There are a variety of shipping container solutions for the world’s unused 40-foot steel containers. One of these shipping container solutions is to up-cycle these into homes. When just one of these containers is reused in this way, 350 kilograms of steel doesn’t need to be melted down. Furthermore, since it takes roughly 8000 kilowatts of energy to melt down a steel container, up-cycling it into a home saves energy as well.
In order to construct a shipping container home, standard 40-foot units are usually used. These are eight feet wide and 8.5 feet high. Given these measurements, each standard shipping container can provide around 300 feet of living space. it’s important to note, that shipping containers can be placed side-by-side in order to create a larger living space. When four of these are placed in this way, it can create a 1,200 square foot house with three bedrooms. In addition to being placed side-by-side, these containers can also be stacked on top of each other in a variety of configurations.
Another benefit to constructing homes out of shipping containers is that they can be produced in a fraction of the time and cost of site-built homes. Just imagine constructing a home in one-fifth of the time with up to 40% less cost! While it usually takes about two to three weeks to build a shipping container home, in some instances, it may only take one to two weeks. When considering that it can take four to six or more months to create a traditional brick-and-mortar structure, this can really make a difference in providing much-needed housing.
When manufactured housing is assembled in a controlled factory environment, for example, it also uses fewer traditional building materials. What’s more is that 35% to 40% less waste is created when compared with its traditional site-built counterpart. This makes housing of this nature environmentally-friendly and eco-green. It’s also important to note that these containers are already made of 85% recycled steel. Once they are demolished, they are totally recyclable. When these containers are reused, there isn’t a need for new building materials other than what is required to modify the container’s home interiors.
While container homes can be mobile and usually don’t require a foundation, it’s important to note that they can also withstand the type of high winds that occur during tornados and hurricanes. Whether they are single or connected units, they are able to withstand 100 mile-per-hour winds when rooted to a foundation. When they’re anchored with pylons, steel container homes are able to withstand up to 175 mile-per-hour winds.
Since it has been estimated there are approximately 24 million empty shipping containers that have been retired, one of the most effective shipping container solutions is to use them to create homes for millions of Americans. Currently, over 17 million people in the United States are living in manufactured homes, which points to the fact that these are gaining in popularity as well as supplying a need. Since shipping containers can last more than 20 years when they’re maintained and painted on a regular basis, this makes them an excellent choice for creating more affordable housing. Furthermore, these homes can also address the needs of individuals and families that have been displaced due to a variety of natural and man-made disasters.
