The topic of sea containers (or seacans) seems to come up a lot so I propose we try to debunk some of the myths surrounding them. One that I am aware of is you cannot just bury a sea can under 4 feet of dirt and hope it will survive. It is not designed for that. They can be stacked and most are rated for 120,000 pounds BUT ONLY ON THE CORNERS. However you can bury them safely if you do something like this fella.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3EAJex1RVo
A real cool site (I have been by the property and it is awsome!) It is just outside Rimby Alberta have a look.
This guy built his ENTIRE home out of sea cans (over 30) it is huge and has to be seen. He includes a few video's and updates. I swear he is a prepper.
http://www.glennonseacanhome.ca/
Please correct me if I am wrong. Add your opinions. If someone wants to do this I would like them to have correct information. If you have any favorite web pages please add them here! Have fun lets see if we can all learn something new.
very cool. id like to see the finished product, also see what this project of his cost. however there are numerous clips where they show large areas that have been completley gutted out of any sidewall structure... how does that thing support itself? and a concrete roof? id like to see how he manages that without any structural support. very cool videos though thanks for the link
See you all after.
I have seen the Rimby home online only. Might have to take a little drive out that way next time I am in the area as it seems like it would be worth the extra few KM's. My question is how hard is it to cut through the walls if you are lining up two or more containers and trying to create a larger open space. As well does it weaken the unit as a whole? I am guessing as long as you are not near the corners it wouldnt, but just curious.
I know the wenbsite url looks weird but here's some pictures of the finished products:
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Quack, Cluck, Moo, Hee-Haw, Meow and Baaaaaaa from Shalom Engedi Farm
http://adventures-in-country-living.blogspot.com/
I have a 40' sea can I currently use for storage, including long term food storage. When I bought it in 2007 they were cheap. I had it delivered by a picker truck for $4400 inclusive.
Now they are not so cheap, but they are very versatile. Ive seen a genlteman at the vilna corner who has arranged four of them in a square and has a real handy set of storage buildings now.
Before my divorce I used to manage an Oilfield Contracting company and we modified many sea cans. You can cut out the sides with a zip disc (But it takes a lot of zip discs)... Plasma cutter is better if you have access to one. We added mini rollup doors and man doors for tool cribs etc.. If you set them on screw piles or concrete it would be easy to weld them together (although I would clamp them first like the guy in Rimby).
If I had the money, I would like to get two 53' high cubes (9'6" high instead of 8') and two 40 footers and place them in a rectangle on scew piles. If I had even more money I would add a second level copying the first.
My family has lots of land in a fairly remote area where such a structure could be placed without drawing too much attention.
What are screw piles?
See you all after.
Its a chunk of pipe with flighting welded on the end... like an ice auger for fishing..
Think of a 6' lenght of 3.5" OD (Outside Diameter) Pipe with one wrap of flighting at the bottom. The small ones like this can be installed with a hydraulic auger motor like you see people use to dig fence post holes. The pipe has pin holes on the opposite end from the flighting and mounts to the auger motor, you screw one into the ground every eight feet around the foundation and then cut and cap them level to mount your structure on.
I live in an oilfield area so they are readily available. People who live in Manufactured homes typically use them in place of a concrete foundation to save cost.
Just found this blog. Here to you can see a home that has actually been built from a sea conatainer and some insight into how he did it.
Link: http://seacontainercabin.blogspot.co.uk/