Connecting Multiple Shipping Containers With a Modular Double-Wide Kit
Connecting two or more shipping containers can create large open spaces for homes, garages, shops, and other modular buildings, but the structural details need to be planned carefully.
In this video, Channing walks through an updated Container Modification World system designed to connect two, three, or even four shipping containers together. The kit can also support a pitched roof concept, making it useful for double-wide container homes, larger workshops, and even the upper level of a two-story container building.
Starting With the Foundation
One of the biggest challenges in a double-wide container build is supporting the floor after the sidewalls are removed.
When an entire wall section is cut out, the lower side rail can sag.
One option is to reinforce the underside with steel, but a better approach for a new project may be to design the concrete slab around the container from the beginning.
By recessing or pocketing the slab around the four corner castings, the rest of the container can sit evenly on the foundation and receive better support along the floor.
Every site is different, so the final foundation and structural design should still be reviewed for local wind, snow, and soil conditions.
Updating the Double-Wide Header Kit
The current Double-Wide Header Kit uses structural steel components that span the full length of the container.
Channing is also exploring a more shipping-friendly option where Container Modification World could supply the flashing and connection components while the customer sources the structural header locally.
That could make the system easier and less expensive to ship while allowing an engineer to select the appropriate structural member for the specific project.
The header components include laser-cut connection points, End Caps, and a Ridge Cap that tie the two sides together.
Aligning Two Shipping Containers
High-Capacity Bridge Fittings play an important role in bringing the containers together.
These fittings use opposing threads so that turning the center section pulls both containers toward each other.
That helps correct small alignment issues when two 40-foot containers are not sitting perfectly parallel or level.
Once the containers are positioned correctly, the interior flashing, floor connection, and roof components can be completed.
Sealing the Double-Wide Roof
Water management is one of the most important considerations when connecting containers.
Shipping container roofs are normally designed to shed water toward both sides. Once two containers are joined together, the center seam becomes a potential leak point.
The Double-Wide Kit uses a Ridge Cap and sealant to protect this connection.
Because sealants can deteriorate over time, the roof connection should also be inspected periodically as part of normal building maintenance.
Adding a Pitched Roof
One of the most interesting features of the updated Ridge Cap is that its profile can support approximately a 1.5/12 roof pitch.
Steel framing can be attached to the header and extended outward to create a pitched roof above the joined containers.
The concept could also be expanded across wider spans between multiple containers.
Instead of simply creating a 16-foot-wide double-wide building, containers could potentially be spaced farther apart and used as structural sidewalls for a much larger shop or living space.
Building Larger Container Structures
The ultimate goal of the system is modularity.
Two containers can create a double-wide home or office, while additional containers can be used to create much larger structures.
For wider buildings, conventional trusses can span between containers while the shipping container corner posts transfer loads down into screw piles or a slab foundation.
The original wood floors could also be removed so rigid insulation, hydronic heating, and concrete can be installed across the entire building footprint.
A More Flexible Way to Build With Shipping Containers
Container Modification World’s Double-Wide Header Kit and High-Capacity Bridge Fittings are designed to simplify one of the most difficult parts of joining shipping containers.
The same concepts can be expanded into container homes, garages, farm shops and other large modular buildings.
By combining container structures with conventional foundations, concrete floors and pitched roofs, builders can take advantage of the durability and portability of shipping containers without being limited to the original eight-foot-wide footprint.