Intermodal Shipping Containers 4

[LPPE]

Does anyone know where I could find plans on how intermodal shipping containers are built (typical 20 or 40 foot by 8'6")? Looking mor for dimensional purposes. It looks like the containers bear at the 4 corner points only, but cannot be sure. A 40 foot span seems like a lot, but if the 40 foot wall acts like a truss? Maybe the span is flush with the corner fittings so it has continuous bearing?

I already have general information, like sides and roof are corrugated 14ga steel, end posts are 7 ga, and I have spec's on the corner fittings. But I have no idea where the side rails, end posts, etc are welded to the corner fittings, or what the dimensions of the end posts or side rails are, or what dimensions the corrugated sides are, etc.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MikeHalloran]

They're carried on railroad 'spine cars' and deckless trailers, and lifted by cranes grasping them at the upper corners only, so there's clearly no reliance on strength or presence of a deck under the sides.

I think there are international standards for dimensions and interface details and load bearing capacity (including the number of containers stacked above), but there has to be more than one way to make the details.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[tails142]

Here are some details on containers.

"Corner castings measure 178x162mm and frequently project 12.5mm below the underside of the container"

Empty Loads
40ft Container - 3000kg
20ft Container - 2000kg

Here is a table showing loading conditions for typical fully loaded containers;

---------|----------|---------|---------|--------|---------|
Stacking |Reduction | Contact | Loading on pavement for    |
Height   | in gross |  Stress |each stacking arrangement:kN|
         |weight (%)| (N/mm2) |---------|--------|---------|
---------|----------|---------| Singly  |  Rows  |  Blocks |
---------|----------|---------|---------|--------|---------|
1            0          2.59      76.2     152.4     304.8
2            10         4.67     137.2     274.3     548.6
3            20         6.23     182.9     365.8     731.5
4            30         7.27     213.4     426.7     853.4
5            40         7.78     228.6     457.2     914.4
6            40         9.33     274.3     548.6     1097
7            40         10.9     320.0     640.0     1280
8            40         12.5     365.8     731.6     1463.2

Use these figures at your own peril

 

[vims]

The container rests only on the corner fittings. The chassie is made of the bottom side rails, forklift pockets and cross members. The cross members are useally made of 4mm steel, but every manufacturer have their own way of buildig a container.. The walls and the doors are a big part of the structure in regards to the container passing the various tests a CSC-classified has to pass. I don´t have any documentation for you, but I´m shure I can answere some of your questions if you are more specific about what you want to know.

 

[LPPE]

Good stuff here, thanks. I found ISO 1161 details for the corner fittings. And to know that the containers only bear or are lifted at the corner points is a big piece of the puzzle.

And I like the quote "Use at your own peril"! I'll have to work that in to conversations with architects.

I'm looking to use these containers in high wind zones. I would like to stack them perhaps 4 or 5 high. So I'm looking for dimensions and sizes of corner posts and bottom and top side rails, so I can analyze what lateral forces I have to resist, and how can I resist them (perhaps welding steel strap X-braces to the side supports and near the corner fittings (If the corner fittings project out 12.5mm from the side rails/corner posts, then I could use 12.5mm strap bracing)). Essentially I want to stack these shipping containers and make sure they're stable, and then perhaps cover them with EIFS or insulated metal panels (architects want things to look pretty, I guess...).

Now that I know the bearing is only at corner points, I can design footings and tiedowns for them.

Another question - when these containers are stacked high on cargo ships, what ties them down? I would think a container ship in rough seas - these stacks will see an awful lot of force trying to topple them over.

 

[vims]

I think that the corner fitting projects about 4mm from the side rails usually. At least 12,5 is too much.

On cargo ships i know that they lock each container together in the corner fittings. In this picture

http://www.paradise.caltech.edu/riedel/personal/04-08-07-gallery/04-08-07-image-026.jpg

it looks like they also braces the containers at the bottom
In this you see that each row is not locked to its neighbor.

http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=4175&pid=12213

To give you a starting point for your calculations of wind loads each container is tested to take a force of 150000 Newtons at the upper corner fitting without lasting deformation.

D------D<-150000N
I I
I I
I door I
D------D

 

[vims]

Disregard my comment about 12,5mm being wrong. When I talk about 4mm I mean from the side of the cornerfitting to the side of the side rail. Sorry about that, It´s friday...

 

[LPPE]

Thanks, vims. Some days are better than others!

Found a decent link for container information-

http://www.containerhandbuch.de/chb_e/stra/index.html?/chb_e/stra/stra_03_01_00.html

 

[LPPE]

Also, I read alot about the steel being CORTEN or CORTEN-A steel. Is this the same as A588 and A242 steel?

 

[LPPE]

Does anyone also know if the floor heights are universal from container to container? Is the floor height always X mm from the bottom of the corner fittings for all containers?