• 102 Gosport St, Hemmant, Brisbane QLD 4174
  • sales@gatewaycontainerpark.com.au
  • Call: (07) 3348 6463
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Menu 
  • Shipping Containers
      • Containers for Sale & Hire by Size
        • 10ft Shipping Containers
        • 20ft Shipping Containers
        • 40ft Shipping Containers
        • Container Specifications
      • Containers for Sale & Hire by Type
        • General Purpose Containers
        • High Cube Containers
        • Side Opening Containers
        • Open Tops
        • Flat Racks
        • Insulated Containers
        • Refrigerated Containers
      • Container Modifications
        • Branded Containers
        • Flammable Goods Storage
        • Portable Offices
        • Workshops
        • Accommodation Units
        • Lunch Rooms
        • Container Shelters
        • Training Containers
        • Switch Rooms
        • Ablution Units
        • Document & Archive Storage
      • Container Accessories
        • Container Security
        • Container Insulation
        • Container Ventilation
        • Container Shelving
        • Electrical Fitouts
        • Access Doors & Windows
        • Container Painting
          • Bargain Box

  • Self Storage & Hire
  • Delivery
  • FAQ
  • Our Difference
    • Our Company
      • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Testimonials
      • Industry Memberships
      • Sponsorships
      • Privacy Policy
    • Competitive Advantage
      • Ask an expert
      • Buy direct from the source
      • On site workshop & depot
      • On site storage
      • Guarantee
      • Service Area
      • Our Terms
      • Buy Back Policy
      • Industry Specialised
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Get a Quote
MENU CLOSE back  

US Military Gets into Shipping Container Building Construction

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Container Sales, Other, Shipping Container, Buildings, Modified Shipping Containers
  3. US Military Gets into Shipping Container Building Construction
1braggdone.jpg__640x360_q85_crop_subsampling-2

Militaries the world over love to construct buildings that are cheap, sturdy, and can be thrown up in minimal time. It is of little surprise, therefore, that they have recently discovered the benefits of repurposing shipping containers for their buildings. Shipping containers are very durable, can take a lot of weight and, thanks to being modular, can be built on site in very quick time indeed. Let’s take a look at their new 249th Engineers company operations building that has just been built at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The brief

The US Engineers needed a 5,000 square foot building that had to be built for less than US$750,000 and also needed to be built in quick time. The original contractors working in traditional construction methods just couldn’t build a building to within these parameters.

They then looked at modular construction. Modular construction is where much of the building is built off-site in factories and then installed on its foundations on site. The basic building can go up in just days once on site, and with the pre-fabrication it will have its electrics, water and mechanical features pre-installed, meaning that much of the First Fix phase of construction is done already.

The shipping container epiphany

The US Engineers saw that repurposed shipping containers was the way forward. Most shipping containers are only used once – they are made in China, filled with goods and sent to consumer markets around the world. Their design is such that they could take several trips around the world in all weather conditions, never mind just one trip of 5-7,000 miles. Consequently repurposed shipping containers are almost as good as new and in most cases have depreciated in cost by around 50% from new after only one trip. You can buy a 40ft high cube shipping container for less than US$3000 and it will be almost as sturdy as when it came out of the factory.

Nathaniel Hermann, the Corps’ resident engineer and the project champion said, “It’s highly unlikely that the structure of these buildings will rot or get moisture damage, and they’re less likely to grow mold or mildew. They’re stronger, longer-lasting buildings that are substantially less susceptible to moisture, wind and other elements.” The US Military expect this building to last 50 years with minimal maintenance.

Using shipping containers as building blocks is much better for the environment. It is estimated that melting a container down to re-use its steel costs around 8,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. Turning one into a fully clad, durable building will cost around 400kWh, or around 5% of the energy of melting it down.

The new Fort Bragg building

The 4,322 square foot, two storey Army Corps of Engineers building was built in just 110 days. The cost came in at around US$150 per square foot, well within the price tolerances of the US Army. They believe that as local contractors get used to modular construction the cost is set to fall dramatically as well, pushing the costs of building shipping container buildings to a very competitive price point and one that can be replicated across all of the US Military’s permanent bases around the world.

CampBastionCOIN-1000x600

Image source: Travellerrpg.com

The US Army is quite used to having prefabricated buildings in theatres of war where a utilitarian look is par for the course. You don’t need something to look pretty when the enemy want to put holes in it. Fort Bragg, however, is on home soil and there are certain planning and appearance regulations that the building had to conform to. Again, it was clad and insulated to meet the requirements of the base, and has a similar appearance to the other buildings on this vast military base.

Looking at it from the outside the building doesn’t look as if it was a bunch of shipping containers dumped on site – instead it is a neat, comfortable looking base for the soldiers working there.

Gateway Container Sales

At Gateway Container Sales we specialise in selling repurposed shipping containers that have frequently only done relatively short distances by comparison to their designed lifespan, and regularly sell them on as components of buildings that can conform to local aesthetics and building regulations. Call us today to discuss your needs or get a free quote!

Posted on September 11, 2017
By Mark FinneganContainer Sales Other Shipping Container Buildings Modified Shipping ContainersLeave a comment
Tags:Modified Shipping Containersshipping container architectureshipping container buildingsUS military shipping containers

Related Topics

Festival 1
How Shipping Containers Make Festival Planning Easy
January 11, 2021
TTCCH-Patio
6 Benefits of Shipping Container Cafes
January 4, 2021
2469383_sd_me_container_house_gasx001_t933x640
Converted Shipping Containers: Why Do They Make Unique Homes?
December 21, 2020

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

clearPost Comment

The Gateway Guarantee

Gateway carry hundreds of containers to choose from in our 2 depots, have decades of experience and know the container business inside out. We guarantee delivery of containers to the South East QLD and Northern NSW region by truck, rail or sea, or any combination thereof.

Gateway is 1 of 5 companies in Queensland who can purchase shipping containers direct from the shipping lines, so you can be sure you are buying or hiring:

  • Direct from the source
  • Widest range of containers
  • Fastest turnaround
  • Guaranteed delivery
  • Quality workmanship

If we don’t have the box you need onsite, we will source the best quality box, for the best value, faster than any other provider. Read More about the Gateway No Nonsense Guarantee.

Get a Quote Today!

gateway-bargin-box

Quick Links
  • Shipping Containers
  • Self Storage & Hire
  • Delivery
  • Container Specifications
  • Guarantee
  • FAQ
  • Our Company
Tune into the 20ft Tabloid
Specials, expert tips, creative containers, innovative mods - shipped straight to your inbox!
Contact Information

Contact Gateway Container Sales
Email enquiry
Phone: +61 7 3348 6463
Fax: +61 7 3348 6588

We are open:
6:00 to 17:00 Mon-Fri

Gateway Container Sales and Hire Pty Ltd
Australian Owned & Operated GatewayAddress:
102 Gosport St, Hemmant QLD 4174

FacebookTwitterGoogle+
Storage & Shipping Containers For Sales & Hire | Brisbane, Gold Coast, QLD – Gateway Containers. © 2020
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy