21 Apr Practical and Economical Modular Buildings
Modular Buildings Offer a Practical and Economical Option
The latest estimates suggest there are now more than 17 million shipping containers on the planet and that only about 5 million of these are in active use on the high seas at any one time. Of the rest, many are awaiting their turn to be emptied or restocked with export goods, while some are providing temporary storage space for reserves of fast-moving stock items. A growing number of decommissioned containers are likely to become modular buildings though.
Given their constant handling and the pummelling they experience whilst at sea, these metal boxes are among the strongest structures ever manufactured. However, in addition to their exceptional strength, shipping containers are of uniform height and width, and available in seven standard lengths. The combination of its robust structure with its uniform dimensions has led to the redundant shipping container becoming the perfect starting point for constructing park homes, site offices, additional classrooms, and many other types of temporary or permanent modular buildings.
On average, these containers have a useful lifespan of twenty-five years or so. If professionally refurbished, they should easily survive a further twenty-five or a great deal longer if located on land. Consequently, there is a thriving market for used containers. While some will be sold to scrap dealers, others will be refurbished and either returned to their former seagoing tasks or re-purposed.
Given the escalating price of building materials and the cost of skilled labour, the desire for a more economical means of construction has been growing. Although modular buildings are not a new concept, conventional projects involve creating the various individual component off-site and transporting them to the construction site. By contrast, when using a shipping container as the starting point, it is possible to build an entire park home or similar structure off-site and transport the completed unit to its planned location in a single trip.
These rectangular steel boxes can be readily welded or bolted together in any desired arrangement. This exceptional versatility means that the possibilities when constructing modular buildings will be limited only by the imagination of the designer.
Whether your need is for a cosy summer house with a bar and changing rooms to sit by your pool, or a more practical alternative to the garage to accommodate your workbench and machine tools, a converted shipping container will be the answer. Today’s consumers demand quality and value for money when it comes to the design and conversion processes. There is no company in South Africa more experienced or better equipped to convert used shipping containers into affordable, fully functional, and smart-looking modular buildings than Absolute Containers.
Contact us today for more information.
