Shipping Container Cabin

HarleyDude · December 18, 2016, 03:02:32 PM

First post here and hopefully shipping containers are not off limits

We are looking to put a 40' high cube shipping container on our property in East Texas. We will be using it has the core of a small cabin.

My question is related to footings/piers to place the container on. The top layer of ground is about 3' of sugar sand followed by a mix of that and clay. Frost level in the area is 10". We spoke to a concrete contractor and he recommended installing 12" piers 10' deep and came with a price that just blows this project out of the water

The container weighs just under 10,000 pounds empty. Is the 10' depth really necessary?

Thanks in advance for comments and opinions.

GaryT · December 18, 2016, 04:49:17 PM

I would seriously talk to another contractor.
Gary

December 18, 2016, 05:06:30 PM

Do a search of "Shipping Containers" in the Country Plans "search" bar. There are a couple pages of various post concerning them. Maybe some info that you might be able to use.

MountainDon · December 18, 2016, 10:40:52 PM

What about a concrete slab? What do the contractors use for a house on a slab?

Don_P · December 19, 2016, 07:09:51 AM

Just some devils advocate thoughts.
At 8x40 and 10,000 lbs the container dead load is about 30psf. Design live load would be 40 psf for occupants and 20 psf wind for a total of 90 psf... x 320 sf= ~30,000 lbs on the foundation.

However, you mentioned this is the core of a larger building, you might need to be considering the whole if you don't want individual parts moving independently later.

TX soils can be a problem, is the contractor trying to get below a problematic clay layer to bear in a better soil? What prompted him to look to piers and why is he thinking he needs to go 10' down? I would expand on what MtDon was asking and ask what conventional foundations in the area are being used successfully.

My inclination would be to put a conventional strip footing down with a couple of rows of block on it, but TX is known for tearing up foundations.

December 19, 2016, 05:09:43 PM

Quote from: Don_P on December 19, 2016, 07:09:51 AM
TX soils can be a problem, is the contractor trying to get below a problematic clay layer to bear in a better soil? What prompted him to look to piers and why is he thinking he needs to go 10' down? I would expand on what MtDon was asking and ask what conventional foundations in the area are being used successfully.

I was the one that requested piers. All of the projects that I have seen were using round or square piers/footings/pads. He said that he would go 10' without any explanation. Another contractor suggested a full slab.

azgreg · December 19, 2016, 07:52:14 PM

Here's a container cabin build. I don't know if it will answer any of your questions, but I dig it.

http://www.tincancabin.com/

HarleyDude · December 20, 2016, 08:48:58 AM

azgreg,

I have visited that site as well. His choice for foundation.

http://www.tincancabin.com/2010/08/the-finished-foundation/#more-227

HarleyDude · December 20, 2016, 07:20:29 PM

Need educating. Why is this setup not recommended?

http://www.tincancabin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Foundation12.jpg

December 21, 2016, 08:16:26 AM

Didn't see that mentioned.
Mentally push on that wall left to right along its length. Now go around and push on it out of plane. In one direction its shape stabilizes it, in the other that sloppy soil he was complaining about is stabilizing it. If it has walls running in both directions with a well attached floor on top then no matter which direction the horizontal load (wind) is pushing from it will end up running down the length of a bracing wall. The pier is free to topple in any direction, the wall can flop forward or back, the rigid box is braced, make sense?