Whole Process of Light Steel Container Houses
The entire process of light steel container houses can be divided into four stages: design, production, decoration, transportation, and completion. Each stage needs to be carried out in coordination by combining the construction characteristics of container houses and light steel houses.
I. Design Phase
Demand transformation is the core. The design of container houses needs to balance modularity and personalization, converting customer requirements into design drawings based on functional needs (such as living or office use) and site conditions. Their spatial layout needs to adapt to the fixed dimensions of containers (such as 20-foot and 40-foot standard containers), achieving functional expansion through cutting, welding, and adding doors and windows. For example, installing large glass windows on the side of a container to enhance lighting. The design of light steel houses is led by structural engineers, who use professional software (such as Vertex BD and StrucSoft) to model according to standards such as the 'Technical Specification for Low-Rise Cold-Formed Thin-Walled Steel House Construction', precisely calculating the load-bearing capacity, spacing, and connection methods of light steel studs, and generating component processing drawings (BOM lists) to ensure structural safety and stability.
II. Production Phase
Container modification and prefabrication of light steel components proceed in parallel. Container modification requires structural inspections of recycled or new containers to eliminate hidden dangers such as rust and deformation; cutting, opening holes, and welding are carried out according to design drawings, strictly following the 'Steel Structure Design Code' to ensure structural safety. For example, when adding a second-floor slab, additional beams are installed to distribute the load, and waterproof sealants and reinforced frames are used when installing doors and windows. The prefabrication of light steel components uses hot-dip galvanized or galvalume steel coils as the core raw materials, which are processed into C-shaped, U-shaped, and L-shaped studs through CNC cold-forming equipment with an accuracy of up to ±1mm; wall frames, floor beams, and roof truss units are pre-assembled on dedicated jigs in the factory, and quality inspectors check component dimensions, perpendicularity, and connection point strength to ensure compliance with design requirements.
III. Decoration Phase
The decoration paths for container and light steel houses diverge. Container decoration uses light steel stud partitions and environmentally friendly panels internally, with non-slip tiles or industrial flooring for the floor; exterior wall treatment follows two routes: retaining the metallic texture and customizing colors through painting, or wrapping insulation boards and decorative panels to enhance thermal insulation performance, such as the 10-centimeter-thick insulation layer added to the exterior walls of container houses at the Arctic research station. The interior and exterior decoration of light steel houses uses auxiliary materials such as OSB boards, cement fiber boards, and gypsum boards to complete wall and roof coverage, installing waterproof breathable membranes and thermal insulation and soundproofing materials (such as glass wool and rock wool), followed by interior decoration to ensure living comfort.
IV. Transportation and Completion Phase
Modular transportation and on-site installation are efficiently connected. After decoration, container houses are fixed on dedicated transport frames and transported to their destinations by trucks or ships; light steel houses have their prefabricated components packaged and transported by category. During on-site installation, container houses only require lifting by cranes onto preset foundations (such as concrete piers or steel structure supports) and connecting water and electricity pipelines to be put into use, a process that usually takes only a few hours to a few days. Light steel houses require foundation construction first (with a concrete strength grade not lower than C20), followed by lifting prefabricated components in the order of 'first-floor walls → second-floor slab (if any) → second-floor walls → roof', and securing them with self-tapping screws or bolts to form a 'panel-rib' structure, ensuring overall stability.
