Fire Performance of Container Houses
The fire performance of container houses varies significantly. Compliant products must meet fire safety standards above B1 level, with high-quality products using Class A rock wool fireproof panels to effectively delay the spread of fire. However, non-standard products use flammable materials, posing serious safety hazards.
Compliance Standards and Material Requirements
According to the "Safety Specifications for Modular Temporary Buildings" and fire safety acceptance requirements, container houses used for living and office purposes must use Class A rock wool fireproof panels, whose fire resistance limits meet fire inspection conditions. Non-combustible materials like rock wool can effectively prevent the spread of fire, buying time for personnel evacuation. For example, the packing-box units from Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure have passed the ASTM E119 fire test and SGS Class A1 fire detection, meeting high international fire safety standards.
Fire Hazards of Non-Standard Products
Some non-standard manufacturers cut costs by using flammable materials like polyurethane and polystyrene to fill the panel cores. These materials have low ignition points and poor flame retardancy, burning rapidly when exposed to high temperatures or open flames. Their honeycomb structure increases air contact, leading to intense combustion. For instance, a fire in a container house in Linping District, Hangzhou, in 2025, caused by an electrical fault igniting weeds, quickly spread to the internal flammable materials, resulting in significant property damage. Additionally, non-standard products only meet Class C fire resistance, far below the national standard of B1, increasing the risk of building collapse and casualties in fires.
Fire Safety Considerations in Structure and Usage Scenarios
The steel structure supports of container houses pose safety hazards in fires. When the fire temperature exceeds 500°C, exposed steel structures deform due to loss of static balance stability, leading to overall building collapse. Ordinary container houses lose their load-bearing capacity within about 10 minutes after a fire, hindering personnel evacuation and material rescue. Therefore, compliant products must enhance fire resistance through structural optimization (e.g., adding fireproof coatings) and material upgrades (e.g., using fireproof cotton).
Fire Safety Usage Recommendations
- Material Selection: Prioritize container houses filled with Class A rock wool or fireproof cotton, avoiding flammable materials like polyurethane and polystyrene.
- Layout Specifications: Maintain a minimum safety distance of 6 meters between container houses to prevent fire spread; keep heat sources and open flames away from the houses, and maintain a safe distance for open flame operations.
- Electrical Safety: Install protective sleeves on wires and cables, use metal galvanized boxes for sockets and switch boxes and mount them openly, and equip with simple fire extinguishing equipment.
- Regular Inspections: Regularly inspect electrical wiring and the integrity of fireproof materials, and promptly replace aging components.
