Shipping Container History: Boxes to Buildings

Many of us overlook the significance of shipping containers. While they often go unnoticed at bustling ports, it's important to recognize that they facilitate the movement of nearly every consumer product we enjoy today.

The company is the world’s top container houses australia supplier. We offer comprehensive solutions for all your container needs, and our expert staff will guide you in finding the perfect product.

Just a few decades ago, the concept of shipping containers and an inter-modal transport system was non-existent. Visionaries later seized the opportunity to utilize shipping containers for housing and other structural needs.

Whether you're fascinated by history or simply curious, there's much to learn about the economic drivers that shaped the size, form, and widespread adoption of these containers.

Let's delve into the evolution of shipping methods pre-containers, the pioneers behind the container revolution, their globalization impact, and their growing use in construction today.

The Era Before Shipping Containers

For centuries, maritime ventures have transported humans, food, cotton, treasure, and other commodities to distant lands. Think of ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and more recently the British!

How did they manage global trade without a standard system? Goods were stored in port warehouses awaiting ships, transported to the dockside, and loaded manually into sacks, crates, and barrels.

This laborious and time-consuming 'breakbulk' method was standard until the early 1900s. The rise of trains highlighted the urgency of a more efficient system, as transferring cargo from ships to trains caused significant delays at ports.

Larger ships would require a week to unload and reload, causing port congestion and inefficacy (Levinson, 2006: The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger).

The Vision of Malcolm McLean

A standardized transport system was desperately needed, involving alignment across ships, trains, trucks, and port terminals. Achieving this required immense effort and persuasion.

While Henry Ford is a household name, Malcolm McLean remains lesser-known yet equally significant. Born in 1914 on a North Carolina farm, McLean saved enough to buy a second-hand truck in 1934 and started a transport business, eventually operating five trucks.

During a routine 1937 delivery from North Carolina to New Jersey, McLean witnessed the inefficiency of hand-loading cargo at docks, sparking his idea for a more efficient system.

By 1950, McLean’s transport business had grown to 1,750 trucks and 37 terminals, becoming America's fifth-largest trucking enterprise. Regulatory weight restrictions and fees made him seek a more efficient transport method, leading back to his 1937 epiphany.

McLean envisioned standardized trailers loaded onto boats, minimizing trucks to short deliveries and bypassing new road restrictions.

Turning Intermodal Transport Into Reality

Convinced by his concept, McLean sold his trucking business in 1955 and financed $42 million to buy Pan-Atlantic Steamship Company, targeting eastern port docking rights. Renaming it SeaLand Industries, he collaborated with Keith Tantlinger to design what became today’s shipping container—durable, standardized, stackable, secure.

Initial patents, still viewable today (US3456967A, US3085707A, US2853968A), set the foundation for modern containers. McLean modified the oil tanker Ideal X to hold 58 containers with 15,000 tons of petroleum, successfully transporting from New Jersey to Houston in 1956.

Following Ideal X's success, McLean commissioned the first container-specific ship, Gateway City, carrying loads up to 30 tons per hour by its 1957 maiden voyage.

The Push for Container Standardization

McLean initially used 35-foot containers, differing from today’s common 20 and 40-foot sizes due to standardization needs for efficient stacking and transport compatibility.

The Vietnam War accelerated this need, with SeaLand and rival Matson using varying sizes. McLean released his container corner post patent, leading to standardized dimensions (ISO 668) and identification (ISO 790, now ISO 6346).

Thus, the 20-foot TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) became the cargo volume standard, solidifying shipping efficiency.

In just ten years, international container shipping flourished, with SeaLand conducting a 236-container trip from the US to the Netherlands in 1966. By 1970, the company operated 36 ships and 27,000 containers.

McLean eventually sold SeaLand Industries for $160 million, with his innovations marking a 90% cost reduction in cargo shipment, revolutionizing globalization.

Pushback and Surplus Containers

While containers brought significant benefits, port workers faced redundancy, leading to union strikes in the 1970s. Despite this, financial savings ensured container shipping's dominance.

Western countries, particularly the US, import more than they export, leading to surplus containers often cheaper to leave and replace than return for reuse.

The US Army Corps of Engineers highlights this imbalance, showing consistent import growth against flat export levels. With around 14 million excess TEUs by 2020, these containers need alternative uses or disposal.

Recycling containers into steel products is labor-intensive and energy-consuming, favoring upcycling methods instead.

Alternative Uses for Shipping Containers

First patented by Phillip Clark in 1987 (US4854094A), converting containers into habitable spaces has a storied history. Before the patent, films like 1985's Space Rage showcased container buildings, and Nicholas Lacey's 1970s thesis further explored this concept.

Stewart Brand’s 1994 book "How Buildings Learn" highlighted office conversions, and early examples like the 1998 Simon’s Town High School Hostel manifested container architecture's potential.

Shipping Container Homes in the 21st Century

In 2006, Californian architect Peter DeMaria designed America's first container home, the Redondo Beach House, approved under the Uniform Building Code and completed in 2007.

Since then, iconic projects like the 2010 Container Guest House, 2011 Containers of Hope, and 2014 PV14 House demonstrate container homes' versatility and appeal.

Embraced globally, container homes grow in popularity for their sustainability and affordability. More examples of innovative container use in restaurants, offices, and schools can be found in our Shipping Container Case Studies.

Summary

The rapid evolution from basic crates to modular construction elements highlights the profound impact of shipping containers on global trade and architecture. Malcom McLean's vision not only revolutionized logistics but also inspired a new era of creative, sustainable building solutions.

Which part of the shipping container history intrigued you most? Share in the comments below!

Buildings constructed using modules, like shipping containers

Stacked reefer container homes

Shipping container architecture incorporates steel intermodal containers as primary structural elements. Often called cargotecture or arkitainer, this approach merges "cargo" with "architecture". This sustainable architectural style aligns well with the tiny-house movement.

Their strength, durability, and eco-friendliness make shipping containers a favored building material.

Additional resources:
An Overall Guide: Choosing the Right Shipping Container

For further information, visit our website High Quality Expandable House supplier.

Advantages

The modular nature of shipping containers allows for vast customization and straightforward enlargement of structures by adding more containers. They're stackable up to 12 units and durable against harsh environments, giving them an edge in construction.

Shipping containers, made to be portable, simplify transport of prefabricated modules via ship, truck, or rail. Despite specialized labor for metal fabrication, container construction remains affordable compared to traditional methods.

The global availability of new and used containers further reduces construction costs. A container home can be cheaper than traditional counterparts, given reduced need for bricks and cement.

Upcycling containers also conserves significant steel amounts, with each 12-meter container saving over 3,500 kilograms of steel.

Disadvantages

Steel’s high thermal conductivity necessitates better insulation in extreme climates to prevent rust from moisture condensation. Containers may incur damages in transit and reusing them can demand repairs.

High-roof loads are limited to 300 kilograms on a 20-foot container, making stability a concern. Transport and construction require cranes or forklifts, and non-standard container sizes can introduce inefficiencies.

Obtaining building permits for container homes can be challenging where steel residential buildings are unfamiliar. Some US container homes avoid this by being built outside zoning jurisdictions.

Chemicals

Australian regulations necessitate shipping container floor treatment with insecticides including copper, chromium, and arsenic. These toxic substances demand cautious handling and replacement for human habitation. Potential cargo contamination also requires thorough cleaning.

Ideal interior renovation involves abrasive blasting to bare metal and repainting with non-toxic materials, ensuring a safe living environment.

Examples

Structures from shipping containers showcase vast variations in use, size, and location.

Futurist Stewart Brand's office space conversion of a container for his 1990s book "How Buildings Learn" exemplifies early container architecture.

In 2000, Urban Space Management's Container City I at London's Trinity Buoy Wharf initiated more container projects. By 2006, Dutch Tempohousing developed Amsterdam’s largest container village with 1,000 student homes.

In 2002, container modifications enabled standalone wastewater treatment plants, offering modular, cost-effective solutions.

Peter DeMaria’s 2006, UBC-approved two-story container home in Southern California led to Logical Homes’ prefabricated container homes, showcased at the 2007 Computer Electronics Show.

In 2006, Village Underground repurposed containers for artists' studios in London, followed by expanded spaces incorporating old Underground carriages.

In 2007, Brian McCarthy pioneered container housing prototypes for Mexican maquiladora workers.

Application in the Live Event & Entertainment Industry

In 2010, architect Stefan Beese designed a VIP lounge and viewing deck for New Orleans’ Voodoo Music Experience using six 12-meter containers, doubling as storage during the off-season.

In the UK, sand-filled containers serve as large sandbags against debris from explosions in electrical substations.

In October 2013, Google's speculative barges with container superstructures sparked curiosity about their purpose.

Markets

Empty containers often form market stalls and warehouses in former USSR countries. Europe's largest such market is Odesa, Ukraine's Seventh-Kilometer Market, with 16,000 vendors and 1,200 workers.

In Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoy Bazaar, composed of stacked containers, attracts travelers for its affordable prices and variety.

Christchurch, New Zealand’s earthquake devastation led to Cashel Mall reopening with containers in 2011. Boxpark in London and Common Ground in Seoul also exemplify container pop-ups.

Other Uses

Shipping containers have also been used as:

Alternative Housing & Architecture

The increase in container abundance and affordability over recent decades stems from the cost disparity in returning empty containers. Creative repurposing provides sustainable solutions.

Architects and individuals utilize containers for diverse structures such as homes, offices, schools, and temporary spaces. The US military's Gulf War container use showed their versatility, now extended to civilian applications.

CONEX containers, developed by Malcom McLean, demand code compliance and professional verification for habitation.

Phillip C. Clark’s 1987 patent (US4854094) laid early plans for container housing, mirrored by Paul Sawyers' 1985 "Space Rage" sets and military structural system reports.

Containers are still favored for military shelters, fortified with sandbags for additional protection.

Media

Container architecture has inspired shows like DIY’s "Containables," HGTV’s "Container Homes," and featured on "Grand Designs" and "Amazing Interiors."

See also

References

Further reading

Books

• Kotnik, Jure (2008). Container Architecture. p. 240. ISBN 978-8496969223
• Sawyers, Paul (2005, 2008). Intermodal Shipping Container Small Steel Buildings. p 116. ISBN 978-1438240329
• Bergmann, Buchmeier, Slawik, Tinney (2010). Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture. p. 256. ISBN 978-3899552867
• Minguet, Josep Maria (2013). Sustainable Architecture: Containers2. p. 111. ISBN 978-8415829317
• Kramer, Sibylle (2014). The Box Architectural Solutions with Containers. p. 182. ISBN 978-3037681732
• Broto, Carles (2015). Radical Container Architecture. p. 240. ISBN 978-8490540558

Journals

• Broeze, Frank (1 December 2000). The Globalisation of the Oceans. Liverpool University Press. doi:10.5949/liverpool/9780973007336.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-9730073-3-6.
• Helsel, Sand 'Future Shack: Sean Godsell's prototype emergency housing redeploys the ubiquitous shipping container' Architecture Australia, September–October 2001
• Myers, Steven Lee 'From Soviet-Era Flea Market to a Giant Makeshift Mall', The New York Times, May 19, 2006

For more container homes australia information, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.