Due to the fact that shipping containers are so adaptable, we have seen a huge increase in the popularity of them being used for a whole range of applications. Many people choose to use a shipping container to store their belongings or move products around the world – as they were originally designed for.
Some people, however, have come up with more ingenious ways to use them as flexible options to enable facilities to be created with relative ease.
Converted or Modified Shipping Containers
A shipping container is essentially a structural metal box that can be modified to be used as a transportable enclosure for very specific purposes. You can get shipping containers in a range of sizes – 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft in length, at standard height (2.6m externally) or as a ‘high cube’ (300mm higher than a standard container). In addition, you can get more than one type of original manufactured shipping container, which can include extra doors at the ‘blank end’ of the box or along one or both sides. However, one dimension that does not change with containers is their standard width, which is 2.44m, or 8ft.
Converted shipping containers offer flexible solutions to many of the challenges that the world is currently throwing at us, such as:
- They make use of used materials, reducing waste and therefore being an environmentally-friendly option
- They give a great degree of flexibility in terms of design and application
- They are relatively quick and inexpensive to convert, compared to other comparable solutions
- They can be created off-site and literally ‘dropped’ (carefully positioned!) into place
What Needs to be Done in a Conversion and How Long Does It Take?
The work that needs to be done to convert a shipping container really depends on what you are planning on using it for. S Jones Containers’ team of designers can help you to create your ideal space – whatever you are hoping to use it for.
They will have computer aided design technology (CAD) to assist them and to show you what is possible in terms of design.
| Some Conversion Purposes | Some Modification types (combinations of) |
| pop-up café/bar | multi-compartment |
| plant rooms, including; | doors and windows, many options; |
| power generation | acoustic control |
| switchgear | thermal control |
| transformer | air flow, forced air |
| pumps | positive air pressure |
| water treatment | air quality filtration, up to hepa quality |
| test rig | fire retardancy (internal and/or external) |
| control equipment | multiple voltage electrical systems |
| boilers (especially solid fuel) | blast resistance (internal or external) |
| workshop | specialist coatings |
| laboratory | specialist laboratory equipment |
| work accommodation | blast release panels |
| exhibition stand | bunds |
| bird hide | smoke and chemical detection |
| ticket booth | fire suppression |
| load testing | |
| shipping compatibility with CSC re-certification |
Once that your shipping container construction has been designed, the work can start.
All fixed work can be done off-site before it gets to you. It will be delivered almost ready to go, except for additions you need to add, from furniture to your own specialist equipment if you are using a converted container to house your own finished product, or having a third party install extra specialist equipment.
The time that is needed to manufacture your converted shipping container depends on the extent of the modification which can take hundreds of man-hours over a number of weeks and cost many tens of thousands of Pounds.
Before Delivery
It is important to be ready to receive your converted shipping container when it is finished. There are a few factors that you should consider beforehand, including:
- Making sure that you have a solid foundation on the area where your shipping container is going to be placed. It should be hard and flat – concrete, concrete slabs or railway sleepers are good options.
- Checking that there is enough access for the delivery vehicle to get to you from a main road, along accessible roads, and without obstructions, such as low hanging cables or branches
- Ensuring that you have planning permission if it is needed (it is recommended that you check with your local authority as this can be a grey area)
