Professional Documents
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Container Design
Container Design
1 Container design
3.1.1 Container design and types
3.1.1.1 Part 1
3.1.1.2 Part 2
3.1.1.3 Part 3
3.1.2 CSC & structural and testing regulations
3.1.3 Cargo securing equipment
We will describe fundamental components and designs first of all with reference to
standard box containers. More detailed information is given under the heading
"Container types".
Additional bottom cross members are fitted between the bottom side rails, to serve
as supports for the floor covering.
Roof panel
The side and end walls and the roof are the components of a standard box container
which are capable of bearing the least load. To a certain degree, this naturally also
depends on the construction materials used for them.
The following three Figures illustrate the essential components of standard box
containers. Not included by name are, for example, the door bar handles, the locking
components required for sealing, etc. Where necessary, descriptions of and
comments about these components are provided at other points in the Handbook.
In the early days of container shipping, the majority of containers were constructed
according to ASA standards, but now the containers used for maritime transport are
almost without exception ISO containers.
They differ both in dimension and in the shape of the corner fittings or "corner
castings". Most ASA containers, i.e. containers like those used by Sealand
constructed according to "American Standards Association" standards, have since
been adapted to match ISO dimensions. To simplify handling, special
universal spreaders were used, which could handle both types without difficulty.
ISO corner castings - horizontal
and vertical mirror images
ISO standard 1161 specifies different shapes for top and bottom and mirror images
for right and left.
Securing on board
Cargo handling
Securing on a chassis
DIN/ISO standards specify certain minimum
requirements for the loading capacity
and stackabilityof containers; while higher levels of
performance may be provided for individual properties,
lower levels may not.
On larger container ships, the containers are stowed nine to twelve high in the hold.
In such cases, the containers loaded must either be only partly full or designed to
have greater stackability. The latter is generally the case with modern containers, but
it is possible to use fold-out flaps in the cell guides, which subdivide the stacks.
In standard box containers, the load-carrying parts are made of steel profiles, i.e. at
least the entire frame including the bottom cross members and possibly also the
elements serving as reinforcements, such as bottom side rails in the area of the
gooseneck tunnel etc. Three main types of material are used for the walls and roof:
steel container
aluminum container
plywood container
In steel sheet containers, a wide range of differently profiled corrugated steel sheet
may be used for the outer walls. It is protected against corrosion by painting or
similar processes.
Indication of container wall Repair instructions on a steel
material container
The cost advantages of this type of container have led to its current dominance. Of
all the containers currently in use, a rough estimate would suggest that 85% are
made of steel sheet.
Aluminum containers are built either with a pure aluminum skin or with a plywood
inner lining; they may also either be riveted or with a smooth or lightly riveted finish.
In plywood containers, the outer walls are made of plywood coated with glass fiber-
reinforced plastic (GRP). Plywood is a popular material for "coffee containers".
It is clear from these examples that containers are not generally made from a single
material but various material combinations, here including steel, aluminum and
plywood. The information even covers the type of preservatives used.
Wood treatment
information
Special impregnation against insect or other pests is required for certain regions of
service. Most container floors or wooden parts undergo preventive treatment.
Wood treatment
information
Materials
used for a flatrack
Cross-section through a
seven-ply plywood board
Planking is preferred for flatracks and other similar platform containers. 20' platforms
orhalf-height open-top containers often have a floor of steel, e.g. of "tear drop" or
otherwise textured sheet.
The floors of ISO containers have to be capable of bearing the evenly distributed
payload, the emphasis being on "evenly distributed".
The following test criteria apply where ground conveyors have access to container
floors.
The strength of ISO containers is laid down in the relevant DIN standards and/or
the International Convention for Safe Containers:
ISO containers must be capable of absorbing the horizontal forces arising during
regular service at the level of the end frames.
Longitudinal loading
capacity in the floor
area
Since the values for end and side walls are valid only for large-area loads, any point
loading of the walls should be avoided. Because the weight-carrying capacity of many
general purpose containers is not fully utilized, loading is kept below the maximum
values in the case of compact and even packing. However, if the rate of utilization is
high and/or uneven, countermeasures must be taken.
Some containers are fitted with forklift pockets for handling with ground conveyors.
Appropriate regulations relating to the required dimensions may be found in appendix
C of ISO 1496/1. The pockets are cavities formed crosswise in the floor structure and
allow insertion of the forks from the side; the forks must be pushed fully into the
pockets. Forks which are too short must under no circumstances be used for lifting,
since they may cause damage to the floor.
Unmarked forklift
pockets on a box
container.
The forklift pockets generally only allow handling of empty containers. Packed
containers must not be picked up in this way unless specifically permitted. This is not
the case here; hence, the container may only be picked up with forks when empty.
Forklift pockets on
a flatrackmarked
EMPTY
For the most part, no marking is provided or no explicit instruction is given to pick up
only empty containers, missing. To rule out errors, marking should be made a
requirement.
Forklift pockets on a
"tilt" container
With this container, it is even less certain how the forklift pockets are to be used.
Standardized regulations and compliance therewith in practice could help in the
avoidance of many losses resulting from the incorrect use of these components.
Straddle
carrierrecess
Some containers have a recess along the longitudinal sides which allows the
containers to be picked up using straddle carrier load suspension devices for
transport within cargo handling facilities. Straddle carriers are specially built (low)
van carriers with which loads may be lifted but not stacked.
Grappler pockets are slots or recesses in the bottom side rails of containers or
otherCTUs, especially inland containers and swap-bodies. Grapplers slot into them
during cargo handling. Such grapplers may also be used with gantry cranes, if
no spreaders are used. Grappler pockets also allow direct pick-up of the containers
with the tongs of a van carrier.
Gooseneck tunnel
Many containers have recesses in the bottom of the front end This centrally located
recess is known as a gooseneck tunnel. A large number of CTUs,
especially flatrackshave them at both ends. The tunnel does not have any effect on
loading space, the inside of the container floor or the flatrack loading area being flat.
This recess serves in centering the container on a gooseneck chassis.
Container with gooseneck tunnel Container with gooseneck
on a normal container chassis tunnel on a gooseneck
chassis
Containers with goosenecks can be carried on both normal chassis and gooseneck
chassis. Containers without goosenecks can only be carried on normal chassis.
Depending on the construction of the chassis, a lower road vehicle overall height may
be achieved with gooseneck chassis. In this way, many articulated trucks can see
their height reduced by approx. 150 mm.
In accordance with the standards, gooseneck tunnels are only provided for 40'
containers.