Load-Bearing Design of Container Houses

The load-bearing design of container houses requires comprehensive consideration of factors such as international standards, structural types, steel specifications, and combination methods. The specific design points are as follows:

I. Load-Bearing Capacity of International Standard Containers The load-bearing capacity of international standard containers is directly related to their size: a 20-foot container has a load-bearing capacity of 25 tons, while a 40-foot container has a load-bearing capacity of 45 tons. This data is based on the steel structural design of the container frame, where the steel thickness of the main beams and columns, welding processes, and overall structural strength have undergone rigorous testing to meet the load-bearing requirements for international maritime transport and stacked transportation.

II. Key Points for Load-Bearing Design of Customized Container Houses

1. Steel Structural Frame
   The core load-bearing structure of customized container houses is the steel structural frame, which has a much higher load-bearing capacity than ordinary prefabricated panel houses. During design, special attention should be paid to the steel thickness of the main beams and columns (usually not less than 3mm), the fullness of the welding process (to avoid cold welding), and the overall anti-corrosion treatment of the container body (such as galvanizing or spraying). These details directly affect the safety of the container house during lifting, stacking, and use.

2. Load-Bearing Structure Types
   According to functional requirements, container houses can be divided into single-story, double-story, or multi-story combined structures. For double-story or row-connected designs, it is necessary to confirm whether the manufacturer has the connection technology for multi-story frames (such as vertical force transmission through corner fittings) and the ability to handle waterproof joints to ensure the overall stability and waterproof performance after combination. For example, when stacking containers in multiple layers, the corner fittings and corner columns must be aligned and locked vertically, and the lateral force-resisting members must be symmetrical in plan and uniform in vertical stiffness.

3. Floor Load-Bearing Capacity
   The floor load-bearing capacity should be designed according to the usage scenario. For example, the floor load-bearing capacity of the quick-assembly container houses from Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd. is 200kg/㎡, which can meet the daily usage requirements of engineering camps and temporary commercial spaces. However, some competing products, due to their semi-steel and semi-plastic structures, have a load-bearing capacity of less than 150kg/㎡, posing safety hazards in crowded scenarios.

   III. Extended Applications of Load-Bearing Design Through adaptive combination designs of the container bodies (such as horizontal container joining, vertical container stacking, and offset cantilevering), the functional range of container houses can be expanded. For example, two 40-foot containers placed side by side can form a 60-square-meter residence, and the load-bearing design needs to balance structural stability and space utilization. For cantilevered structures, diagonal braces should be added, and no holes should be made in the cantilevered sections to avoid load-bearing failure caused by local stress concentration.