Various Issues with Container Houses

Container houses at the Nagoya Asian Games exposed issues such as narrow beds, leaking rooms, and fire hazards, drawing negative reviews from multiple national delegations. Their long-term habitability requires structural reinforcement, compliant material selection, improved facilities, and regular maintenance.

Issues During Temporary Use

The Nagoya Asian Games used container houses as temporary accommodation for athletes, but several problems emerged:

• Unreasonable Bed Design: Korean male basketball players, who are over 2 meters tall, found the beds only 1.95 meters long, preventing them from straightening their legs and affecting rest quality.
• Quality Defects in Housing: Some container houses experienced issues like sink leaks and floor water accumulation, requiring athletes to handle them themselves, revealing flaws in construction and quality inspection.
• Fire Safety Hazards: Some container houses used flammable materials like polyurethane and polystyrene for panel cores, with poor fire resistance. They were prone to collapse and produced toxic smoke in fires, posing threats to personnel safety.
• Inadequate Supporting Services: Scattered venues led to commute times of up to 1.5-2 hours for athletes. Some delegations had to book hotels or move to homestays on their own, increasing management costs.

Feasibility Conditions for Long-Term Residence

For container houses to be used long-term, the following conditions must be met:

• Structural Reinforcement and Compliant Material Selection: Use galvanized steel structural frames to ensure compliance with wind and earthquake resistance standards (e.g., for earthquakes up to magnitude 8 and typhoons up to category 12). Fill panel cores with A-grade fire-resistant materials like rock wool boards, avoiding flammable materials.
• Space and Function Optimization: Expand internal space through modular design, rationally plan water and electricity pipelines, ventilation systems, and multi-functional furniture to enhance living comfort.
• Regular Maintenance and Inspection: Conduct regular inspections and repairs on external coatings, pipelines, and electrical systems to prevent rust, leaks, and circuit aging, extending service life.
• Compliance Certification and Standard Adherence: Ensure products pass fire performance tests and wind/earthquake resistance certifications, and comply with international standards (e.g., CE, ISO) to avoid safety risks.