History of Containers
ISO Standard
Dimensions
There are five common standard lengths, 20-ft (6.1 m), 40-ft (12.2 m), 45-ft (13.7 m), 48-ft (14.6 m), and 53-ft (16.2 m). United States domestic standard containers are generally 48 ft (15 m) and 53-ft (rail and truck). Container capacity is often expressed in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU, or sometimes teu). An equivalent unit is a measure of containerized cargo capacity equal to one standard 20 ft (length) × 8 ft (width) container. As this is an approximate measure, the height of the box is not considered, for instance the 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) High cube and the 4-ft 3-in (1.3 m) half height 20 ft (6.1 m) containers are also called one TEU. Similarly, the 45-ft (13.7 m) containers are also commonly designated as two TEU, although they are 45 and not 40 feet (12 m) long. Two TEU are equivalent to one forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU).
The use of Imperial measurements to describe container size (TEU, FEU) reflects the fact that US Department of Defense played a major part in the development of containers. The overwhelming need to have a standard size for containers, in order that they fit all ships, cranes, and trucks, and the length of time that the current container sizes have been in use, makes changing to an even metric size impractical.
The maximum gross mass for a 20 ft (6.1 m) dry cargo container is 24,000 kg, and for a 40-ft (including the 2.87 m (9 ft 6 in) high cube container), it is 30,480 kg. Allowing for the tare mass of the container, the maximum payload mass is therefore reduced to approximately 21,600 kg for 20 ft (6.1 m), and 26,500 kg for 40 ft (12 m) containers.
Since November 2007 48-ft and 53 ft (16 m) containers are used also for international ocean shipments. At the moment (April 2008) the only ocean company who offer such containers is APL. However, APL containers have slightly different sizes and weights than standard 48 ft (15 m) and 53 ft (16 m) containers (that are used in the US by rail and truck services).
Standard Containers
The 40 ft (12 m) container is the most popular container worldwide. Longer container types have become more common, especially in North America. Shorter containers (e.g. 10 ft (3.0 m) containers) are rare. 20-ft, "heavy tested" containers are available for heavy goods (e.g. heavy machinery). These containers allow a maximum weight of 67,200 lb (30,480 kg), an empty weight of 5,290 lb (2,400 kg), and a net load of 61,910 lb (28,080 kg).
--
The article is written by Shizu, supplied by Joomla! SEO.
Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author name and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Back to Top
What Are They and For What
Types
There are several types of containers for different purposes and needs:
- General purpose containers for cartons, cases, sacks, high or half height
- High cube palletwide containers for europallet compatibility
- Temperature controlled from −25 °C to +25 °C reefer
- Open top bulktainers for bulk minerals, heavy machinery
- Open side for loading oversize pallet
- Flushfolding flat-rack containers for heavy and bulky semi-finished goods, out of gauge cargo
- Platform or bolster for barrels and drums, crates, cable drums, out of gauge cargo, machinery, and processed timber
- Ventilated containers for organic products requiring ventilation
- Tank containers for bulk liquids and dangerous goods
- Rolling floor for difficult to handle cargo
- Gas bottle
- Generator
- Collapsible ISO
- Swapbody
Other uses for Containers
There are variety of uses for steel containers todate. Some of the companies are using them to build houses, as a cabin, or even a workshop. It can also be used as storage area for industries, constructions and lots more.
Nowadays, we can see that they are being used to store computer data centres, and Sun Microsystems was the first to do this.
--
The article is written by Shizu, supplied by Joomla! SEO.
Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author name and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Back to Top
note: Some data and figures refered from Wikipedia
