The sustainability benefits of container homes have always been a part of their appeal.
Utilising industrial steel structures which would have otherwise gone to waste reduces demand for new materials. In addition the industrial appearance adds to their sustainability by showing where materials came from. However these sustainability benefits are becoming increasingly supported by modern engineering practices.
Container home engineering now has a lot more depth than a decade ago. There is genuine expertise now within the engineering profession around understanding container structure behaviour, thermal performance and moisture control. In addition, there is more advanced material science in the insulation of steel structures and many areas have updated regulations.
Why You Can Be Confident Container Homes Are Sustainable
When engineered correctly container homes have genuine sustainability benefits. If the home is well engineered to deliver good thermal performance it will reduce energy use for those living there by meeting or exceeding energy code requirements for their area. If there is good moisture control in place there won’t be any issues with corrosion or deterioration.
However if the container home isn’t engineered well then there won’t be any sustainability benefits. If the home has 3x the heating requirement of the same traditional home due to poor thermal performance then it won’t be sustainable. If the home suffers from a large amount of corrosion within 10 years due to poor moisture control then it won’t be durable.
Engineering a container home will ensure you get the maximum sustainability benefit.
Structural Innovation
There are much more advanced methods of structural engineering for container homes now. We now have bespoke connection systems to stack the homes together and create a residential layout, reducing the need for bespoke fabrication. We also have standardised window and door opening frames for the container walls.
Computational structural analysis software has been used in the engineering of container homes. This has given us more accurate information on how the structures should be designed. We are able to now analyse more complex container home layouts such as those with cantilevers, offsets and unusual loading routes to give a more accurate engineering solution that is safe and efficient.
With improved understanding of how the steel will behave overtime in residential use we have improved connection details for multi unit container homes. Previously some early container homes had connections based on industrial use which wasn’t optimised for residential use. Now we have bespoke connection details for residential use.
Thermal Performance Innovation
There has been a lot of innovation in the thermal performance of container homes. With increased understanding of steel thermal bridging we have been able to improve the insulation of container homes. In the past container home insulation was often done using residential techniques but didn’t consider how the thermal conductivity of steel differs so drastically to wood.
Now thermal performance solutions have been put in place to overcome this issue. External continuous insulation solutions have been improved to stop the steel bridging and create a better solution. Corrugated container walls have bespoke insulation solutions to give a consistent thermal performance.
We now have more accurate energy modelling software to model the thermal performance of the container homes accurately. This means we can confidently demonstrate compliance with energy code and get accurate predictions of energy performance.
Improved Building Code
In many areas the building code and regulations have improved for container homes. In the past we would have needed to prove a lot of equivalency to traditional building code but some areas have introduced bespoke regulations. For example California has building code requirements for factory built housing which have been interpreted by many manufacturers for the pre-fabricated container home modules. This means we can utilise factory inspections and certifications to reduce the time and cost of the building permits for some container homes that qualify.
Other states have seen similar improvements to the building code for innovative housing including container homes. This is due to the increase in number of projects and data showing container homes can achieve the intent of residential building codes.
Hybrid Container Homes
Some of the most technically advanced container homes now are hybrid homes. This means they use a combination of container modules and traditional housing. A container module is used for bedrooms or living space whilst traditional housing is used for the entrance, great room or to join the modules together.
A hybrid home will need to be well engineered with consideration to how the loads from the container modules are going to transfer into the traditional housing. Careful detailing will be required to ensure a good thermal envelope at the junction.
Hybrid homes will generally use the more complex system required for the container parts meaning the engineering will need to be detailed for the container requirements and traditional housing will be compliant with traditional building code. The junction will need to be considered.
What Modern Container Homes Look Like
Modern container home projects are much more advanced than the original examples. Structural engineering is more advanced, thermal performance is more considered, mechanical systems are thoughtfully included and the building permits are more comprehensive.
This is due to the knowledge gained from successful and unsuccessful projects. The engineering community providing services to container home clients have learnt from these and the current engineering practices are beneficial to project owners.
When engineered well, the container home will be structurally sound, thermally efficient, have good moisture control to make them durable and will have appropriate permits. They make a really attractive residential home with a unique look and can be one of the most energy efficient residential buildings in their area if well situated and orientated.
However there is a lot of engineering expertise required to get to this stage which won’t be evident from the inspirational images. CeedCivil specialise in the engineering of container homes to ensure you get the full sustainability benefits and unique look from your container home.
Our team has expertise in structural engineering, thermal performance and extensive knowledge of the building permit process in multiple jurisdictions. Get in contact with us at ceedcivil.com to discuss your container home project.
