Container House Installation Method

The installation methods of container houses mainly include two major steps: factory prefabrication and on-site assembly and fixation. Some types also require foundation construction and concealed work treatment.

Factory Prefabrication Step

Most container houses adopt a modular design. The factory disassembles the entire building into several independent space units and completes more than 80% of the processes, such as the main structure, interior decoration, and mechanical and electrical pipeline layout, in the workshop. For example, for the container panel houses of Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd., the main frame and walls are all prefabricated in the factory, and only assembly and fixation are required on-site. This factory-based operation mode significantly improves the precision of product quality control and allows workers to bid farewell to the harsh environment of outdoor high-altitude operations.

On-site Assembly and Fixation Step

After the house arrives at the designated location, only a small number of processes, such as module assembly and water and electricity connection, are required before it can be put into use. Taking the assembled container house as an example, its installation steps are as follows:

• Bottom Frame Installation: Connect the bottom corners of the container to the bottom beams on a flat ground (or workbench). Use hexagon socket bolts to connect the corners to the bottom beams and do not tighten them temporarily. After adjusting to ensure that the diagonal difference of the bottom frame is ≤3mm, tighten the bolts. Install π-shaped secondary beams according to the positions of the positioning holes on the long beams and fix them with self-tapping screws. The tops of the π-shaped secondary beams and the bottom beams need to be fixed with round-head self-drilling screws. Lay the floor base plates in a specific direction, pre-drill holes at both ends of the base plates, cut the corners according to the chalk lines, and make marks at the midlines of the π-shaped beams to prepare for laying the floor and nailing. Start laying the floor from one end, making the joints coincide with the midlines of the π-shaped beams. After laying, snap chalk lines according to the marks and fix them with cross flat-head燕尾丝 (this may need a more accurate English term, here just kept the original Chinese pinyin for reference, it could be a special type of screw). The nail spacing is 300 - 350mm. Sand the entire floor, apply PVC special floor adhesive, wait for 10 - 15 minutes, lay the floor covering, expel the air, and if possible, weld the joints of the floor covering.
• Other Assemblies: For foldable container mobile homes, first check the stability of the steel wire ropes during installation, lift the main frame and spread it out smoothly, and then place support rods in the middle of the container to keep it stable. Push open one wall and tighten it with fastening screws, then push open the other wall with doors and windows and tighten the screws. Finally, lift the folded container house to the predetermined installation location and put it down.

Foundation Construction Step (Required in Some Cases)

Some container house installations require foundation construction in advance, such as measuring whether the wall foundation axis dimensions meet the requirements of the drawings, digging trenches and laying foundations (including brick foundations and concrete foundations), embedding the chassis and fixing it to the foundation with expansion screws, and leveling the foundations of the surrounding and partition walls.

Concealed Work Treatment Step

After the overall installation of the house is completed, concealed works such as water and electricity installation, electrical installation, moisture-proofing, and waterproofing should be carried out. For example, when installing railings on the floor, it is required that the handrails are firmly connected to the railing posts. The stair treads are made of steel plates or angle irons. The floor should not shake. The stairs are fixed to the umbrella walls, and the railing panels are fixed to the stairs with self-drilling screws.