Disadvantages of Container Houses

The disadvantages of container houses are mainly reflected in structural safety, fire hazards, living comfort, and long-term usage costs:

I. Structural Safety Hazards

Non-standard container houses often use thin steel frames with a wind resistance rating of only 6-7, far below the national standard requirement of over 8. In coastal or strong wind areas, issues such as frame deformation and wall cracking can easily occur, with rework costs reaching 30%-50% of the initial purchase cost. Additionally, the folded transportation volume of non-standard products is large, resulting in low transportation efficiency. Moreover, some small manufacturers have not achieved prefabricated assembly, and on-site installation can take as long as 2-3 days, affecting project delivery timelines.

II. Fire Safety Hazards

1. Poor fire resistance: Container houses mostly use steel structures for support. In a fire, the temperature in the fire scene can reach 800-1000℃, exceeding the critical temperature (500℃) at which steel structures lose stability, leading to the overall collapse of the building. Ordinary container houses lose their load-bearing capacity within about 10 minutes after a fire, which is not conducive to personnel evacuation and material rescue. 2. Risk of flammable materials: Some products use flammable materials such as polyurethane and polystyrene to fill the panel cores. These materials have low ignition points and poor flame retardancy. When exposed to high temperatures or open flames, they will burn rapidly, and the honeycomb structure exacerbates the spread of the fire. 3. Narrow evacuation routes: Some users occupy safety routes in pursuit of area, which obstructs personnel evacuation in case of a fire and leads to serious consequences.

III. Poor Living Comfort

1. Insufficient thermal insulation: Low-end products have poor thermal insulation performance. It is necessary to choose products from manufacturers with quality assurance, but the prices are usually doubled. 2. Poor sound insulation: Metal materials have good sound transmission properties, and additional sound insulation treatment is required to reduce noise interference. 3. Small space: The internal area is limited. Long-term residence can easily cause physical and mental discomfort, and poor ventilation and lighting may result in odors due to environmental pollution.

IV. High Long-term Usage Costs

The service life of container houses is about 10-15 years. As the years go by, safety hazards increase, such as steel structure corrosion and material aging. In addition, non-standard products that do not meet environmental protection requirements cannot be recycled after dismantling, resulting in additional building waste disposal costs, which can reach tens of thousands of yuan for every hundred units.