Foundation Design For Shipping Container Homes (2024)

FAQs

Foundation Design For Shipping Container Homes? ›

The four main foundation types which can be used with container homes are pier, pile, slab and strip. There are other types of foundations but these are the most commonly used with container homes. Pier Foundation: Pier foundations are the most popular choice for shipping container homes for numerous reasons.

A pier foundation is a very popular foundation for shipping container homes and other permanent structures. It is very similar to a pile foundation. Cylindrical concrete piers (often reinforced with steel) are placed into the ground until they rest on compact soil.

Concrete foundations are appropriate when the shipping container will remain in the exact location for an extended period of time. You can pour concrete in each corner at the same level and unload the container on top of the footings.

Container homes can very well be dropped on level ground that's not raised, but a foundation of some sort is highly recommended. Building a foundation for your container home is the best way to keep unwanted pests and elements out. Container home foundation options we recommend: Concrete slab foundations.

We do not recommend cinder blocks since they will disintegrate quickly. When your container is delivered, be sure to have your blocking handy for the driver to put under your container. Additionally, if you plan on putting your container on pylons, remember that tiltbed trucks cannot deliver onto them.

One common method is to use a concrete slab foundation. This involves excavating the site to a depth of at least 12 inches, then pouring a concrete slab that is level and slightly larger than the footprint of the container. The container is then placed on top of the slab and anchored to it using steel brackets.

Even though most of the container load is carried through the corner castings, the walls still carry some weight and hold the shape of the container – making them very important to the structural integrity.

Recommendation: The container may be able to go on bare earth but consider creating a gravel pad. If the container is going to be spending a long period of time on bare earth, there's more risk of the container settling into an unlevel position over time.

How high should a shipping container be off the ground? ›

The floor of the container is 6-8 inches off the ground, and you don't want your forklift or pallet jack to jolt your shipment as it passes over the lip each time.

Pier Foundation:

They are relatively inexpensive, and quick to construct, a pier foundation is comprised of concrete blocks. Each concrete block, or pier, is generally 50 cm X 50 cm X 50 cm and containers reinforcing steel inside to improve the concretes strength in tension.

Yes, shipping containers. According to HomeGuide, the average cost to build and install a container home is $25,000 to $250,000. While that's no small chunk of change, it's significantly less than you'd expect to pay for a traditional house in most parts of the country.

Ground plates with twist-locks are a fast and easy way to secure a shipping container to a foundation. Simply bolt the ground plates into the concrete and carefully lower the container so that the corner castings line up with the twist locks. Pull the levers on the twist locks and the container is secured.

Wooden beams are installed underneath all four corners of the container. If you're using a 40ft shipping container, you can place an additional beam along the middle for more support. This foundation option is also meant for lighter loads. Another option is a gravel foundation.

Although you can bury shipping containers underground, you need to ensure adequate structural support to the container. If you do not reinforce your container, the walls may cave in due to intense ground pressure from all sides.