I realize this is a bit OT of my normal fare here, but I thought it was interesting. Apparently island nations tend to have a surplus of these (more imports than export), and compared to some of the structures there, these might well be superior strength housing. If they put in some French doors, it will really “open them up”.
Clemson faculty explore how to convert shipping containers into emergency housing
CLEMSON, S.C. — Resources to solve the housing crisis in Haiti may already be on hand.
Some Clemson University researchers have been experimenting with ways to convert shipping containers into emergency housing in the hurricane-prone Caribbean, where a surplus of the sturdy boxes often sits in port yards.
Pernille Christensen, a research associate in the Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate and Ph.D. student in planning, design and the built environment; associate professor Doug Hecker; and assistant professor Martha Skinner of Clemson’s School of Architecture, collaborated on the SEED Project, working to develop a method to convert the shipping containers into homes.
The original idea was inspired by housing crises that have followed large hurricanes in the Caribbean and United States. However, Hecker said shipping containers would meet those needs in an earthquake zone, too.
“Because of the shipping container’s ‘unibody’ construction they are also very good in seismic zones and exceed structural code in the United States and any country in the world,” Hecker said. “They have also been used in other countries as emergency shelters in the case of earthquakes. As the SEED Project develops this will certainly be an area that we incorporate. With a few simple cuts at the port, a storage container can be turned into something that is livable and opens to the site.”
Faculty and students sought a way to put displaced people in emergency housing that could be sturdy and safe on a permanent site. Putting families back on their own land quickly is key to the idea. Families displaced by disaster often do not return to their permanent homes for years, if ever, but the Clemson researchers are looking for strategies to implement the SEED Project as quickly as possible, ideally having a modified container on site within three weeks.
“You get people back in their communities and it strengthens those communities,” Christensen said. “They work on their home, not a temporary shelter, and then they work with their neighbors to rebuild the neighborhood. It leads to a healthier and safer community. And these are places often in dire need of better housing.”
Many Caribbean countries import more containers than they export, which leads to the surplus of containers in those nations.
“The project has a double mission: to address the local need of providing adequate housing for people in need while solving a global problem of recycling – giving purpose to empty containers that would otherwise be discarded,” Skinner said.
As part of this research, the group is studying the cycles of natural disasters by looking at the larger picture through mapping and logistics to understand how containers move, available surpluses and ultimately coordinating the cycles of natural disasters with the ebb and flow of container supplies worldwide.
The SEED Project also includes plans for using another surplus item, 55-gallon steel drums, as a way to create a starter garden – from seed – on the roof of the container homes as a way to get food crops started when the ground may be contaminated by stormwater. Water also would be filtered through the drums before being used in a water pod comprised of shower, sink and composting toilet.
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Put them on the deck of an aircraft carrier (too bad we scrapped all our “obsolete” ones), helicopter them to their destination, return to the US & repeat until all housing done. No need for cranes or trucking or roads.
Later, provide instruction on & tools for adding windows, awnings, etc. It’s better than, or a good supplement to, what we’re doing now.
In Peru, container houses have been used and are being used.
They are called “chalacasas” (chalaco: from Callao + casa=house) and low income people can get them instead of living in houses made of cardboard and plastic.
Hell, even a well-to-do friend of mine lived in two of them when he bought a plot of land for his house and was settin up his business. Saved a ton of money.
PS: Since flat spots for container homes would take time to grade, containers could be helicoptered in initially to staging areas for later lifting to their ultimate destinations. This initial staging would also facilitate trained and perfected container modifications like adding windows, tie-down loops, awnings, human-sized doors, etc.
I have been trying to contact and work with numerous so called non-profit acencies about the domes I sell. No one seems to want to reply or actually help the people in Haiti. Everyone knows that huricane season is coming and the tents made of canvas, plastic and tarps will soon be blown away with any winds produced from a storm just passing by the island. Why doesn’t any one think ahead enough to prevent future problems?? Look at my website and please pass it along to others to try and help the people of Haiti. Haven’t they been through enough? Go to http://www.domesweetdome.us.
Nice photoshop work, but where are the stairs, etc.????
These are just more poor houses for poor people.
To make them suitable for the rich takes hundreds of
thouands of dollars of modification. DomeSWEETdomeD
is the right track. Just no trains on it…..
There are better
alternatives but the FEMAs of the world insist they are
ready. “Tents, sheet-goods and trailers”.
UN admits that
tents rot in storage and have a useful life of about three months,
sheet goods blow away in the first storm, and trailers are toxic
with formaldehyde. How about a folding house made of foam and
steel?
“Oh we great crazy ideas for better mousetraps all the time.” (NGO)
What is crazy is not looking ahead. Hotrod, did you see what happened to Guam in 1996? Etudient, you are right on. Till then, “Great Job Brownie!”
Arch-e-teched
We are a company from Malaysia, Jasib Engineering were very concern over the loss of life and widespread damage caused by earthquake in Haiti. We have used container equipment at our disposal for immediate shipping at a reasonable price. Those interested to purchase our used containers please state the amount, capacities and types. For further clarification and information please do not hesitate to communicate with us.