments fo r yo ur shipping co ntainer ho me and submit to building autho rity fo r permitting. Submit co nstructio n do cuments to facto ry fo r pricing and engineering o f co ntainer mo dules. Clarificatio ns to building autho rity and facto ry as required .

How to Build a Shipping Container Home:

INTRODUCTION: Ho w To Build a Shipping Co ntainer Ho me
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Ge t re quire d pe rm it s f ro m building aut ho rit y. Submittal o f co nstructio n do cuments to general and sub co ntracto rs. Execute purchase o rder o f co ntainer mo dules fro m facto ry.

i. CONCEIVE IT. ii. FOCUS IT. iii. ACTION IT. Shipping Co ntainer Architecture

II. The Build

Shipping Container Homes Project Development Worksheets

a. Mo del Shipping Co ntainer Ho me - Co mpo nent Square Fo o tage Wo rksheet

Reference:
1. Shipping Co ntainer Structural Co mpo nents and Termino lo gy 2. Shipping Co ntainer Cad Drawings and Mo dels 3. Co ntainer Co mpressive Lo ad Bearing Capacity 4. Co rTen - Shipping Co ntainer Weathering Steel 5. ISO Shipping Co ntainers Inherent Strength and Building Co de Requirements 6 . Guide to Co ntainer

Site Work
Be gin grading wo rk including any re quire d e xcavat io n f o r f o undat io n, ut ilit ie s, st o rm wat e r m anage m e nt , and se pt ic. Bring re quire d ut ilit ie s t o sit e .

Inspectio n 7. Jo int Co mmittee o n Tactical Shelters (JOCOTAS) Catalo g 8 . Insulatio n 9 . R-Value Table
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Inst all se pt ic syst e m and any st o rm wat e r m anage m e nt syst e m if re quire d.

10 . Passive So lar Design Issues 11. Shipping Co ntainer Ho use Fo undatio ns 12. Co ntainer Ho me Green Ro o f and Framing 13. Shipping Co ntainer Ho me Flo o r Plans 14. Shipping Co ntainer Ho mes Plan and Sectio n Details

Foundation
The f o undat io n sho wn belo w is a typical slab o n grade applicatio n fo r a 10 0 0 sf (three 40 ' co ntainers) shipping co nt aine r ho m e design. There is a 24' x 40 ' perimeter fo undatio n wall made fro m precast co ncrete panels, but co uld easily be cmu blo ck o r po ured co ncrete. The perimeter was excavated and trench filled with gravel (fo r drainage). The precast panels were dro pped in via a crane and tied to gether. The panels included insulatio n and exterio r water pro o fing membranes added at the facto ry. Utilities (water, electircal, and gas supply lines) are run to the base o f the fo undatio n and then to there respective lo catio ns in plan. Fo undatio n walls were then back-filled, so il co mpacted, gravel added, rebar laid o ut, and then slab po ured.

Resources:
Selected Bo o ks FAQs Glo ssary

External Links:
Wo rth a Lo o k Shipping Co ntainer Ho mes Link List 1 Shipping Co ntainer Ho mes Link List 2

The Shipping Co nt aine r Ho use Fo undat io ns link in the Reference sectio n has info rmatio n o n o ther fo undatio n o ptio ns and design.
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Container Modif ications

Shipping co ntainers have m o no co que bo dies. The co rrugatio n panels (ro o f, sides, and back), flo o r, purlins, fro nt do o rs, frame, and rails fo rm an integrated structural skin. They are stro ng and made to carry flo o r lo ads far in excess o f what is required fo r typical ho me co nstructio n. But, when yo u mo dify them, cutting ho les o r penetrating members, they are weakened. Re gardle ss o f what le ve l o f m o dif icat io n yo ur shipping co nt aine r ho m e de sign calls f o r, it is re co m m e nde d t o re vie w wit h a st ruct ural e ngine e r o r archit e ct .

As we said abo ve, when cut t ing a shipping co ntainer o r re m o ving any o f t he pane ling , it's structural integrity is co mpro mised. As an extreme example, co nsider the remo val o f all a co ntainer's co rrugated paneling alo ng the length o f o ne side (see the images belo w). Witho ut reinfo rcement, the co ntainer defo rms and then fails structurally. As a general rule, whenever yo u remo ve po rtio ns o f the panelized co rrugatio n, steel framing will be required to frame o ut the o pening. In additio n, co lumn and ro o f suppo rt will be necessary depending o n the size o f the o pening(s) and ro o f/wind lo ads.

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Steel cutting, framing, and welding is a large part o f shipping co ntainer ho me design and co nstructio n. Typically, steel co nstructio n is no t used much in single family o r smaller ho me design because o f expense. Co st o f steel vs. wo o d/light guage framing is substantial and the labo r co st fo r steel vs.carpentry is also higher. To co mbat this, it is best to have as much o f the welding and reinfo rcing do ne o ff-site befo re setting the co ntainers o n site and starting the interio r fit-o ut. Mo st (if no t all) co ntainer re-sellers have the facilities to make these mo dificatio ns. If yo u do n't have experience in metal wo rk, o r are no t hiring a general co ntracto r, yo u sho uld plan o n do ing mo st o f the co ntainer mo dificatio n wo rk o ff-site prio r to delivery. Mo re info rmatio n o n Co r-Ten steel (the weathering steel shipping co ntainers are made fro m) is available at the Co rTe n - Shipping Co nt aine r We at he ring St e e l link in the RSCP Reference sectio n.

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The Shipping Co nt aine r St ruct ural Co m po ne nt s and Te rm ino lo gy link has mo re detailed info rmatio n o n the structural co mpo nents o f a shipping co ntainer. The Shipping Co nt aine r Plan and Se ct io n De t ails link has mo re info rmatio n o n co ntainer to co ntainer co nnectio n details and framing o n o pening in the co rrugatio n.

Set and Secure Containers to Foundation and Each Other

When the shipping co ntainers arrive o n site, they are crane-lifted o ne by o ne o nto the fo undatio n, ho o ked into place, and welded do wn to marry them co mpletely to the fo undatio n. These heavy-gauge steel co ntainers are so stro ngeach is designed to carry 57,0 0 0 po undsthat they need o nly be fastened at the co rners to ho ld fast, much as they wo uld be o n a ship. In the example abo ve, the shipping co ntainer bo tto m co rner blo cks are welded to steel plates imbedded in the co ncrete slab to secure the ho use to the fo undatio n. All co rner blo cks are welded to each o ther to secure the co ntainers to themselves in the image belo w.
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Install windows, exterior doors, f lashing, and any sky lights .

Windo ws are set into o penings

that were measured and cut prio r to delivery o f the shipping co ntainers o r ro ughed o ut o n site. All o penings fo r windo ws and do o rs sho uld be framed with a steel sectio n. Ho llo w rectangle sectio ns wo rk the best, but an L sectio n will wo rk as well. Images belo w sho w o penings fo r sliding do o r systems in the end and sidewall panels o f a co ntainer. The Shipping Co nt aine r Plan and Se ct io n De t ails link has co nstructio n details fo r windo w/do o r f ram ing , f lashing , t he rm al bre aks , and glazing .

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Install interior f raming, insulation, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, and rough out all f ixtures. Supertherm insulative co ating, is sprayed o n bo th sides o f the
remaining co ntainer walls. Supertherm is a high-perfo rmance, fo ur-part ceramic co ating that carries an R value o f R-19 and adheres to the steel surface o f the shipping co ntainers. A - inch plywo o d flo o r o ver the existing - inch plywo o d sub-flo o r is installed. Metal hat channels fo r wiring are run alo ng the walls and vertical suppo rt beams are secured. Metal studs and drywall are used fo r interio r partitio n walls. Once insulated, the existing co ntainer walls are faced in drywall fo r finishing.

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Inst all f ixt ure s. Finish grading and landscaping.

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III. Inspection and Sign-off

Staged inspectio ns thro ugh the build with co ntracto r and building o fficial - fo undatio n, plumbing and electrical, architectural, and fire. Put to gether final check/punch list fo r co ntracto r Review punch list with co ntracto r Final inspectio n with building o fficial fo r certificate o f o ccupancy
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How to Build a Shipping Container House:

Conceive It. Focus It.
Design Services and Help link here .

Action It.

Actio n It

co pyright 20 0 2-20 12 RSCP + KOOP.am LLC all images and materials are the pro perties o f their respective o wners

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