Bharat SainiLast Updated on April 5, 2014 by Bharat Saini
Containers are widely used as a very secure means of transporting goods by road, rail, and ship or by air.
Containers used for transportation by air are normally smaller, but those used by for the other forms of transport can be 10, 20 or 40 foot long. They generally have a height of 8 feet, though high cube containers will be about nine feet, or more, in height.
Most containers are built for specific purposes, and the standardization in dimensions has led to extreme flexibility in transportation, loading and unloading techniques, all of which lead to reduced turnaround times of moving transportation. It also allows for interchangeability from one form of transportation to the other and can make it easy for goods that have to go through transshipments before they reach their final destination. Many containers that have gone through a lot of wear and tear ultimately find use as temporary buildings, like offices where they are required to tide over immediate needs. They are very useful for construction sites, where such facilities are used for very short times, and can be conveniently used to move equipment and other items, when they are being shifted to a new location.
High cube containers are very convenient to use, as they do not give the stunted feeling that standard containers will give to people who have to use them. These containers are extensively used as offices, lunch rooms and worker housing. The construction of containers is very rugged, as they have a complete steel framework. This allows them to be easily lifted by cranes as most of them contain provision to facilitate such handling. As the walls are made of steel it is easy to make modifications to them to put in windows and doors. Insulating walls and ceiling can allow for air conditioning, which soon turns it into a very comfortable living area.
High cube containers can be very useful for disaster sites, or as command centers for military operations. Their sturdiness does not require that they have any special foundations, and just a level piece of land is enough to set down these containers so that they immediately start functioning. Many companies, like oilfields and mining sites, even put into them bolted down furniture that allows the container to start functioning as required, immediately it is placed in position. Customization can enable easy use as washrooms, with only the necessity of making necessary water and drainage connections.
The standardization of containers by the transport industry has allowed them to be manufactured in bulk at low costs, and this actually makes them a very cost beneficial alternative to cement and brick structures, and when reused over a number of years on various sites, can actually work to reducing time and costs for projects. High cube containers are considered a very cost effective option for any needs for portable buildings. Some containers are insulated, where they have earlier seen usage to transport cold goods, and these can make for extremely comfortable buildings for their temporary use.
