3.
1 Container design
3.1.1 Container design and types
[Link] Part 1
[Link] Part 2
[Link] Part 3
3.1.2 CSC & structural and testing regulations
3.1.3 Cargo securing equipment
A container user should be aware of the most important structural differences between
containers, so that he/she is in a position to make appropriate preparations for packing
and cargo securing and correctly to assess container loading capacity.
Problem-free dispatch has been assisted by the standardization of transport units, such as
containers, while the standardization of certain components and some dimensions permits
the use of standard handling equipment and means of transport.
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".
Basic container frame
The load-carrying element of all box containers is a steel framework, consisting of four
corner posts and two bottom side rails, two top side rails, two bottom cross members, a
front top end rail and a door header.
Bottom cross members serve as supports for the container floor.
Additional bottom cross members are fitted between the bottom side rails, to serve as
supports for the floor covering.
Side walls End walls
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.
Essential components of a container
Part names in the area of the container floor
A comparison of German and English part names is given below:
German name English name
Eckbeschlag corner fitting; corner casting
Ecksule corner post
(unterer) Seitenlngstrger bottom side rail
(oberer) Seitenlngstrger / Dachlngstrger top side rail
unterer Quertrger
front also known as: Stirnschwelle bottom end rail; door sill
rear also known as: Trschwelle / Truntergurt
oberer Quertrger / Dachquertrger
front top end rail
front also known as: Stirntrger
door header
rear also known as: Trtrger / Trobergurt
Boden floor
Stirnwand front end wall
Bodenquertrger bottom cross member
Dach roof panel
Dachspriegel (e.g. in open-top containers) roof bows
Seitenwnde side panel; side wall
Gabelstaplertasche forklift pocket
Trverschlustange door locking bar
Scharnier hinge
Nocke cam
Nockenhalterung cam keeper
Trdichtung door gasket
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.
ISO Corner Casting ASA Corner Casting
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.
The eight corner castings of a container or a corresponding CTU have to be particularly
strong, since they work with the corner posts and the other basic components of the
container frame to absorb the forces which lock units or lashings exert on containers when
they are stacked on top of one another, during handling and during transport.
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.
It must be possible to stack six ISO containers packed to
the maximum weight vertically on top of one another.
Maximum offset is set as follows: widthwise - 24.4 mm
(1"), lengthwise - 38 mm (1").
The actual values of modern
containers are generally higher.
Many are designed to be stacked
eight or nine high. The
maximum stacking load must be
marked on the CSC plate. (More
details are given in the relevant
section of the Handbook).
According to safety regulations, stacked containers must where necessary be secured
against toppling and shifting.
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.
Indicating stacking heights on a
container
Inland containers are only designed
to be stacked three high when fully
loaded.
Irrespective of the material used to build a box container, it is essential for it to bespray-
tight.
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 sheet, corrugated
aluminum sheet in conjunction with stiffening profiles
plywood with glass fiber-reinforced plastic coating (plywood + GRP)
These are reflected in the conventional container names:
steel container
aluminum container
plywood container
Variously corrugated steel sheet
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.
Repair instructions on a steel
Indication of container wall 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 container skin
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".
Container doors are often also made of plymetal,
which consists of a plywood core with sheet metal
adhered to it on both sides.
Materials information on 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
Plywood floor Repair to floor
Box containers are predominantly provided with coverings of plywood or textured coated
board mostly 25 mm thick, more rarely 30 mm thick. Although wood is relatively
expensive, it has substantial advantages over other materials: it is strong and resilient,
does not dent, may be easily replaced during repairs and, when appropriately finished,
has an adequate coefficient of friction. The latter does not apply to the virtually new
container in the left-hand Figure, which has a mirror-bright finish.
Cross-section through a
seven-ply plywood board
Planking Steel floor
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.
Axle load 12,040 lbs / 5,460 kg
Wheel load 2,730 kg
Contact surface per wheel 142 cm
Wheel width 180 mm
Wheel gage 760 mm
The wheel contact area of 142 cm corresponds approximately to the size of a postcard.
Forklift trucks with a load-carrying capacity of 2 metric tons have axle loads of just under
5 metric tons when loaded. Most 2.5 metric ton forklifts are within the admissible range.
However, some electrically operated 2.5 metric ton forklift trucks reach front axle loads of
over 6,000 kg when loaded. It is of course possible for even heavier forklift trucks to drive
into containers, provided they are not fully loaded and the equipment and cargo
dimensions allow it. It is essential to note that add-ons reduce the load-carrying capacity
of forklifts, but increase the front axle load. Goods may only be stacked in box
containers using equipment with a suitable telescopic mast. Using equipment with twin
tires may reduce the wheel loads, but it doesn't completely resolve the issue of axle load.
It shouldn't therefore be regarded as a license to use heavier equipment.
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
Containers must withstand loads in the lengthwise direction which correspond to external
acceleration of 2 g acting horizontally on the floor fastening elements. This takes into
account loads which are transmitted via twist locks and other vehicle locking elements to
containers. Special railroad container cars with hydraulic shock absorption limit forces to 2
g; examples of these cars are Lgjs, Sgjs and Sgjkmmns cars and other cars with a j in
their name, the j indicating high-performance (long-stroke) shock absorbers or buffers.
According to the CSC, end walls must be
so constructed that forces of 0.4 times
the uniformly applied payload may be
absorbed, i.e. 40% of the container
payload or 0.4 g. Higher or lower values
should be marked on the containers.
End wall loading capacity
The loading capacity of the side
wallsmust correspond to 0.6 times the
uniformly applied payload, i.e. 60% of
the payload or 0.6 g. Higher or lower
values should again be marked on the
containers. More details are given in
Section 3.1.2 CSC & structural and
testing regulations".
Side wall loading capacity
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.
In the case of container roof panels, an
evenly distributed 200 kg load may be
applied to a surface area of
600 x 300 mm, so meaning that two
people may stand next to one another on
the container roof. Under no
circumstances may container roof panels
be covered with cargo.
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 flatrack marked
EMPTY
Forklift pockets on a flatrack not marked EMPTY
Both containers may only be picked up when 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.
Marking variant: the arrows bear the mark "Tare".
The containers shown here merely bear the marking "Tare" at the inner forklift pockets.
The outer pairs of pockets lack markings or symbols. It is obvious here that the
arrangement of these pockets also allows handling of the full container by forklift truck,
but one can never be sure. This example shows that there is a need for marking to be
mandatory.
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.
Handling a swap-body with grappler in
grappler pockets
Grappler pocket in a semitrailer Grappler pocket in a swap-body
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.
Detailed images of grapplers
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.
40' flatrack with 20' flatracks without
gooseneck tunnel gooseneck tunnel
In accordance with the standards, gooseneck tunnels are only provided for 40' containers.
