Construction of Container Houses in the Snow

Container houses constructed in the snow, if designed reasonably and of high quality, can withstand the snow in Hubei. Snow load design needs to be considered from multiple aspects:

• Structural level: Container houses should be designed according to the local snow pressure load. The basic snow pressure in Hubei ranges from 0.3 to 0.5 kN/㎡. Container houses produced by regular manufacturers, using Q235 galvanized steel frames with standardized connectors, can fully withstand such snow pressure. For example, the delivery experience of Wuhan Boxis Prefabricated Buildings in Hubei shows that its products can withstand the local snow load.
• Roof shape: The roof drainage slope of flat-top container houses should be sufficient. A reasonable drainage slope can prevent snow accumulation and waterlogging, reducing the pressure on the house caused by excessive snow accumulation and lowering the risk of house damage.
• Stacked container buildings: For stacked container buildings, the bottom containers and connectors should be checked according to the snow load + live load. This ensures that the stacked container buildings remain stable and safe under the combined action of snow load and live loads such as human activities.

In addition, when purchasing container houses, to ensure their quality and safety, you can request the manufacturer to provide structural calculation documents. At the same time, note that there are differences in material configurations and quotation standards among different manufacturers. The actual plan should be based on on-site surveys and the manufacturer's formal quotations. During the heavy snowfall in Hubei in 2018, container house products from regular manufacturers largely withstood the test, while most of the problematic ones were thin-walled simple sheds. This also reflects the importance of choosing regular manufacturers and qualified products from the side.