Different Ways To Use Shipping Containers

Over the past few years, intermodal shipping containers have become popular as conversions for a wide range of purposes. And many manufacturers are more than happy to help you decide on your shipping containers and convert the containers according your individual needs and specifications. There are four main categories uses for shipping containers fall into.

4 Main uses of shipping containers

1. International Cargo and Freight

Over time, the shipping container industry has evolved greatly to help people and companies to securely, safely and reliably store and distribute massive quantities of good around the world – be it by sea, air or road. And today, there are specific ISO shipping container standards in place to clearly define internationally accepted shipping unit sizes, dimensions and specification.
Shipping containers are very simple to export and also transport around the world without having to worry about compatibility with freight forwarders or transport networks and there’s no worry about different national infrastructures either.
In fact, the moving of cargo or freight globally is one of the most predominant uses of shipping containers there is.

2. Storage

Using shipping containers for storage is the next popular utilisation. You don’t need to transport or move shipping containers around to take full advantage of their sturdiness and size. Shipping containers actually make for the perfect storage facilities without ever needing to be loaded on to an aeroplane or shipped off to sea.

3. Converting Used Shipping Containers

A shipping container’s characteristics, strength and ability to withstand the harshest of weather conditions make them absolutely ideal as conversion units. They can be fitted with an array of fittings and adapted to suite your very specific needs – whether your use of shipping containersis for an office, an extra room at home or even a mobile kitchen.
Shipping containers regularly become static units with a new function that offers owners or users great savings when you think about traditional bricks and mortar structures.
One of the greatest advantages of shipping containers is that they can be really quickly moved around and relocated, so they’re prefect if you have certain portable requirements. These insulated vessels also make for the perfect temporary accommodation on construction and building sites or even weather-proof bathrooms. Here are a few more uses of shipping containers:

• training rooms
• portable workshops
• offices on site
• toilet constructions
• Temporary canteens or rest rooms
• Shipping container homes

4. Homes Made From Shipping Containers

Over the last couple of years, more and more second hand shipping containers have been considered as environmentally friendly units, making them a great alternative to housing accommodation.
Since the vessels can be very easily converted and modified, green architects have been designing eco-friendly homes made from several shipping containers, assembled to form a larger and liveable structure. In fact there are some incredibly impressive shipping container homes that have been built around the world.

One of The More Ingenious Uses of shipping containers

While shipping container structures aren’t that new anymore, how often do you actually see them?
One of the ground breaking uses of shipping containers in the US involves an office space that was made from second hand shipping containers. Dubbed the “Box Office”, the structure has been built on a land parcel and a bustling city in Providence. The mayor of the city has been reported as referring to the project as “creative, environmentally conscious and a part of a growing trend in social entrepreneurship”.
The Box Office is aimed at being a modal of a modestly sized energy efficient building and uses less than 25% less energy than a brand new bricks and mortar office building would. The design team’s main aim was to construct a high-performing and well-insulated vessel complete with windows and an HVAC system. What’s more, the building is powered as well as climate-controlled without the need for fossil fuels and all cooling and heating comes from a high-efficiency, decentralised heat pump system.
The high-tech lighting densities are 0.6 watts per square foot of the structure thanks to dual-source lighting, daylight response sensors and overhead lighting. This is one seriously environmentally friendly office.
The Box Office, one of the most incredible uses of shipping containers, is a multi-coloured three story building that has used 32 used shipping containers – that’s 94 tons of steel! The unit is home to 12 office units.
The building’s overall environmental philosophy and contemporary design couple with the easy to acquire and cost effective shipping containers has been quick to attract a couple of small businesses, start-ups and artists.
The site of the office building aims to reduce storm water run-off into a storm sewer with the help of rain gardens. This means the storm water will infiltrate back into the earth and through the process of phytoremediation, the site’s flora will contribute to filtration of water for the building. All the materials used to construct the Box Office are environmentally friendly, too, and have been precisely identified by the architects and developers.
The best part of this amazing shipping container office structure is that tenants are able to take full advantage of the green lease conditions. These conditions provide great economic incentives to the tenants in order to maximise the building’s energy performance.

Final Word

As you can see, there is a wonderful array of uses of shipping containers – from basic transporting of goods to inventive homes and offices. Shipping containers are cost effective and easily available as well as being super simple to modify for your specific needs.