Shipping Container Home Structural Design and Engineering

Looking to transform shipping containers into innovative, sustainable structures? PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. specializes in turning these robust steel boxes into stunning homes, offices, and commercial spaces.

As pioneers in container architecture, we’ve engineered countless successful projects that combine structural integrity with creative design. Whether you’re dreaming of a modern container home, a unique commercial space, or a sustainable building solution, our experienced team provides the technical expertise to bring your vision to life.

From single-unit guest houses to multi-container commercial complexes, we understand the unique engineering challenges and opportunities that shipping container construction presents.

Request a Quote

Why Consider Shipping Containers?

Shipping containers, or cargo containers, are used to export goods. The United States takes in these goods at an outstanding rate but exports back very little. With international trade deficits, it usually costs more to have a shipping container shipped back overseas rather than leaving it at its destination. This leaves a huge surplus of empty shipping containers.

Containers are often left to rust, creating an eyesore for communities, and are a pollution hazard and a cause of decreasing property values. Empty shipping containers are not good for communities or the environment.

Using shipping containers to build homes and offices reduces waste around the world and offers benefits such as:

▶

Durable Structure

Made from steel, shipping containers can withstand most natural events and extreme weather conditions.

▶

Modern Design

Creating a building using shipping containers is creating art. With their clean lines and modern aesthetic, shipping containers make both unique and environmentally friendly structures.

▶

Pest-resistant

Due to their steel construction, pests cannot infiltrate cargo containers, meaning your new building will be protected from termites and rodents.

▶

Streamlined Installation

Already in block shape and self-supporting, shipping containers can easily be used to create buildings, reducing time and labor during the construction process.

▶

Enhanced Safety

Since shipping containers are made from steel, they're strong and non-combustible. Nationwide, at least 6,000 people die in fires each year, and an additional 100,000 are injured in combustible wood homes.

▶

Sustainability

Converting shipping containers into buildings promotes sustainability through waste reduction, recycling, and decreased environmental impact for future generations.

Request a Quote

How to Structure Your Shipping Container

There are many ways to put a shipping container home or building together. Shipping container homes can be built with a wide midspan roof by separating two sets of shipping containers to create a larger building than the shipping containers themselves. You can also set several containers together side by side. Our team works closely with you to help you determine the best shape and structure for your building needs.

The Installation Process and Foundation Requirements

Cargo containers generally require footing at each of the four corners, as long as you don't remove a large portion of the walls. The most common foundations are railroad ties or 2x2x6 feet concrete blocks.

Before installation, it’s crucial to ensure the site is level and properly graded for drainage to prevent water accumulation around the foundation. For multi-container structures or designs with significant wall modifications, additional foundation support points may be required to maintain structural integrity.

PSE Consulting Engineers will ensure your container structure has the proper foundation design and installation to guarantee long-term stability and safety.

Client: Salad Spot
Structural Engineers: PSE Consulting Engineers,
Nabil Taha Ph.D, PE, Caleb Sale, PE

Shipping containers can be used for both residential and commercial applications. Since they are insulated, they maintain a comfortable indoor environment, whether you want to use them as a utility building or as an addition to your home.

Using Shipping Containers for Commercial and Residential Properties

Commercial Applications

Cargo containers can work as billboards, offices, underground storage, utility buildings, workshops, schools, retail locations, coffee shops, malls, and military and oil industry facilities. These containers make it simple to install a new building or add to an existing one in a short period of time.

Residential Applications

Homeowners and residential property owners can use shipping containers to add more space to their homes without the extensive timeline and cost of traditional construction projects. From adding more space to kitchens and bathrooms to installing a home office, in-law suite, or extra storage, there are virtually limitless uses for cargo containers in residential applications.

Request a Quote

Project Spotlight: ATX Container Haus

Check it out! PSE was proud to provide the structural engineering for this shipping container guest house in Austin, Texas, in 2020.

Our client had a dream to turn it into a luxury Airbnb. Built out of a single shipping container, every detail was carefully designed to create the ultimate getaway, from the minimalist aesthetic to the lounge chairs on the large covered deck and spa-inspired bathroom. The interior is approximately 360 square feet with a 450 square-foot deck.

This is a great example of how an empty shipping container can be transformed into a luxury getaway. The demand for shipping container homes has boomed, and we're one of the few firms that will engineer them. Check out our portfolio and contact us today to design yours!

Request a Quote

FAQs About Shipping Containers

►

How strong are shipping containers?

Shipping containers are much stronger than traditional wood light frame construction because they are made from steel, which is much stronger than wood.

Many of these containers are designed to be stacked eight or nine units high. Steel cargo container walls are made from 14 gauge, 0.075-inch corrugated sheet steel panels that are welded to the main structure.

The top and bottom side rails and end frames are 7 gauge tubular steel. The steel used to build modern shipping containers is a corrosive-resistant, high-strength low-alloy steel.

►

How much do shipping containers cost?

The price of a 40-foot-long shipping container is almost the same as a 20-foot one. The average price for a 20-foot shipping container is $2,000, and for 40 feet, the cost is $2,400.

►

How well do shipping containers resist weather damage?

Shipping containers can resist damage from snow, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and dramatic temperature changes, making them ideal as buildings in a wide range of climates.

The roof is constructed with die-stamp corrugated steel sheets, while the bottom has 3-4 mm thick cross members with recesses along the bottom side rails, allowing them to be lifted with special straddle carriers. The floor of the container is 28 mm thick with 19 ply-treated plywood screwed into the structural cross members.

►

Can I move a shipping container after I've installed it?

In most cases, yes. Shipping containers can be used as temporary housing, then removed, reassembled, or reused at other locations.

►

What designs can I do with shipping containers?

The design potential for shipping container structures is virtually limitless. Whether you envision a custom home or an expansive luxury commercial space, containers can be arranged and modified however you like.

Stack them vertically for multi-story buildings, place them side-by-side for larger floor plans, or create unique layouts with offset configurations. You can incorporate modern features like floor-to-ceiling windows, rooftop gardens, wraparound decks, and open-concept living spaces.

Cargo containers can be transformed to match any architectural vision while maintaining their inherent structural integrity.

►

Why aren't more properties using shipping containers?

Shipping or cargo container design isn't taught in colleges or university engineering programs. Because of this, many engineers hesitate to approve projects that incorporate them. In addition, many people don't know whether it's legal to live in shipping containers, making them hesitant to start building.

Design teams and engineers at PSE Consulting Engineers see the value shipping containers provide and have embraced the expertise and creativity needed to deliver structurally sound shipping container design. They understand that container structures, when designed and constructed correctly, are very safe, strong, and can be used for a variety of applications. We ensure shipping containers are legal in your municipality before taking on your project.