IntermodalShippingContainersforuseasSteelBuildings

Written&IllustratedByPaulSawyers-Copyright2004PaulSawyers

LibraryofCongress,U.S.CopyrightOffice,Ref#___________

Publishedbytheauthor.Originalproductioncopy#___________



AboutTheFormatofthisBook

WhenIdecidedtowritethisbook,theoriginalplanwastohaveitpublished
inpaperbackformbyavanitypress.AbouthalfwaythroughIrealizedit
wouldbemuchcheapertomakecopiesandassemblethebooksmyselfat
home.Thedesktoppublishingmethodsingle-handedlyeliminatesmost
expenses,andallowsmetopricethebookfarlower.Thisexplainsthelack
ofglossycoveretc.Youcouldcallitprintingonashoestringbudget.

Feelfreetocontactmeviaemailifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisbook,
needdesignassistance,orjustwanttosayhello.Myaddressis
paulsaw03@yahoo.com

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 INTERMODALSHIPPINGCONTAINERSFORUSEASSTEEL
BUILDINGS

ByPaulSawyers

TableofContents

Preface-WhyContainerBuildings?

Part1-AboutContainers-pages5-16

ChapterOne-IntroductiontoISOContainerBuildings
(a)highcostoflumberdiscussion
(b)howbigareICunits?
(c)drycargoICconstructionspecs
ChapterTwo-PurchaseandDeliveryofIC's
(a)northamericanports
(b)internationalports
(c)printad'sforICshoppers
(d)howtofindIC'sforsaleontheinternet
(e)movingIC'sshortdistancesinno-truck-accessareas

Part2-BuildingwithContainers-pages17-20

ChapterThree-FootingsandFoundations
(a)wood,concrete,pre-fabricated
ChapterFour-CuttingSteelandBasicFraming
(a)framinginterior
(b)exteriordecks,supports,androofframing

Part3-ICDesignsandBuildingProjects-pages21-33

ChapterFive-OneDozenICDesignsandBuildingProjects

(a)---Standard20ft"bread&butter"design
(b)-------------Dual20ftunitsside-by-side
(c)----------------------Flood-proofdesign
(d)--------40fthigh-cubeICforautorepair
(e)-----------------20ft"desertrat"design
(f)-------------------------------Splitlevel
(g)----------------------The"supercarport"
(h)-------------------------SuperRVcover
(i)--------------------------Abombshelter
(j)---------Dual20ftskeetshootingdesign
(k)--------------------40fthandgunrange
(l)-----------Tripledesigned20ftstructure

Part4-Illustrations&Diagrams-pages35-60

(a)fullpage8.5"x11"illustrationsanddiagrams

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Preface.WhyContainerBuildings?

Inoticedaratheruniquesmallbuildingseveralyearsagowhiledriving
crosscountry.Itwasoneofthoseoceancargounitsthathadbeenturned
intoaworkshop.I'veseentheseunitsbefore,butneverusedasasmall
building.Whatagreatidea!AfterthatIbegannoticingmoreandmoreof
thesecargocontainerbuildings.Mostlyinrurallocations.Funnyhowyou
noticethingsthatyouareactuallylookingforisn'tit?

Well,sincethatfirstsightingofacargocontainersmallbuilding,Ihave
seenmanyothers.Ithasbeengreattoobservethemanyusesand
structuralvariationspeoplecomeupwith.Itrulybelievethatthesetypeof
structureswillprovidealowcostbuildingsolutiontomoreandmorepeople
worldwideaswepressforwardintothenextcentury.

ThisbookcoverssomeofthebuildingdesignsI'veseen,andsomeI've
comeupwithmyself.Tomyknowledgeitistheworldsfirstbookonthe
subject.Thedesignsandtechniquespresentedinthisbook,while
fundamentallytheoretical,arebelievedbymetobesound&easily
accomplishedwithaverageskill.

Thankyouandenjoy!

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Part1AboutContainers

ChapterOne.IntroductiontoISOContainerBuildings.

AsapersonnowlivinginthepacificnorthwestoftheUnitedStates,IguessIaminapositionto
observethetimberindustryatcloserrangethanmost.Harvestablewoodseemstobeendlessaround
here,andbuildingwithwoodisalwaysapleasure.Nevertheless,Icannotaccepttheridiculouslyhigh
costthesedays.Justtryrollingacartfullof2x4'sandplywoodouttheautomaticdoorsofahome
improvementsuperstorewithoutfeelingfivehundreddollarslighter.It'sprobablynotgoingtohappen.

Ifplanningasmalldo-it-yourselfbuildingproject,Iproposethereaderconsiderusingaheavyduty
weldedsteelboxwith1.5inchmarinegradehardwoodflooring.Apre-made,andreadytogosmall
buildingthatisverystrong,abletosupporttentimesitsweight.AnISOIntermodalShipping
Container!

Oceangoingcargoisshippedinsteelboxescalledintermodalcontainers.Thesearebuilttostrict
internationalqualitystandards,tosurviveharshtreatmentandaviolentlifeinthemarine
environment.Thesesteelboxesarealsoknownascargocontainers,shippingcontainers,seaboxes,or
fortheprofessional;ISOcontainers(internationalorganizationonstandardization).Thisbookwill
provideanassortmentofvariousbuildingdesignsmadefromthesecontainers.Also,allthenecessary
knowlegetoobtainyourcontainer,customizeit,andwrangleitaroundyourlittlechunkoftheglobe.

Note:Asthisbookprogresses,IwillrefertotheunitssimplyasIC's(intermodalcontainers).

Thetermintermodalreferstotheunitsabilitytobeloadedonships,trains,ortractortrailerswithit's
integratedstackablechassis.Containercranes(usually,arail-mountedgantrycranelocatedona
wharfforthepurposeofloadingandunloadingcontainersonvessels)easilypluckIC'sfromtraincars,
ortrucks,andstackthemonfreighters.Thousandsofdockworkers,onceamajorworkforce,have
beenreplacedbythelonecraneoperator.Interestinglyenough,craneoperatorsinmajorportscan
earnsixfiguresperyear.Moneywelldeservedasthisisaprecisionjobonthelevelofairlinepilot,
brainsurgeon,orhow-tobookwriter.

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(a)highcostoflumberdiscussion

JoeQPubliccanbuyagoodused40'ICandhaveitdeliveredforabout$1450(atthetimeofthis
writingin2004).20ftunitscomeinforevenless($800foragoodused20ft).Thecosttobuilda400
sqftcabinfromlumberpurchasednewaveragesouttobeatleast$2450.

**Here'showlumberprices,andavailabilityhypotheticallyeffectedconstructionplansfora1000sqft
cabinintheautumnof2003:

Thepriceofsheathingmaterial(plywoodandthewood-compositeproductorientedstrandboardor
OSB)wentup.OSBsheathingpricesreached$445-$535per1000sqfton9/12/2003,dependingon
gradeandthickness.Thepriceper1000sqftofOSBsheathingon8/22/2003wasonly$374.That'sa
bigincreaseinlessthan30days.

Atypical1000sqftcabinconsumes3000squarefeetofstructuralpaneling.

In2002thestructural-panelingcompositepricewasat$240per1000sqft,whileOSBwas$139per
1000sqft.Justgoingwiththecompositeprice,the3000sqftthatcost$1440inSeptember2002was
at$3210inSeptember2003,about2-1/4timesmoreexpensive.

Every1000sqftcabinneeds8000board-feetofframinglumbersuchas2-by-4sand2-by-6s.In
September2002,8000board-feet,at$288perthousand,cost$2304.InSeptember2003,itwas$382
perthousandboard-feet,or$3056.So,thetotalcostofalllumberrequiredfora1000sqftcabinrose
from$3024to$4660injustoneyear.

Plus,woodproductsaccountforonlyaboutone-halfofthetotalcostofmaterialsusedtobuildacabin.

**source:RandomLengthsofEugene,Oregon,randomlengths.com

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Onethingforsure,lumberwillnotbedroppinginpriceanytimesoon.Timeismoney,andtreestake
timetogrow.Withpopulationsmultiplyingrapidly,(&childrengrowingfasterthantreesandweeds),
theconsumermustchoosetoeitherpaythecostforlumber,orfindothersuitablebuildingmaterials.

Ifirmlybelievea20'or40'watertight,airtight,14gaugesteelICoffersmuchmorebangforthe
buckthanasimilarsizedlumber-builtstructure.Nottomentionthefactthatitispre-builtand
constructionlaborisminimal.ItseasytoorderyourIC,andhaveitploppeddownrightonyourland.
Allthatisrequiredafterdrop-off,istofinishyourunitasyouseefitbyaddinginteriorelements,
wiring,doorsandwindows,andthelike.

Theseunitsareversatile.Maybeyouwouldliketohaveaspecialstructurethathastwolevels,or
locatedseveralfeetundertheground?Itisnotmyplacetoquestionwhatyourspecialneedsmaybe
astheauthorofthisbook,buttosimplyprovidesolutions.Asyoureadonyouwillnoticeaheavy
emphasisonruralplacementofIC's,andnotmuchtimedevotedtoIC'sforusewithinestablishedcity
limits.Thisisduetotheobviousproblemofzoning.Ifyouhavepickeduporpurchasedthisbookand
readthisfar,escapingtherestrictionsofmunicipalzoninglawsisassumablyforemostinyourmind
anyways.LetsjusttakeitforgrantedthatyourICdomicilewillbelocatedonprivatelandawayfrom
theeyesofcodeenforcementorzoningofficialsifany.Zoninglawsarealotliketheinsuranceindustry
inmyopinion;organizedcrime.Whoneedsit!!??Ingeneral,containersareconsideredportable
structures,andmightnotfallwithinmanypermanentbuildingcitycodes.YourICisreallynodifferent
thanthe39ftRVyourneighborhasparkedoutback.

Aformalsourcelistordirectoryisnotincludedinthisbookinanattempttoavoidregionalizing,but
basicguidelinesforfindingsourcesintheUnitedStatesareincluded.Icanonlyassumethese
guidelinesaresimilarabroad.MostU.S.liquidatorsofIC'saremerelytransportcompanieswhosemain
businessisshipping.WhentheyhaveexcessstocksofIC'sforsaletothepublictheywillplaceadsin
localandregionalclassifiednewspapers.UsedICsalesareessentiallyjustanannoyingsidelinefor
theseguys.Whenvaluableyardspaceneedstobefreedup,itequalsbigsavingsforyoutheprivate
buyer.

Therearealsoseveralcompaniesthatspecializeininternetbasedsales&deliveryofIC'snationwide
(moreonthatlater),butlocalprintadsremainyourbestbetforgooduseddeals.

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(b)HowbigareICunits?

TheIC'scoveredinthisbookare8wideexternally,86tallexternal(or96fortheHi-Cubetype),
andavailableinstandardlengthsof20and40.Aftertakingintoaccountthethicknessabasic2x2
frameworkandminimumofinsulationmaterial,herearetheremainingroughinteriordimensionsthe
ICbuilderhastoworkwith:widthof7.5',andheightof7.5'(or8.5'fortheHi-Cubemodels).

Containers/Dimensions

Exterior Internal DoorOpenings

Length WidthHeightLength Width Height Length Width
20ft 19'10-1/2" 8' 8'6" 19'3" 7'8" 7'9-7/8" 7'8" 7'5"
40ft 40' 8' 8'6" 39'5" 7'8" 7'9-7/8" 7'8" 7'5"
40ftHC 40' 8' 9'6" 39'5" 7'8" 8'10" 7'8" 8'5"-1/2"

Weight/Capacity

Capacity EmptyWT MAXGross MAXPayload

20ft 1,165 5,050 67,200 62,150
40ft 2,350 8,000 67,200 59,200
40ftHC 2,694 8,775 67,200 58,425

TherearemanyothertypesandsizesofIC'sonthemarket,butIwantedtostickwiththethreemain
sizesofdrycargounitsforsakeofsimplicity.The20'standardunit,the40'standardunit,andthe40'
highcubeunit,aptlytitledforit'sextratalldesignof9'6".

(c)DryCargoICConstructionSpecs

Topsandsidesaremadefromwelded14gauge(.075")corrugatedsteel,ona7gauge(.18")tubular
steelframe.Cornerfittingsaremadefromsolidblocksofmilledorcaststeelandweldeddirectlytothe
frameoneachoftheeightcorners.Oneandahalfinchthickmarinegradeplywoodfloorsaddsrigid-
nessandasmoothsurfacefortheunitsinnerdeck.Allweatherpaintisstandardontheexteriorand
interior.

-8-


ChapterTwo.PurchaseandDeliveryofIC's.

IC'sarebytheirverynature,mobile,butdesignedmainlyforseatravel.Yet,thankstotheincreasing
numberoftransportcompanies,unitsarenowavailablejustaboutanywhereinNorthAmerica.Many
ofthesecompanieswillevendeliveryourICwitharoll-bedtruck.Deliveryusuallyrequiresdecent
roadaccess(gravelordirtisok),anda75'clearedarea.Thisissortoftheindustrystandard.

FortheICpurchaserwhoonlyrequirestheunitdeliveredtoafirmsurface,attheendofaeasily
accessibleroad(foradeliverytruck),youcansitbackandrelax.Theprocesswillbeeasy.Onthe
otherhand,ifyourdestinationismoreoff-the-beaten-track,logisticalproblemscanarise.YourIC
salesmanwillaskaboutthiswhenyoubuyyourunit.Mostareopentodroppingtheunitascloseas
possibletothearearequired,andlettingthebuyerwrangleitfromthere.Somewillofferadviceon
this,somewillnot.Remember,thesefolksbackattheofficeusuallydonotdealwiththehands-onend
ofthebusiness.Theyletthedriversdothat.

Oftentimesdriversaremoreflexible,andwillevengooff-road(don'tbeafraidto"motivatethem"
withafew$50's),todropyourunitintheisolatedspotyoudesire.Ofcoursetherearelimitstothis.
Expectingasemitrucktocrossmuddyfieldsornavigateyouratvtrailsiswishfulthinking.Many
companiesusespecializeddeliverytrucksjustfor20'IC's.Thesearecalledside-loadersanddropthe
IConthepassengersideofthetruckwithminiaturecranearms.Thesevehiclesareusuallyableto
reachmoreback-woodslocationsthanthesemitowingaflatbedtrailer.

Ingeneral,a20'unitwillgetintomorespotsthanthe40',butdealingwiththedriver,andperhaps
coaxinghim,isalwaysapossibilitywhentakingdelivery.Theseguysdothebesttheycantogetthe
containerascloseaspossibletothelocationyouwant,withouthavingtocallforatow.Therestisup
toyou-butdon'tworry,I'veincludedtechniquesformovingIC'sshortdistances(forno-truck-access
areas)laterinthischapter.

Onemorethingtonote:ifyouarerequiredtomovetheICyourselfafterdelivery,makesureitis
initiallyplacedonrailroadties,pipes,orothermaterialtokeepit"afloat".Ifthedeliverydriverjust
plopsitflatontheground,youmaynotbeabletogetajackunderthebottomedgetoliftitfor
moving.Olddiscardedtiresalsoworkgoodasadrop-bufferandtemporaryfooting.

-9-
IfyouareplanningatwostoryICstructureorundergrounddesign,acraneorexcavatorshouldbe
hired.Localequipmentcontractors/operatorscanofferyouafairlyreasonablerateforhalf-a-days
work.Irecommendthatyouavoidattemptingtorentheavyequipmentandoperateityourself(unless
youarequalified).Forlessambitioussinglestorybuildings,myICmovementtechniqueswillworkjust
fine.

-10-
 (a)NorthAmericanPorts

U.S.portcitieswiththehighestconcentrationofICtraffic.

RegionsthatsurroundportcitiesofferthehighestconcentrationofavailableIC'sforsaleasshown
below.Becausedeliveryischargedonapermilebasis,considerationforlogisticstoyourdroplocation
mustbestudied.

Lookwithin500milesofthesecitiesforthebestdealonusedIC's.
2001DatainTEUs(one20ftIC=1TEU,one40ftIC=2TEUsetc).
Ports
Market
Share 2001 Market
Share 2000 Market
Share 1999
LosAngeles 19.4% 3,408,172 17.9% 3,164,778 15.5% 2,497,656
LongBeach 18.2% 3,212,759 18.4% 3,243,593 18.7% 3,006,528
NewYork-New
Jersey
13.2% 2,322,952 12.4% 2,181,812 12.3% 1,976,283
Charleston,S.C. 6.5% 1,150,612 7.0%
1,230,430 7.1%
1,141,681
Oakland 5.5% 959,713 5.3% 936,995 5.4% 864,182
HamptonRoads 5.3% 928,563 5.2% 926,342 5.4% 877,891
Seattle 4.7% 823,529 5.4% 952,146 5.9% 950,448
Savannah 4.6% 811,472 4.0% 714,088 3.8% 619,111
Houston 4.3% 762,842 4.1% 727,448 4.2% 671,485
Miami 4.0% 710,785 3.8% 670,886 3.7% 601,141
Tacoma 3.5% 609,175 3.7% 651,142 3.5% 571,558
PortEverglades 2.4% 420,675 2.4% 422,382 2.8% 455,495
Baltimore 1.6% 274,230 1.5% 268,231 1.5% 248,147
NewOrleans 1.2% 214,428 1.4% 239,202 1.4% 230,271
Portland,Ore. 1.2 205,975 1.2% 210,268 1.3% 208,719
DelewareRiver 0.9% 162,286 0.8% 140,048 0.9% 146,316
Gulfport 0.8% 132,160 0.9% 152,497 0.8% 122,868
Wilmington,Del. 0.7% 127,108 0.7% 128,070 0.8% 123,499
WestPalmBeach 0.7% 118,738 0.6% 102,383 0.6% 100,348
Jacksonville 0.6% 103,539 0.6% 103,463 0.9% 137,550
Top20U.S.
PortsTotal
99.1% 17,459,712 97.2% 17,166,654 96.5% 15,551,177
AllU.S.Ports
Total
100.0% 17,609,408 100.0% 17,661,305 100% 16,108,608

-11-


(b)InternationalportswiththehighestICtrafficin2002

ISOcontainervolumesshowninTEUs.

One20ftIC=1TEU,one40ftIC=2TEUs,etc.

(1)HongKong,China17.80million,

(2)Singapore15.57million,

(3)Pusan,SouthKorea7.91million,

(4)Kaoshiung,Taiwan7.54million,

(5)Shanghai,China6.33million,

(6)Rotterdam,Netherlands6.10million,

(7)LosAngeles,USA5.18million

-12-
 ThenumberofIC'sworldwideisincreasingrapidly(asseenbelow).

(c)Printad'sforICshoppers.

Regionalclassifiedpaperssuchastraderpublications,andlittlenickelpressaregreatsourcesforIC
resellers.Titlesofthesenewspapersvaryfromstatetostate,butmostofyouknowaboutthetypesof
publicationstowhichIamreferring.Theclassifiedpaperswithnonewsinthem(juststuffforsale).

Youcanalsolookthroughthephonebookunder"shipping","containerizedfreight",or"freight
shipping"forlocalsalesoutlets.Theyellowpagesareusuallytheworstplacetofindanything,butI
thoughatleastmentioningitasoneoptioncouldn'thurt.Iprefertobuycheapfromsourceswithlow
over-head,andyouknowiftheyhaveabigadintheyellowpages,theover-headisnotlow.

(d)HowtofindIC'sforsaleontheInternet

Ihadoriginallyconsideredlistingthemanywebsitesthatadvertisecontainersandrelatedproducts,
butmoreoftenthannot,awebsitepossessesa'heretoday-gonetomorrow'quality.Although,Ihave
noticedanincreasingnumberofIC'sbeingofferedforsaleonebay.com.BesidesEbay,whatgoodare
abunchoflinksthatleadtonon-existentsites?Betterwouldbetoinfuseyouwiththeabilitytofind
currentwebsitesfastandefficiently.

MoreICcompaniesareadvertisingonthewebthanever,andthistrendwilllikelycontinueasIC's
becometheworld'stopmodeformovementofgoods(see'ICtrends'chartabove).Ifoundseveral20
ftunitsinniceshapeofferedfor$800whilesurfingtheweb.Somefreshpaint,andthosebabieswould
belikenew.Forthoseofyouthatalreadyknowaboutthesesearchtricks,thisisnotnewinformation.
Fortherestofyou,thisinfomightchangeyourentireviewofinternetsearches.Sincegoogle.comis
theonlysearchengineIpersonallyuse,Icanonlyverifythatthiswillworkonthatwebsite.Idonot
knowifitwillworkonothers.

Theartofsearchingandfindingwhatyouarelookingforonthewebisafineoneindeed.Withalittle
practice,youwillbecomeproficientquickly,savingyourselfhoursofwastedtimescrollingthrough
unrelatedsites.Periodsareusedtoconnectkeywordsasshown.Thispreventsthesearchenginefrom
returningashotgunpatternofunrelatedwebsites.

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Forexample,sayIwanttofindashippingcontainerinFloridaandbeginsearchingtheinternetfor
one.Thekeywords'shippingcontainerFlorida'mightreturnwhatIneed,butwillalsoreturntwo
thousandothersitesthathavethose3wordsanywhereinthefirstpage.Addingaperiodbetween
wordslikelytobetogetherreducesthisannoyance.'Shipping.containerFlorida'.Youcangoeven
furtherbyadding'in.Florida',ortrychanging'container'to'containers',etc,etc.

SomesearchwordexamplesforIC'sandrelateditems:

intermodal.containers...iso.containers...shipping.containers...20'.containers...40'.containers...
used.iso.containers...used.shipping.containers...new.iso.containers...new.shipping.containers...
iso.containersecuring.equipment(thebestkeywordphraseforICclampsandconnectinghardware)

Regionalsearchexamples(note:donotaddaperiodbeforecities):

iso.containersSeattle...intermodal.containerslong.beach...shipping.containersnew.jersey...
cargo.containersDetroit...intermodal.containerssalesChicago...etc...etc

Thenumberofwordcombinationsyoucancomeupwithareamazing.Don'tbeafraidtogetcreative.
Justrememberthatifyouconnectanytwowordswiththeperiod,thosetwowordsbecomeaphrasein
thatorder.Youcangoover-boardwithspecializedsearchphrases,thesewillusuallyturnupno
results,butoccasionallyyouhitgold.Tryconnectingonlytwowordswithathird"loose"wordatfirst.
Then(byprocessofelimination)graduallyrefineyourphrase.

OnemorethingherebeforeImoveon.Yes,IknowIsaidIwasnotgoingtolistanywebsites,butthis
isavaluablesourceyoumaynotbeawareof.GovernmentLiquidationLLC(atthetimeofthiswriting)
istheofficiallycontractedliquidatoroftheU.S.military'ssurplusgear.Sincethemilitaryusesmore20
ftIC'sthansomesmallcountries,andthedealsaregreat,Ifeelitisoktolistthewebsite
(govliquidation.com).

Thiscompanyoperatesaneverendingauctionofsurplusgoodsthatthegeneralpubliccanbidon.I
havewitnessedsomemindblowingdealsonIC'sfromthem.Mostneverreceivebids,(becausebuyers
mustpick-uptheICdirectlyfromthemilitarybase)andtheauctionendsat$100.Inmyopinion,this
isthebestsourceifyoulivenearamajormilitarybase,andcanarrangeforpick-upoftheIC.Can't
hurttolookintoit...youcouldscorea20ftunitingoodconditionfor$100.Thenjustcallalocal
truckingcompanytopickuptheunit.Afterpick-upanddeliverycosts,youcouldpossiblyhaveaICon
yourlandforunder$500.Foodforthoughtmyfriends!

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(e)MovingIC'sshortdistancesinno-truck-accessareas

ManvsIntermodalContainer!Firstlyletmesaydonotbeintimidatedbythesebigsteelboxes.Thisis
ajobthatcanbedone.TheancientEgyptiansmovedgiantblocksofstonegreatdistancesusingonly
ropesandman-power.Itwon'tbesohardtomoveyourIC...we'renotbuildingapyramid,afterall.
Herearetwowordstoremember:physics&leverage.IfyoumustmoveyourICyourself,and/orare
notwillingtohireacraneorexcavator,thistaskwillbethemostdifficultpartofyourproject.With
thatsaid,theuseofbasicphysicsandleveragewillbeyourbestfriend.Commoneverydaytoolswill
alsobeofgreatassistance.Forexample,youcanbuyabottlejackatWal-Martthatwillliftsixtonsfor
$12.Donotbeafraidtopurchasethenecessarytoolsforthejob.Acertainoutlayofcashwillbe
required,butultimately,theself-movedICwillsaveyouatleast85%overhiringheavyequipment.

SometimesmovingtheICyourselfwillnotbepossible.WhatImeanbythisis,pickyourfights
carefully.Donotexpecttomovea40ftunitdownthesideofamountainyourself.Placinga20ftunit
onthe"backforty"ofyoursemilevellandismorerealistic.

TechniquesandTools:largetree's,winches,blockandtackleset-ups,cables,hand-cranes,come-
alongs,pickuptrucks,largediametersteelpipes(totowIC'sover),largecasters,home-builtbuggies
(insertedthroughhigh-lowholes),jackstands,hydraulicramlifters,tractorjacks,oldaxleswithtires,
etc,etc.Seediagrams.

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ThesimplestandmoststraightforwardtechniqueisprobablytowingyourICwithafullsizedpickup
truck.Irealizenoteveryoneownsapickuptruck,butmostpeopleatleastknowsomeonewhodoes.
Thisworksbestonfairlylevelterrain,andahalfdozenormore6-8"diametersteelpipes.Logscan
alsobeused.

EnlistingthehelpofoneortwoassistantstoreplacepipesasyourICmovesforwardisessential.This
isaslowprocess,butRomewasn'tbuiltinaday.Useathickslabofplywoodor1/4"steelasabaseto
resttherequiredfloorjackon(theleadingedgeoftheICusuallyneedstobeliftedafewincheseach
timeapipeisreplaced).Takecarenottoattemptthisisverymuddyorloosesoils,asthepipesmay
sinkintotheground.

Selfmoverscanalsobuilda"containerbuggy"fromsmallI-beamsthatwillinsertthroughthehigh-
lowslotslocatedonthebottomedgeoftheIC.Thiswillrequireabitofengineeringandlabor,butif
youplantorelocateyourICoften,a"buggy"isavaluabletooltohaveavailable.Youcanpurchase12"
castersandbolt,orweldthemtothestructuralbeams.Makesuretoleaveatleastonesideofthe
buggyassemblyfastenedwithonlybolts(soitcanberemovedfromthehigh-lowslots)ifwelding.

Therearecompaniesthatmanufacture"containerbuggies"forthemilitary,buttheseareexpensive
anddesignedmainlyforrollingunitsaroundonairstriptarmacsurfaces.Thehomemadebuggywill
functionbetteronunpavedsurfaces,towedwithafullsizedpickuptruckortractor.Useaminimum
chainlengthof35'ifhooking-uptoonlythebottomtwocorners,and25'ifutilizingacenteredfour-
cornertowapproach.

-16-

Part2BuildingwithContainers

ChapterThree.FootingsandFoundations

ThesturdydesignofyourICstructurewillbemeaninglesswithoutasolidfoundationforittorest
upon.Anotherfactortoconsideristhecorrosiveeffectsofmoistureovertime.InthischapterIwill
discusssettingupsimplefoundationfootingsthatwillprovidealastingbaseandpreventmoisture
vaporbyholdingyourICunitataminimumof12"aboveground.EvenifplacingtheIConpavement
orasphalt,Istillrecommendsetting-upabovegroundlevel.

-17-

OiledrailroadtiesarethestandardworkhorseofICfoundations.Theyarecheapandreadilyavailable
atmostlumberyards.Irecommendastackedleveloftwoundereachend.SinceIC'sonlyrequire
supportateachofthefourcorners,ORthefullspanofeachofthelongends,ourworkiseasy.Make
suretousea4-6"bedofgravelunderanywoodbasedfootingstoassistinwaterdrainageand
discouragerottingofbeams.Avoidattemptingtoaddextrasupportunderthemid-sectionofanyIC.
Althoughyourmotivesmaybegenuine,thiscouldcauseawarpingofyourstructure.Theheavy7
gauge(.18")tubularsteeldesignedforsupport,isonlylocatedontheends.

-18-
Bricks,andcinderblocksshouldbeavoidedforuseasICfoundationmaterial.Thesecancrackand
crumble.

PouredconcretefootingsareprobablythestrongestfoundationtheICbuildercanutilize.Youcan
makecylindricalorsquareformsupto4'undergroundand1-2'exposedaboveground.Aminimum2'
diameter(squareorround)shouldbeobserved.UseofrebarorothermaterialtosecureyourICtothe
footingisoptional.

Sixtonheavyweldedsteeljackstandscanbepurchasedforaboutfiftydollarspersetoftwo,and
makewonderfulpermanentfootingsforuseonaconcretepadorinaparkinglot.

Hotsummersuncansoftenasphalt(black-top),sochooseafootingmaterialthatoffersalarge
'footprint'(likerailroadties)ifbuildingorsettingupyourIConathissurface.

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 ChapterFour.CuttingSteelandBasicFraming

Cuttingthe14gauge(.075")corrugatedsteelsidesofyourICforinstallationofdoorsandwindowsis
easilyaccomplishedwiththeuseofareciprocatingsaworsawzallbyMilwaukee.Aftercareful
measurement,markyourcutswithagreasepencil,thendrillseveral1/4"starterholesineachofthe
fourcorners.

Donotdamagethewater-tightroofsoftheseunitsbycuttingholesforventsorstovepipes.Routeall
pipesofthistypethroughthesideofyourunitwithangledtubes.Whydamageaperfectlygoodwater
tightroofwhenyoucanrunthatstovepipeoutthesidewall?Bombsheltersandotherunderground
designsdorequireroofventssotheyareexemptfromthisrule.

(a)FramingInterior

Tosavemoneyandvaluableinteriorspace,Irecommendusingtheaffordableandeasytoworkwith
2x2entirelyforyourinteriorframework.SincetheICalreadypossessesallofitsload-bearingqualities
built-in,strengthoftheframingmaterialisnotanissue.Allyouneedissomethingtoholdinsulation,
paneling,windowsanddoors.

Avoidthetemptationtofasten2x2studstothecorrugatedmetaloftheICwithdrilledholes,bolts,or
otherfasteners.Whyfillyourwater-tightwallswithholeswhenthisisnotnecessary?Thebestmethod
isprecisecutstudsthatwillfittightlyinplace(theyshouldhavetobelightlytappedintoplacewitha
hammer),andabeadofLiquidNailsbrandconstructionadhesive.LiquidNailsiseffectiveonsteeland
wood.Thismethodwillproducemorethansatisfactoryresults,whilesavingtime,effort,andmoney.
Studsshouldbeplacedevery4'toallowforeasyattachmentofstandard4x8panelingorotherinterior
sheathingmaterial.Thinlayersoffiberglassinsulationplacedunderthepanelingwillhelpretain
preciousheatinthewintertime,andshouldbeconsidered.

A2"platformismorethanadequatetosupportandmountastandardvinylpre-madewindow.For
windowsrequiringmorethana2"stud,buildadditionalmountingareausing2x4'sor2x6'sinsidethe
windowopening.

Ifweldingissomethingyouknowabout,youcanusethisapproachfortackingonsteelstripsas
frames.Thiswillsaveyouafewinchesofinteriorspace,butprovidelessroomforinsulationbehind
paneling.Ingeneral,weldingismoreofaspecializedskill,butforthoseofyouthatwantmoresteel,
andlesswoodinyourstructure,Isaygoforit.I'veseensomeICbuildingsfit-outwithhatches,doors
andevenportholesfromsurplusnavyships.Boltsandself-tappingscrewsareanotherroutetotake
fortheall-steelICbuilder.

(b)ExteriorDecks,Supports,andRoofFraming

Iprefertousestandardreadilyavailablepressuretreateddeckinglumberandconnectinghardwarefor
thesejobs.Thisistheidealmaterialforthetask,withtheexceptionofmid-levelsupportbeamsfor20
ftunitover40ft(split-leveldesigns).UsesteelI-beamframeworkfortheseapplications.

4x4beamsworkgreatforsupportofrooftrusses,and2ndstorydeckswithstairs.Youcandrillholes
throughthe7gauge(.18")tubularsteelendframes,andsecurestudsusingself-anchoringbolts.One
themainstudsareinplace,youcanbuildyourpeakedroof,ordecksystemjustlikeyouwouldwith
normalwoodconstruction.

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 Part3-ICdesignsandBuildingProjects

ChapterFive-OneDozenICDesignsandBuildingProjects

SpecialSafetyNote

Airventilationisaprimaryconcernforanyoneutilizingashippingcontainerforshelter.Whenentering
anyun-modifiedIC,youneedtoemployasafegaurdagainstaccidentallybecominglockedinside
(possiblesuffocationmayresult).Thelockingsteeldoorscanbeagreatdeterenttowould-bethiefs,
vandals,andalsomothernature,buttheymustbetemporarilysecuredtothesides(intheiropen
position)topreventaccidents.Thissafetymeasurecanbediscontinuedafterthefirstcuts(fordoors,
windows,etc)aremade.



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(a)Standardsingledesign.Thisisasingle20ftICwithwoodrailroadtie
foundationfootings,twowindows,andaentrydoor.Thesteelcargodoors
remainintactonthisdesign,butcanbeopenedtoaccommodateoversized
materialsifusingasaworkshop.Thecargodoorscanalsoberemovedand
replacedwitha6'patiosliderglassdoor.Interiorisfit-outwith2x2
framework,insulation,anddecorativewoodfacadepaneling.

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(b)Dual20ftunitsplacedside-by-sideprovidesaroomier16'x20'building.
IC'saresetinplaceonfootings,thenclampedtogetherusingICclamps
(seediagrams).CoilspringcompressorscanbesubstitutedforICclampsin
apinch.1/4"steelplatescanalsobeused(insteadofICclamps),welded
andbridgedacrosscorners.Trimoutdesiredwallmaterialusingasawzall
afterunitsaresecuredtogetherinplace.Seamsarecoveredwith
galvanizedsteelroofingmaterial,andsealedwithhottar.

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(c)Flood-proofdesignoffersareassuringstructureforareaspronetohigh
waters.BuildtheI-beamframework4'-5'abovetheground,anduse2'x4'
woodmoldsor55gallondrumstopourtheconcretefootingsin.Liftyour
20ftICintoplacewithacraneafterconcretesets,andsecurewithbolts.

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(d)40ftHigh-CubeICmodifiedtoserveforautorepair.Backsectionof
unithasofficeandsleepingarea.Bulkheaddividingwallisbuiltusing
standardconstructionmethods,andsecuredinplacewithLiquidNails.This
designcanservemanypurposesfromabasicworkshop,tosmallcaror
motorcyclerepairfacility.Alsoworthmentioning,isthesecure-locking
natureofallICunits.Theseunitsprovideahighlevelofsecurityfor
expensivevehiclesandtools.Forthecost,theunitmayproveajustified
expenditure.

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(e)20ft"desertrat"designhasapeakedtrussrooflinedwithsolarpanels.
Set-upshadesICfromtheblisteringhotdesertsun,whilesimultaneously
generatingallrequiredelectricalpowerfortheoccupant.Use12voltdeep
cyclebatteriesconnectedtoaDC-to-ACpowerinverter.Unithassteel
shippingdoorsintact,butthesecanbeopenedtoprovideabreezeanda
"outsidepatio"feelintheinsect-freedesertenvironment.Anotheroptionis
toreplacecargodoorswitha6'glasspatioslider.Note:youcanuse
removedICcargodoorstomakeotherdoors(useone-halfdoorasaentry
onICsideetc).Thiswillrequireabitofmetal-smithwork(tomakethe
mountinghingesandframe),butyouwillhaveasolidsteelentrydoorfor
freewhenfinished.

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(f)Hereisagreatsplitleveldesignfortheseriousbuilder.Buildingconsists
ofa40ftIChalfburiedinthesideofamodestslope,witha20ftunit
servingasthesecondfloor.Pressuretreateddeckingisusedontheopen
sidecreatingapatioareacompletewith6'glasssliderdoors,and
corrugatedtinoverhang.SectionsoftheICthatwillbecoveredwithsoil
arepaintedusinganti-foulingboatpaint.

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(g)Hereisadesignthatmaximizestheeffectivespaceof20ftunits.The
SuperCarporthasapeakedtrussroofcoveredwithcorrugatedtinroofing
panels,spaceforyourcar,motorcycles,andaworkshop.

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(h)SuperRVCoverissimilartotheSuperCarport,withextendedmain
trussbeamstoaccommodatetallRV'sandboatsforstorage.Use40ft
High-CubeIC'stocreateamassiveutilitystructure.Thisdesignalsoworks
greatforpermanentRVliving.ParkedRVor5thwheeliskeptoutofthe
damagingUVrays,whiletheICunitsoneachsideofferseveraloptions.
Ownermaychoosetobuild:largebathroom(s),whirlpoolandsaunaroom,
billiardsroom,bar,workshop,hometheater,orbunkhouseinoneorboth
units.Usingsuchadesignwouldallowyoutoeasilyexpandtheliving
and/orstorageareaofyourparkedRVor5thwheel.

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(i)Hereisanundergroundbombshelterthatcanbebuiltonabudget
usinga20ftICpaintedwithanti-foulingboatpaint(topreventcorrosion),
atruckloadofgravel,andsomeI-beams.Thisdesignrequiresaexcavator
withshoveltodigthehole,lowertheICin,andthenfilltheremaininggaps
withgravelcreatingathickstonewallaroundunit.Steelbeamframework
and1/4"plateisusedtocreatetheentryspaceunderladderandhatch.
NoteventtubeinICroof.Itisdoubtfulthisshelterwouldprotectyoufrom
radioactivefallout,but,itwouldprobablyworkforconventionalmunitions
andsmallarmsfire...(alsozoningofficials,yourex-spouse,andother
peopleyoumaywishtoavoid).Lossofoxygenisariskwiththisdesignif
notproperlyconstructed.Roofventsarerequired.Useatyourownrisk.

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(j)Dual20ftstackedunitsforskeetortrapshooting.Designincludesa
pressuretreatedwooddeckandstaircaselocatedonbackside.Thisset-up
couldalsobeusedforsportingevents,providingasecondstoryboothfor
announcers,andfirstfloorunitforconcessionsorequipmentstorage.
Possibleapplications:skeet&trapclubsonabudget,dirt-bikeracing,new
extremesportsfacilities,horseraces,andhighschools.

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(k)This40fthandgunrangecouldproveusefulforpolicedepartmentsor
otheragencies.Couldbeusedasatemporarysolutionforlackofrange
space,orasalowcostrangefordepartmentsonabudget.Otherpossible
configurationsincludeatwolanebowlingalley,orsmallarcheryshopwith
targetrange.

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(l)Tripledesign3-20ftIC'sformagreatlittlemulti-levelcabin,cottage,
orguesthouseonyourland.Connectedwallscanbetrimmedoutproviding
alargeopenspace.Trim-outhalfoftheconnectedroof-floor(ofstacked
units)tocreatealoft.Addwoodstairs,aladder,oraspiralstaircasefor
secondflooraccess.Openterracecanbedesignedasascreenporchor
weatherresistant,lumber-builtdormer.

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 Part4-Illustrations&Diagrams

(a)fullpage8.5"x11"illustrationsanddiagrams-pages35-60

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 Thisbookisdedicatedto'outsidethebox'thinkers.

twentyfootcontainer,fortyfootcontainer,andfulcrum



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