House from shipping containers: construction features, estimates. Construction of houses from containers

About what from sea ​​containers you can make warehouses, garages or change houses, many people know. But the fact that it is possible to build a real multi-room and even multi-storey comfortable housing from them will certainly be news to someone.

Nevertheless, this type of construction has long become popular in Europe and the USA, and more recently, container houses, which are also called modular, are beginning to be in demand in Russia, as they solve the problem of building budget housing on suburban area.

Residential buildings from containers

By building a house from containers (which you can do with your own hands), you can get a secure and fully habitable spacious country house for little money.

Sea containers of 20 and 40 feet are quite inexpensive, especially when it comes to used products, and for this money the buyer purchases ready-made enclosing structures with a roof and plywood floor. At the same time, sea container houses do not need a powerful foundation, a columnar one is enough for them.

And if housing is built from several containers, additional space is formed in it due to their spacing. In addition, with such a construction, a large field of activity is formed for the implementation of creative ideas for decorating houses.

Stages of building a house from shipping containers:

• Acquisition of container(s).
• Creation of a project of the future home, taking into account the passage of all communications.
• Foundation laying.
• Anti-corrosion treatment of the container.
• Installing the container on the foundation. In the case of using several containers - their welding.
• External and internal finishing.

House projects

If it seems that a house from a container will look extremely unaesthetic, then this is not so, and numerous projects of houses from containers confirm this. For example, you can make a neat and pretty guest house in a summer cottage out of an ordinary 40-foot shipping container. It is enough just to cut sections in it and insert stained glass windows there and sliding doors, equip a small shed, and finish the house from the inside wood paneling, decorating everything else as you wish.

Another interesting project is a house made of painted containers: several containers stacked on top of each other and / or arranged to a given width of the house need to be painted in bright colors (each in a separate color) and bring bright lighting. In addition, you can expand the space of the house due to the system of retractable doors.

The final result of the 5-container house project is impressive - it turns out to be very spacious, comfortable, and has an exploitable roof. The outer style of the containers is softened by the use of bright paint and modern furnishings.

The Anti Patio House project allows you to place a house made of shipping containers on a hillside, i.e. make full use of not the most, it would seem, favorable conditions environment. The building consists of three 40-foot containers installed in two levels. On the ground floor there is a large living room and kitchen, the entire second floor is occupied by a bedroom. This arrangement of space creates natural ventilation.

Interesting and Vacation home of two containers standing separately from each other, one of which is intended for a studio room and a garage, and the second for residential buildings. Both "buildings" are united by one roof, which also plays the role of a canopy over the space between them. Facade finished house lined with wooden siding, which allows you to successfully fit the project into wildlife, and panoramic windows make the whole structure airy.

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There are many options for building from containers, among which everyone can find something suitable for themselves or get ideas for individual project such a house:

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Modular container buildings

In today's world, more and more popular are modular buildings from block containers, which are built very quickly and are distinguished by their strength and high functionality.

Block containers are now used for the construction of office buildings, hotels, shops, residential buildings of any size and shape (although two-story buildings are most often built). The construction of block containers is carried out on a metal pipe frame, which makes the finished building particularly reliable and durable, and from several 20 and 40-foot containers.

In such buildings, it is easy to carry out all the necessary communications and, moreover, they can be disassembled and transported to a new place of residence, where the blocks can be assembled in a new way by changing the location of windows and doors. Outside, houses from block containers can be sheathed with siding and decorated.

If you want fast and least cost to solve the housing problem, we recommend that you think about building a house from shipping containers. A few decades ago, no one could have imagined that a sea container could be used as temporary or even permanent housing, but technology does not stand still, and today, in light of the lightning-fast growth in housing prices, the use of a sea container for a house no longer seems unnatural . Despite the fact that in Russia, due to the insufficient spread of container construction, you are unlikely to be able to find finished projects houses from containers, the demand for such houses abroad is beyond doubt and is due to the reliability and practicality of buildings. According to experts, the low popularity of container construction in Russia is due to insufficient awareness of the population about the advantages of buildings built using this technology, as well as insufficient coverage of this issue on the network. To correct this, in this article we will, in a sense, try to contribute to the popularity of sea container houses in Russia and consider the issues of their construction and arrangement.

Residential buildings from containers: a new era in construction

Despite the fact that the popularity of container construction in Russia has not yet reached its peak, experts rightly consider it to be the technology of the future, which will soon find its loyal fans. This is confirmed by the demand for container construction in European countries, where this technology contributed to the emergence of a new independent and profitable business industry, the basis of which is the design and production of container "semi-finished houses". A semi-finished product is a base model made in a factory, the structure of which is made up of walls and subfloors. The heating system and electrical wiring are already laid in it, windows and doors are inserted. By purchasing required amount blanks provided by the project, they are delivered to the construction site, where they are combined into a single building. The production of such blanks can significantly reduce the construction time of container houses, which is their most important advantage.

Advantages and disadvantages of sea container houses

Benefits of shipping container houses:

• Sea container houses are recognized as one of the most seismically resistant buildings, and therefore, they are often built in areas where natural disasters are not uncommon - earthquakes, hurricanes and others;
• Container buildings are not much different from capital houses: they can be finished with clapboard on the outside, and plasterboard on the inside;
• If you live in a house that was built using sea containers, you may not be afraid of rodents and insects;
• Sea container houses can be built in any climatic conditions, but, despite such versatility, it is important to remember the need for high-quality thermal insulation;
• The total cost of building from sea containers is several times lower than the cost of capital houses;
• If you decide to build a house from sea containers, remember that they are advantageously combined with various building modules, including brick, reinforced concrete, etc.;

• The construction of a residential building from sea containers takes no more than two to three months, and if finishing measures are minimized and limited to simple finishing, two to three weeks will be enough to complete construction activities;
• In view of the low load that container buildings carry, they do not need to install a solid foundation and can even be installed on carefully compacted ground;
• Sea containers can be used not only for the construction of residential buildings, but also for household facilities. In addition, from them it is possible to equip an outbuilding to an existing building;

• The installation of container buildings on frozen ground is widely demanded, and therefore, often from sea containers, mainly those intended for sea transportation, they practice the construction of entire housing bases in the far north and Antarctica;
• If the design of your building does not imply the creation of stained-glass windows on the entire wall, it will protect you as much as possible from extraneous intrusion;
• Buildings from sea containers can be successfully erected in areas with a large slope.

Disadvantages of houses from shipping containers:

• Often, for the treatment of walls and floors of sea containers, special paints and highly toxic compounds are used to protect them from atmospheric influences. In this regard, before using such containers for building a house, take care to remove these compounds;
• In the summer, a house made of shipping containers gets very hot, while in the winter it cools down. With this in mind, take care of organizing an effective heat-insulating layer;
• In order to avoid the appearance of rust on the surface of the building, it is necessary to organize careful monitoring and care of it;
• One of the disadvantages of container buildings is low ceilings(if the floor and ceiling are insulated, the height of the latter will be about 2.35 m).

Sea container houses: projects, drawings, construction basics

The shipping container house is a constructive solution that has become popular in Europe and America thanks to the famous architect Adam Kalkin. It was he who became the author of the first container house in history, which became his creative experiment. Three sea containers were used for its construction. As it turned out, the acquisition of sea containers did not cause any difficulties, and the financial side of the issue only pleased the author of this know-how. Over time, sea container buildings began to be used not only as residential buildings, but also as hotel complexes, restaurants and retail premises, and their high seismic stability and mobility made them especially in demand in areas with frequent natural disasters.

For the construction of a residential building, mainly standard 40-foot shipping containers are used, which are characterized by the following internal dimensions:

• height - about 2.4 m;
• length - 12 m;
• width - 2.35 m.

If one 40' container can be used to build a spacious outbuilding or utility room, as well as equipping a storage or a workshop, then from two or three building blocks you can build a house with an area of ​​​​60-120 square meters. meters. For example, two 40-foot containers, installed opposite each other, can be connected with stained-glass windows and subsequently covered with a common roof.

Important! Distinctive feature sea ​​containers is high strength. Initially, sea containers are made in such a way that later they can be installed on the sea deck on top of each other in the amount of 8-10 pieces. Given this feature, it can be assumed that sea containers can be used for the construction of two- and three-story buildings. However, to increase the reliability of the structure, the containers must be fixed by welding.

Important! For the construction of residential buildings, two, three or more sea containers can be used. If more than two containers were used to make the house, the space between the spaced containers that remains free must be equipped for an additional room using maximum glazing.

The construction of houses from sea containers, the price of which is on average 30% lower than capital buildings, begins with the development of a project and the acquisition of building blocks - cargo containers. Available online for free a large number of projects of houses from shipping containers, striking in their diversity. The most common designs involve the use of two containers, which are installed side by side or at an angle to each other in the form of the letter "L" or "T". It is also possible to stack containers on top of each other.

By moving the containers relative to each other, you will complicate the facade of your house, at the same time making it more original. On the contrary, by moving the containers apart, you will create additional free space that can be used as a spacious living room with maximum glazing.

The next project of a container house, consisting of two blocks, which are united by a pitched roof. Two bedrooms are planned in one of the blocks, a bathroom and a kitchen in the other. In the free space between the blocks, a living room is equipped, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich the ceiling height will be greater due to the roof slopes.

Masters with experience in building container houses recommend entrusting specialists with the creation of projects for houses from sea containers, in this case there will be no problems with the drawing, as they will work through everything to the smallest detail.

Residential building from shipping containers: construction stages

If you decide to build a house from sea containers yourself, without involving a contractor, keep in mind that construction will take more time, and it will not do without the involvement of special equipment and welding skills. Before you start building, you need to purchase containers. To build a full-fledged residential building, experts recommend purchasing at least two containers, which on average (including delivery) will cost about 100 thousand rubles.

Important! After the containers are delivered to the construction site, they must be checked for radiation. No matter how strange it may sound, but it is in such containers that residual radiation often accumulates. As for the norm for the radiation background, for our latitudes, it is 35 microroentgen per hour.

Foundation arrangement

The first and one of the most milestones building from containers - arrangement of the foundation. If you put the house directly on the ground, without a foundation, then the ground under the building will sag, and the building itself will freeze. The choice of foundation design for a container house is carried out taking into account its size and terrain characteristics. If you are planning to build an ordinary change house for spending time in the warm season, several foundation blocks can be used as a foundation. However, if we are talking about a two-story residential building created according to the author's project, it needs preliminary preparation of the foundation. In most cases, it is recommended to give preference to a reinforced strip foundation.

To do this, they dig a pit, the dimensions and depth of which meet the requirements of the project. This will require the call of specialized equipment - an excavator and trucks for soil removal. As for the most preferred foundation designs, in most cases, experts recommend giving preference to a strip foundation, but sometimes piles are indispensable. The latter is relevant for regions with weak waterlogged soil.

Given the large weight of the container building (especially when it comes to two-story house from sea containers), it often becomes necessary to prepare a reliable foundation, the function of which can only be performed by a monolithic foundation. To fill it, you will need grade 400 cement, sand and water. To increase its service life, special hardeners and other additives are often added to the solution.

Concrete work, which is an integral part of the construction of the foundation, can be simplified by ordering a ready-made concrete mix. In this case, the preparation of the foundation will consist of mounting the reinforcing cage in accordance with the drawings, installing the formwork and pouring the mortar. Remember to compact the concrete using special deep vibrating tools.

Constructive stage - installation of containers

You can start it only after the final maturation of concrete, which will take at least 22 days from the moment the foundation is poured.

Important! During the aging of concrete, carry out anti-corrosion treatment of containers. To do this, paint them with iron, and then red lead. Only after that cover them with a paint that is resistant to high temperatures.

After the final maturation of the concrete and the anti-corrosion treatment of the containers, proceed to the next stage - the installation of the containers on the foundation. When it comes to building a house from a 40-foot shipping container, you can’t do without the involvement of special equipment, namely a truck crane. After you have installed the modules, they must be tied and scalded, fastened to the foundation and to each other. Next, install the internal interior partitions. The easiest way to install partitions from drywall sheet, the installation of which is easy to carry out with your own hands. However, in practice, a different approach is often used. It involves the removal and cutting of the profiled sheet from which the walls of the container are made, which will be inside the building and are not provided for by the project. This is done immediately before their installation on the foundation. On this stage it is also necessary to cut through doors and windows.

Important! If, in addition to 40-foot containers, 20-foot containers are used for the construction of a residential building, it is necessary to take into account the difference in their sizes. Combining containers with different sizes allows you to create a building with an unusual, author's design.

Roof installation: main stages

Stage 1. For the manufacture of the attic frame, a bar with a section of 10x10 cm can be used. To attach the bars to the container, use self-tapping screws, and to fasten them together, use plumbing bolts.

Stage 2. Having prepared the attic frame, install the rafters for the roof. The dimensions of the boards for the rafters are selected in accordance with the project, so that later they do not have to be spliced ​​together. The connection of the rafters is carried out using self-tapping screws.

Stage 3. Having installed the rafters, proceed with the installation of the crate, on top of which it is necessary to lay sheets of galvanized steel. At the same time, it is important not to forget about the arrangement of vapor barrier, which can be done using two options:

• Between the steel sheets and the crate, you can lay a vapor barrier film;
• On the two sides of the house, under the roof itself, you can install three 40-centimeter pipes with a diameter of 10 cm, which will ensure effective ventilation roof space. Holes for installing pipes must be made in advance. Given the fact that the operation of the attic takes place mainly in the summer, these pipes will not be closed for the winter.

Obviously, the first way is the simplest.

Important! When choosing a steel roof, remember that it will make a lot of noise during strong winds and rain. In this regard, despite the fact that steel roofing is an economical option, experts recommend abandoning it and opting for soft materials, for example, ondulin.

Insulation of a house from shipping containers

Thermal insulation is an integral part of the construction of any residential building. When building a house from sea containers, this is especially important, and since the metal from which the containers are made is a good conductor of sounds, it is important to provide not only heat, but also sound insulation. To insulate a house from shipping containers, you can use the following materials:

• mineral wool;
• polyurethane foam;
• Styrofoam.

The service life of mineral wool does not exceed 10 years, after which it loses its original characteristics. Polyfoam and polyurethane foam, unlike the previous material, due to their dense structure, are mounted very quickly, and their service life is an order of magnitude higher and is about 20 years. They have not only heat, but also soundproof functions, which is not characteristic of mineral wool. Fastening of any of the listed materials is carried out using special glue or plastic pins. If you prefer pins, they must be screwed into the walls of the container in advance. A polyethylene film is laid on top of the materials.

Interior and exterior decoration of the house from shipping containers

After you have made the insulation, on the surface of the building, install a crate made of wood or metal, on which plywood or OSB sheets will subsequently be mounted for subsequent finishing.

For the exterior of the building, you can use the following materials:

• Siding;
• Block house;
• Decorative plaster;
• Natural or artificial stone;
• Plastic.

Plastic, block house and siding attached to wooden crate pre-lacquered. Decorative and natural stone - on a primed surface using concrete or special adhesives. The plaster is applied to a flat surface using spatulas of various sizes.

The interior decoration practically does not differ from the exterior - a heater is mounted on the batten bars, which is covered with sheets of plywood or OSB. In this case, the space between the sheets of plywood should be at least 1.5 cm. Subsequently, they are filled mounting foam which will prevent dust from entering the house.

By producing interior decoration, plywood and OSB can be replaced with drywall, which can later be lined with paint, plaster, wallpaper and other available materials.

When finishing the ceiling, it must be remembered that its height does not exceed 2.4 meters, and, as a result, to abandon multi-level ceiling structures. Experts recommend staying on a regular plasterboard ceiling, or installing stretch ceiling.

Wrote on January 29th, 2017

I decided to write a post about modular housing from containers.

So, let's begin:

Everything started as usual. We wanted to build a house with our family.

Google to help us.
Looked at different options. Even for this, a shop for the production of foam concrete blocks was previously acquired.
But in connection with the move, the workshop remained in the old place (3000 km.) Other options began to look.

Looked at many solutions. Stone, wood, frame, sandwich panels, modules.
Due to possible relocations, I decided to focus on modular construction.

4 walls, roof, floor - yes;
+ No need to make a foundation;
+ Costs only for insulation and cosmetics;
+ Cheapness of the project;
+ Possibility of modernization and increase in space without major alterations;
+ The ability to transport the module to any point of the "planet" - and this is the main plus for my choice;
+ main objective MOBILITY

cons (which I already "felt"):

Narrow space (width);
- High-quality insulation of the inner part "squeezes out" the usable area;
- The inability to drive a nail "anywhere" (tighten a screw) both from the inside and from the outside;
- Complexity of design (taking into account partitions, windows, through holes);

Designed in Google Sketchup

The initial project consisted of 3 containers on the first floor and two modules on the 2nd floor (reserve for the future) with a total area of ​​125 sq.m.

Let's take a closer look:
1st floor: entrance from the end of the vestibule;
wide hall 5x6 meters;
kitchen 2.2x3 m.;
bathroom (toilet);
stairs to the 2nd floor, under it is an office;
boiler room (separate entrance);
workshop, garage.

During the design process, there was a "slamzin" container layout in size (I dismantled it and tried to build everything into it).

But moved away from it (many tweaks)

view from above.

In the process of creation, there were many different options.

Arriving in a new city, he acquired a plot.


After the terra formation, I realized that this project does not fit the area, and the format of the modules needs to be changed.

Retreat.
Today January 7, 2016 Krasnoyarsk region. Yesterday I hung 2 thermometers, on the street (outside the window) and inside (in the large hall)
On the street -20 in the module +6. Dubak. Heating has not yet done. From heating, only a Chinese wind blower for 1800 watts. that blows under your feet. Plaid on the shoulders).
Well, remember the summer. It even gets warmer when viewing photos.

I bought and brought a container. While I put it with friends (there is electricity and close to work)

40 foot High Cube, internal dimensions 12039х2350х2693

Account opened:
container 80 tr.
delivery 7 tr.
crane 1.2 tr.

Now to business.
1. Marking what and where to cut and saw.

Windows, doors.

2. Cutting openings.
One little man advised cutting with a gas welding (petrol cutter), they say, faster and better. The Bulgarian will not take and you will get a lot of disks.
I hired a welder for 5 tr. for cutting.

Cut out in 2 days (oxygen ended on the first day)

Cut to size, but the edges are all in the "snot" of the metal. The Bulgarian takes this iron perfectly. Cleaner and better. There aren't too many discs.
5 tr. to the wind (((

Not without helpers))

They brought bars 5x5 for mounting the frame.
30 pcs. - 3480 r.

According to the marking, I drilled holes in the iron for fastening the bars.

3. Mounting the frame.

It was not easy to mount on the wall (I constantly had to rearrange the spacers)

The bars were fastened inside the bend of the profile with 40 screws with a wide hat. Used sealant in the holes.
I immediately calculated where the windows and doors would be, so that later they would be mounted on the same bars.

I wanted to make a door from the same sheet, but it did not work out, the metal of the container is concave in some places and deforms after cutting.

I thought that the side bars were "hemorrhoids", eh !!! no, the bars on the ceiling are generally a "Siberian fur animal"

climb onto the roof two or three times to fasten the bar, this is still "physical education"

It looks like all the bars are screwed on.

4 days only on the bars (. I just howled at such a pace. Together, they would have done it well, in a maximum of one day. And so .... 4 days !!!

Approved a preliminary version of the first module (in addition, I decided to make a couple more)

4. Partitions from the same bars and profile

5. Doors
retractable interior door

Entrance tin (cold pancake) door.
The most deshmanskaya Chinese.

Porch) from...

6. Partition lining

I sewed up fiberboard in pieces, it will still be inside, you can’t see it.
General form:

7. Welding work

I ordered a 50x50 corner to strengthen the metal under the windows
Somehow exposed (heavy pancake)

8. Welded the base for the boiler module

from the sampling area.

9. Laid a profile for fixing drywall.

10. Warming

Acquired installation for the application of polyurethane foam. I had to upgrade.
Welded a gurney on wheels for balloons with liquids.

It was hard to warm up. Nerves need a "wagon". For the first time, it doesn’t work, I poured about 50 liters for a sample.

soft room)

11. Wiring
Sockets, lighting.

12. Appearance.

While the days are warm, you need to paint the exterior.
Cleaning the most "mowing" places.

Pulverizer in white

Let's add blue.

I will add here another 12 volt power supply to the module
Forced exhaust in every room.

Lighting LED.

13. Cosmetics
insulation layer. What the heck is he needed? ... but I put it under a plaster cast.

There was not enough drywall up to the ceiling, and I decided to make a curb.

14. Installation of windows.

immediately felt comfortable.

We continue to hang the plaster.

15. Putty

Beloved picked up the tools

and at this time I cook a couple more modules

17. Power supply

I decided to place electricity and other electrical things in the partition. There are many places.
Shield light, sockets of each room separately. Fire system burglar alarm. There will also be a 12v power supply.
Receiver for the Internet, satellite TV and smart home systems (I think I have enough strength).

18. We warm the floor. Material termex 2 cm.

Impregnated the floor and plywood liquid glass. Thermite - insulation with foil - plywood. The edges were filled with mounting foam. Attached with screws.

The last of the sketches of the project of the future house.

in this version there will be 6 modules.
2-40 foot containers.
2-20ft container
2 - small non-standard modules.

first module: 2 rooms (bedrooms) and half of the hall;
second module: 1 room (bedroom), kitchen and the second half of the hall;
third module: steam room, sauna, washbasin, toilet.
fourth module: entrance hall, workshop (study)
fifth (small): vestibule, warehouse;
sixth (small): boiler room.

19 Painting.

Well, as expected - housewarming!

Many thanks to my friends (who are in the photo) for their help.

Let's summarize today:
in Krasnoyarsk since March 12, 2015
for 10 months:
- excellent work;
- Good friends;
- land plot;
- for 6 months. built the first module;

Spent on the module 196 tr. (together with the container).

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The idea of ​​building a house out of shipping containers is not so new. original designs from one, two or more assembly elements can be easily turned into a residential building. Let's look at the characteristics of different container sizes and talk about the stages of construction one-story house from shipping containers.

A house made of shipping containers is a topic of interest to many. In our country, containers are mainly converted into change houses, outbuildings, but so far only a few are building houses. Why is this happening?

It seems to some that it is impossible to build original, beautiful housing from ISO containers. Others believe that such houses are good only for warmer latitudes. The third is stopped by the uncertainty of the final estimate. Let's try to deal with all these questions.

Architectural options

A container house can be built into almost any landscape of the site, and it can be built from one container or several, located in one, two or three tiers.

Examples of non-standard placement of houses

The house of three blocks in three tiers, located on a hillside and occupying a minimum area of ​​the site, was built in New Zealand by industrial design teacher Ross Stevens.

A floating house built from sea containers on a pontoon.

Folding house with opening and folding walls for summer holidays.

Tree house in New York from the German studio Baumraum.

House hanging over the water.

Examples of container houses in Canada

Winters in Canada, especially in areas with a continental climate, can be as severe as in Russia. In this regard, the houses that were built there are of interest.

Three-block house in the forests of Canada, created by Pierre Morency.

Another house of three containers, built for himself by Canadian Joseph Dupuis.

House from containers in Kharkov

The project of the architect Oleg Drozdov, implemented in Kharkov, Ukraine. Complex: two containers laid perpendicular to each other in two tiers - a residential building and a separate guest house, also from a transport container.

original ideas

Projects have been developed for a house built from containers in the form of a cross, there is an idea to create a house from one 40-foot container, placed vertically. There are other developments that are complex and impractical in terms of the use of space and container volumes. We want to give some original and at the same time useful ideas.

The house and pool are all made from shipping containers.

Several blocks united by one roof. The largest room is formed by the area between the containers.

A similar solution for an asymmetric house. shed roof over three containers greatly increases the area of ​​the house.

The veranda can rise in winter and form a wall, thermally insulating a significant area of ​​​​glazing.

What to pay attention to during construction

In building a house from sea containers, there are several main points that should be considered most carefully at the planning stage:

1. Basis, foundation - unlike a change house, a house for permanent residence must be based on a solid foundation.
2. Thermal insulation - important aspect for home improvement from shipping containers in our harsh continental climate.
3. Ventilation - the walls of the container completely isolate the internal volume of air, therefore it is important to provide high-quality air exchange to create a healthy atmosphere.
4. Roofing - has a greater impact on aesthetics, but also provides additional benefits in building insulation.

Foundation

Some authors claim that a foundation is not required to set up a house. However, most experts believe that a foundation is absolutely necessary for the climate of the main part of Russia. It can be slab, tape, column or pile, depending on the type of soil, winter temperatures and the mass of the structure.

For most buildings, in our opinion, inexpensive columnar or pile foundations, and when the house hangs over the water - only pile. In addition to providing a stop, the foundation allows you to set the containers exactly horizontally.

A house made of two 40-foot containers was built in Costa Rica by Benjamin Garcia. The house has a columnar foundation.

House designed by Benjamin Garcia

thermal insulation

The device of thermal insulation of a house from containers is one of the decisive issues in creating a full-fledged housing. Thermal insulation is performed both from the inside and outside, and the choice of method depends on the mode of residence: permanent or "arrivals".

Choice of thermal insulation materials

The choice of materials depends on the location of the thermal insulation and the budget. For internal works suitable mineral wool. If it is reliably protected from precipitation and wind during outdoor work, then it can also be used outside the building. For floors, the use of mineral wool is not recommended if there is a risk of water ingress. To lay mineral wool, you need to make a crate and lay the material so that it does not sag down over time, leaving areas without thermal insulation. When using mineral wool boards, to ensure 100 mm thickness, it is better to lay two sheets of 50 mm each so that the seams in the layers do not match.

Polyurethane foam can be used to foam the thermal insulation layer on both sides of the container. Styrofoam has also proven itself, work with which you can do yourself. For good durability of these materials, it is necessary to make a crate by attaching it with self-tapping screws to the container wall or by pre-welding a steel corner.

Thermal insulation of the container outside

It makes sense to insulate the container from the outside when the house is intended for permanent residence. Thus, the dew point is shifted outside the inner surface of the walls. If the thermal insulation at the same time eliminates all cold bridges and ventilation is provided, condensation will not form in the house. In this case, the heat-insulating material must be closed from the effects of the atmosphere and precipitation, for example, siding.

Thermal insulation of the container from the inside

If the house is used exclusively during the summer period or visits are planned at other times of the year, it is better to perform thermal insulation from the inside. Arriving in a frozen house in winter and turning on the heating, you can quickly warm up the air and not get dew on the walls if the thermal insulation is done correctly:

• a continuous layer of thermal insulation, without exits even a part of the metal of the container into the living room;
• all internal walls are either non-metal or mounted so that a sufficient layer is laid between them and the metal of the container thermal insulation material or wood.

For this type of thermal insulation, it is also necessary to provide for the possibility of ventilation.

Ventilation

Since ISO containers are airtight and modern windows and the doors also do not allow air to pass through, you need to take care of ventilation. It can be a window, the possibility of micro-ventilation in plastic window, an automatic valve that is actuated by high humidity or more complex engineering systems. If you leave the house without ventilation, then not only will people not have enough fresh air, but condensation (ice) will appear on the windows, dampness, mold and fungus are possible.

The ideal solution would be the installation of supply and exhaust ventilation with preliminary air preparation.

Ventilation solution in the house of the architect Maria José Trejos

Roof

Roofing is desirable but not essential for container houses. The device of a one- or two-pitched roof will make the house warmer, it will be possible to combine two or more blocks into a single house, increasing the area, as we showed above in the examples. But it is possible to insulate the ceiling only from the inside, covering the building with a layer of roofing material on top: the container is airtight, the steel is of high quality, there should be no leaks. Moreover, some owners even arrange a lawn or flower garden on the roof of such a house.

Lawn on the roof of the house from the container

Characteristics of sea containers

The basis of the containers is a frame made of longitudinal and transverse steel beams, sheathed with corrugated alloy steel sheets 1.5-2 mm thick. Pressed plywood is laid on the floor, usually impregnated with mold, up to 40 mm thick. This material can be removed (rather laborious process) and used after laying the thermal insulation on the floor. At the end there is a double hinged door, the tightness of which is ensured by sealing rubber around the perimeter of the opening.

40' container

Sea containers differ in size and volume. The dimensions of the most common options are shown in table 1.

Table 1. Sizes of sea containers

Installation steps

Building a house involves many elements. We list the main installation steps:

1. Foundation construction.
2. Supply of communications, laying of passage elements for tie-in into the container.
3. Transportation of containers and building materials to the site.

1. Connecting containers to each other. Can be done:
   • welding of two walls along the edges;
   • welding of a steel strip between two containers with preliminary laying of heat-insulating material;
   • bolted connection.

1. If the hinged doors of the containers will not be used, they must be welded.
2. Cut windows and doors. In this case, the structure loses its rigidity and must be immediately restored. Profiled square pipes are welded along the opening from floor to ceiling. The opening is framed horizontally with the same pipes, installed between vertical pipes - supports.

1. Metal examination. Cleaning and priming of seams, straightening of bent places, anti-corrosion treatment.
2. Installation of windows and outer door. Porch equipment.
3. At internal thermal insulation Sew up the outer walls with siding along the crate. You can simply paint the metal with light paint for outdoor use. At this stage, you can build a pitched roof, cover the top of the container with roofing material or prepare a pillow for the lawn: drainage, geotextiles, soil.
4. Mark out the interior layout. Perform water supply.
5. Perform internal (external) wall insulation. Insulate floors and ceilings.

1. Erect internal walls, install interior doors.
2. Wiring: sockets, switches, lighting, appliances.
3. Install the heater, carry out the wiring of the heating.

1. Ventilation device (if this is not provided for by the design of the windows).
2. Set up a sewer.
3. Install the water heater, dilute the supply of cold and hot water by points.
4. Install plumbing.
5. Finishing walls, ceiling, floor.

This is not a complete list of all the work, but it will help you navigate when planning construction and budgeting.

Construction estimate

The calculation we performed is rather a convenient form for adjusting for individual initial data:

• number of containers;
• way of organizing the foundation;
• installation method and equipment selection engineering networks;
• choice of thermal insulation, construction and finishing materials etc.

An approximate calculation of the cost of the main materials of a house for permanent residence from two 20-foot containers without an equipped roof (all without delivery) for July 2016 is given in table 2.

Table 2. Approximate estimate for building a house from shipping containers

In addition to these costs, you need to take into account the wages of hired workers (if you do not do everything yourself), the cost of finishing materials and filling the house with furniture, household appliances etc.

Before deciding on such a construction, it is advisable to weigh everything and make an estimate several times, without looking at the previous version. If you still want such a house, but you do not have enough funds to implement such a project, remember that a container house can be built in several stages: during breaks, it will not get wet, loosen, or let moisture inside. This is one of the advantages of such construction.

A container house is a practical, fast, cost-effective and reliable building. Modern technologies allow the construction of buildings from cargo containers. And it doesn’t matter at all what containers will be used for construction: sea or railway. Both those and others perfectly tolerate the aggressive effects of the external environment, have a very strong structural part and can be used to build buildings with their own hands.

Container house - a simple and original design

The use of two shipping containers will allow building a house from 60 m2 to 120 m2, depending on the project. For example, 40-foot containers placed opposite each other can be connected with stained-glass windows and covered with a common roof.

small container house

From one 40-foot container you can make a luxurious extension, a convenient utility room, a temporary residence for daily workers, equip a workshop or store. Houses built using this technology have great seismic resistance, so you can build such a house in seismically hazardous areas.

Project types

"Container" projects are diverse, there are a huge number of them. Therefore, it is not difficult to see modular buildings from a block of containers with your own eyes or in photographs. Such construction is very popular not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Unfortunately, projects for this type of building are extremely individual. Sample projects not found in the public domain.

However, like any construction, a container house requires a mandatory calculation of loads, foundations, strength - in a word, it is necessary to create design estimates.

Container House Plan

The necessity of the project should not be treated as something negative, cumbersome and unnecessary. After all, not only the strength and reliability of the structure depend on what the building project will be, since it is this package of documentation that determines appearance, convenient location of rooms and rational use of space.

You can build such a house with your own hands, but to create a project, you need to contact a special organization. Professional engineers will calculate every detail, determine not only the scope of work, but also correctly calculate the load, create a spectacular appearance, indicate the necessary Construction Materials and calculate their number.

The house for the construction of which the project is being prepared is always beautiful, reliable, safe, comfortable, and does not threaten to collapse. Built in compliance with all the recommendations of the designers, it will serve faithfully for a long time.

The original design of the house from shipping containers

Projects drawn up by architects and designers, as well as buildings built according to them, are always individual and unusual. It can be houses of two or more floors, built in the form of a cascade, steps, randomness. The project may involve combined construction when, along with the use of sea containers, railway containers and other structures are used.

Construction features

Freight, most often 40-foot, containers for rail or sea transportation are a ready and reliable skeleton of the future building. These are prefabricated modules made of prefabricated metal structures.

The construction of buildings and structures from containers is much faster than structures made in any other way.

The seeming simplicity of building residential buildings according to projects attracts those who are used to working with their own hands. But, it should be remembered that the construction of buildings from sea and railway containers is a serious and responsible undertaking that requires certain skills and knowledge.

House from sea or railway containers

Therefore, in order to build such a country or residential house from containers, it is best to invite specialists. Many construction companies offer, among other works, the construction of buildings from 40-foot cargo containers.

These firms have experienced welders, concrete workers, roofers. Therefore, modular buildings from block containers, regardless of the number of floors, total area, intended use, will be built efficiently and quickly.

But all further work on the internal and exterior finish you can make your own at home.

Stages of construction of the structural part

If, nevertheless, a decision is made to build a house with your own hands, without involving a contractor, then you need to take into account that the construction of structures will take time, require the involvement of special equipment and the ability to handle welding and other construction tools. For welding metal structures, it is necessary to use only high-quality domestic electrodes, since Chinese-made electrodes are not suitable for such construction.

Foundation. Production construction works starts with the foundation. Since if you put the container directly on the ground, it will settle, and the house will freeze. Therefore, first of all, you need to dig a pit in size and depth in accordance with the requirements of the project. In most cases it is enough strip foundation, but in a number of regions one cannot do without piles. The last requirement applies to regions with weak, swampy soils. In order to dig a pit, you will need an excavator, accompanied by trucks for the removal of soil. During the concrete work, it is necessary to leave outlets from the reinforcement to link the foundation with the container.

You can simplify the concrete work on pouring the foundation with your own hands by ordering a ready-made concrete mix. In this case, it is enough to mount the reinforcement cage in accordance with the drawings, install the formwork and pour the mortar.

Fresh concrete must be compacted using special deep vibrating tools. You can proceed to the next stage only after the concrete has completely matured, that is, not earlier than 22 days after it has been poured. The dimensions of the foundation depend on which containers will be used, since the sizes of sea and railway containers differ significantly. In addition, they are released in different options, including: 20 and 40-foot. When designing foundations, the number of modular blocks from which the house will be built is taken into account. Accordingly, they have a difference in size and design of foundations for two, three or more blocks. For the construction of multi-storey structures from sea or railway containers, more powerful, reinforced foundations will be required.

Installing the container on the foundation

Structural part. The next stage is the installation of containers on the existing foundation. Here you can not do without special equipment. Since both sea and railway containers are of considerable weight, you will definitely need a truck crane. Therefore, when building a house with your own hands, you should take care of this in advance. Special equipment, especially during the season, is in great demand. After the modules are installed, they should be tied and scalded, fastened to the foundation and to each other. Further, all are produced necessary work on the arrangement of internal interior walls. It can be just the installation of partitions from the GKL, which can be easily mounted with your own hands. But, most often, before installing them, the profiled sheet is removed or cut, from which the walls of the containers that are inside the new building are made. At the same stage, holes for windows and doors are cut. If both sea and rail containers are used for construction at the same time, the difference in size should be taken into account. Combining 40 and 20 foot containers allows you to create an unusual, individual design.

Roof device

It is also a fairly complex activity. Despite the fact that sea and rail containers already have a roof, it will not replace the roof. It is done in the same way as in conventional construction.

roof container house

Doing this part of the work with your own hands is unlikely to succeed. Therefore, it is best to invite a contractor who will perform all the work efficiently and in accordance with the project.

Containers are able to withstand a lot of weight, so even buildings with two or three floors can be covered with any kind roofing material including heavy shingles.

Warming and finishing of facades

Insulation of a dwelling built from containers is carried out in the same way as in the construction of ordinary houses. Having arranged the crate along the walls and on the upper outer part of the ceiling, it is necessary to lay the insulation. It can be glass wool, mineral slab, polyurethane, foam plastic, foam plastic, on top of which work is carried out on outdoor decoration building. These works can be done by hand, without the involvement of contractors.

To decorate the facades of such houses, special panels are used, decorative brick, tile from natural stone, as well as the usual painting and plastering of the Munich type. For painting, special facade paints are used, which are resistant to sudden changes in temperature and sunlight, as well as withstand frost and an abundance of moisture.

Facade decoration can be varied depending on the style and imagination.

Interior decoration

They start the interior decoration of container houses, usually with sheathing of the outer enclosing structures with sheets of drywall, plywood or USB panels. It is best to attach them to metal carcass from a rigid profile, since wooden structure will be mobile due to the constant change in the percentage of moisture in it. In order to insulate the house from the inside before sheathing the outer walls, it is best to cover them with isocork. The material made from natural cork wood is an excellent antiseptic, resistant to the formation of various biological microorganisms, whose appearance is associated with the formation of condensate.

After wall cladding, the ceiling is finished. as the most simple option wooden ceiling containers can simply be painted and varnished. But plastering and gesso are the least suitable for him. Firstly, because the existing floor is usually perfectly even, and secondly, the emulsion and gesso will constantly crack due to changes in the percentage of moisture in the wood. Therefore, it is best to use tension or suspended ceilings from drywall, armstrong or MDF panels. At the same time, stretch ceilings will retain the height of the ceiling as much as possible, lowering its level by no more than two to three centimeters.

Container house interior

After installing the ceilings, you can again return to the decoration of the walls. Since they do not differ from the walls of any other house, the decoration is determined solely by the taste of the residents. Technologically, any materials can be used: wallpaper, paint, decorative plasters and so on.

Floors also require minimal finishing. Since the wooden flooring is treated with various antiseptic and fire-fighting agents, it is better not to dismantle it, but to leave it as a base.

You can cover wooden flooring with any material - from linoleum to parquet. Laying ceramic tiles it will be necessary to produce not for an ordinary solution of tile glue, but for a special glue - “liquid nails”, the instruction of which involves gluing wooden and ceramic surfaces.

Application in industrial and civil construction

The erection of buildings from containers intended for freight transport railway or the sea, in the 21st century it has ceased to be the prerogative of private construction. An increasing number of countries are introducing this type of structural part into industrial and civil construction. This technology has already been used to build shopping malls, multi-storey residential buildings and even children's institutions. In Finland, the issue of building a whole residential complex from containers, including a large number of multi-storey buildings, is being considered.

Construction project apartment buildings from shipping containers in Detroit

In Detroit, Steven C. Flum, Inc. has already begun construction of a 20-apartment building from used containers. In addition to other advantages related directly to the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of construction, this type of construction is considered an environmentally friendly, resource-saving project.

This is due to the fact that it is unprofitable to send arriving containers back, and the issue of their disposal is quite acute. Therefore, the construction of small and medium-sized repair shops, residential complexes, snack bars and restaurants, shopping complexes and buildings for the entertainment sector from them is an excellent solution for recycling containers that does not require an expensive recycling process.

Finland is also interested in construction of this kind. According to the government, this will help to solve the problem of housing shortage. small area apartments and their relatively low cost will make housing affordable for young people who are in dire need of it. Such a house should appear in the city of Vantaa in 2016. It will have from 50 to 100 apartments, each from 14 to 28 m2.

In Buenos Aires (Argentina) they built a shopping complex of 57 brightly colored modules, with a roof made of solar panels, they provide the opportunity to work for restaurants, offices, shopping boutiques. There is also a gallery and a cafe with huge stained-glass windows.

A unique shopping street has been created in London; 61 shipping containers were used for its construction. Boxpark Shoreditch isn't just about walking. There are places for recreation, sanitary points, cafes and even a small square with beautiful well-groomed trees.

The construction of buildings from modules is also gaining momentum in the CIS. In Kazakhstan, for example, this method is widely used to create boutiques in markets that have a warehouse on the second floor.

Auxiliary mobile premises

It is convenient to build modular houses to create living conditions for shift workers. Prefabricated hostels are easily dismantled and transported from one object to another.

Cafe from containers: easy to install, dismantle and transport

The containers house canteens, baths and sanitary facilities. In addition, during the winter, when work is on outdoors difficult, part of the work performed can be transferred to modular workshops.

Installation of furnace equipment and external insulation make possible use structures from containers all year round. The ability to install one container on another without problems and loss of strength provides maximum efficiency use land plots. If necessary, containers installed in a row, in addition to the main purpose, can form a temporary fence of the territory.