A shipping container anchor is crucial for your house as it can provide stability, safety, and durability, especially in areas with high winds, earthquakes, or unstable soil. Even though shipping containers are designed to withstand harsh weather, they can still be lifted or displaced by strong winds or unstable ground!
Other than that, anchoring keeps your home stable and level over time. Several states in the U.S. also require you to install a shipping container anchor to your house to meet building code requirements.
A shipping container can withstand wind speeds of 180 mph without wavering. 180 mph winds are extremely destructive and categorized as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Therefore, if your container home is in a windy, flood-prone, or unstable area, anchoring is a must.
To safeguard your container, here is how to install the shipping container anchor to your container house:
Best Anchor Method for Shipping Container House
Choosing an anchor method is one of the most important steps in ensuring your container remains intact during a severe weather storm. For a house, you need an anchor that is durable, stable, and designed to handle the container’s weight and the forces of severe weather. That is something that a Concrete anchor method can do!
Concrete anchors offer strong support but may require professional installation. This anchor method can prevent your container house from sinking and shifting. It is best for any terrain as it can work on soft, sandy, or uneven ground.
The concrete anchor can withstand wind & earthquakes – Ideal for hurricane and seismic zones, heavy wind, and earthquake-prone areas. However, one thing you need to note, this anchor is more expensive and takes time to cure.
How to Anchor Shipping Container House
A concrete method is the most secure and permanent way to anchor a shipping container house. It prevents shifting, sinking, and damage from wind, floods, and earthquakes. To install this shipping container anchor method, follow this tutorial:
1. Choose the Right Concrete Foundation Type
Choose slab, strip, or pier foundations based on soil type. The Slab Foundation is best for soft soil, high winds, and heavy loads. It creates a full concrete pad under the container, best for stability.
If you have moderate loads, you can use strip footing. This type has concrete beams under the container edges, and it works well for stable ground.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for a budget-friendly foundation that can suit the elevated home, choose the Pier Foundation. It creates concrete piers at each corner and midpoints, best for uneven or flood-prone land.
2. Preparation
In this step, the first thing you need to do is choose a slightly elevated area around the container house to prevent flooding, water accumulation, and soil erosion. Then, mark the Container footprint to outline where the container will sit.
Next, excavate the ground to remove topsoil and level the area. Compact the Soil to prevent settling or sinking, which can destroy what’s inside. Lastly, add 4-6 inch layer of gravel base to help with drainage.
3. Create a Solid Foundation
The foundation should evenly distribute the container’s weight and provide a stable platform. Therefore, you need to ensure that the foundation can hold more pounds than the container house’s total weight. An empty 20’ shipping container weighs around 5,000 pounds, and an empty 40’ shipping container weighs around 9,000 pounds. A solid foundation ensures your container will remain stable.
If you want to install the Slab Foundation, follow these methods:
- Frame the area by using wood to create a perimeter.
- Install Rebar Mesh to reinforce the concrete.
- Pour concrete at least 6 inches thick.
- Let it cure for 7+ days to ensure maximum strength.
If you wish to install the Pier Foundation, implement these steps:
- Dig holes around 2-4 feet deep at each corner.
- Fill the holes with concrete & insert anchor bolts.
- Let it cure before placing the container.
4. Anchor the Container to the Foundation
There are two methods that you can use to anchor your container house to the foundation. They are the Bolt method and the Welding Method.
To anchor using the Bolt method for easy removal, follow these steps:
- Use expansion bolts for extra security against strong wind.
- Weld steel base plates onto the container corners.
- Drill holes in the concrete and insert anchor bolts.
- Bolt the container onto the foundation.
Meanwhile, to anchor using the Welding method for the most permanent installation, follow these steps:
- Weld L-brackets or steel plates onto the container bottom.
- Weld the plates directly to the embedded foundation anchors.
5. Final Inspection & Finishing Touches
For the final inspection and finishing touches of your shipping container anchor, check for leveling by ensuring even weight distribution. Then, seal the edges to prevent water infiltration and attach Skirting to cover the gap for better insulation.
6. Maintenance & Inspection
Ensure the shipping container anchor and foundation remain in excellent condition by doing regular maintenance and inspection. In this process, check for signs of rust, corrosion, or damage to the anchors, and make repairs if needed.
With an excellent foundation and anchor condition, your container will be ready for an unexpected extreme weather event.
Strategic planning and implementation can significantly reduce the risks, increase the container’s longevity, and ensure your container’s top-notch condition after a severe weather storm.
Conclusion
During high-wind conditions that are prone to tornadoes, some extra security is needed to keep the containers tied down for extra strength and security. Therefore, you should always ensure to have the shipping container anchor that is fully anchored to the ground to avoid any unfortunate event.
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