Materials for Container Houses
The main materials for container houses include steel, aluminum alloy, glass, plastic, and various sandwich panels, as detailed below:
Steel is the core structural material for container houses, encompassing channel steel, angle steel, steel plates, and hot-dip galvanized cold-formed steel. Among them, hot-dip galvanized cold-formed steel forms a dense oxide layer through the galvanizing process, effectively resisting corrosion in humid environments. Channel steel and angle steel form the house's skeleton, connected through welding to create a stable load-bearing system that ensures structural safety under extreme conditions. For example, the packing boxes from Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd. use a fully steel structural frame, with a frame deformation rate of only 0.18% under 12-level typhoon conditions, well below the industry's acceptable threshold of 0.3%.
Aluminum alloy is primarily used in window and door systems. Its density is only one-third that of steel, yet it maintains high strength. Aluminum alloy windows and doors, designed with thermal breaks and paired with insulated glass, achieve excellent thermal insulation performance. For instance, in one case, a window and door system using an aluminum alloy frame and insulated glass reduced winter heating losses by 30%, significantly cutting electricity costs.
Glass, as a transparent enclosure material, must meet safety glass standards. Container houses typically use tempered glass or laminated glass. The former has an impact resistance 3-5 times that of ordinary glass, while the latter maintains structural integrity when broken. The sealed connection design between glass and aluminum alloy frames effectively prevents rainwater leakage and air infiltration.
Plastic products are mainly used in pipeline systems and decorative components within container houses. HDPE plastic pipes, with their chemical resistance, are suitable for water supply and drainage systems; PVC profiles are used for interior decorative moldings, maintaining long-term dimensional stability due to their low thermal expansion coefficient. Some high-end products use modified plastics for integrated wall panels, achieving zero formaldehyde emissions.
Sandwich panels are key materials for walls and roofs, composed of upper and lower metal panels with an intermediate core material. Rock wool sandwich panels have a fire rating of Class A, with a fire resistance limit exceeding 2 hours; polyurethane sandwich panels have a thermal conductivity as low as 0.024W/(m·K), offering superior thermal insulation compared to traditional brick walls; glass wool sandwich panels, meanwhile, provide sound absorption and noise reduction, suitable for scenarios with acoustic environment requirements.
