Which Type of Foundation is Best for Container Houses?
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- Опубликовано: 5 июн 2024
- There are three basic types of the foundations to choose for a shipping container building.
Larry discusses all three and points out the top two of the thirteen factors that will help you determine which foundation is best for your building.
You can read more about the three types of foundations along with the thirteen factors that will affect which foundation type is best for your shipping container building at liveinacontainer.com/what-is-...
The count down of the three type of foundations are:
(0:00) Intro
(1:22) Type #3 - Matt, Slab, or Raft Foundation
(4:16) Type #2 - Stem Wall Foundation
(8:02) Type #1 - Pier, Piles, or Caisson Foundation
All construction projects are unique and have their own design issues that must be reviewed by a professional that is knowledgeable of your project needs, the materials and quality of builders available, and the applicable codes that need to be followed. Seek a professional to review your particular needs. This video and the article it refers to is only for information only and not for construction or for project costs or schedule estimates of your particular project. 
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I have had many conversations and deep discussions with Architects during my career. I am now fortunately retired. It was refreshing to hear your presentation without your need to impress us with your expanded Architect vocabulary or use terminology in foundation engineering that we would have to Google. Much respect, thanks for the well delivered information.
Thank you very much for your complement. It is much appreciated.
If there are other construction with shipping container topics you would recommend that I cover, please let me know.
This and your type of shipping container videos are exactly what I'm looking for as I design my shipping container mushroom farm. I'm beginning the process now in southern Ontario Canada and information of this type is scant at best. I'm intending to build the first one for myself and then build more for others who want to start a farm up in their area and become self employed growing food locally. Thank you so much for your knowledgeable videos.
Will the farm be self-contained within the container? Will you be building it yourself or hiring a contractor to build it? Thank you for the very nice complements.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Best regards from Baja, Mexico.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot for teaching people how to do foundation of 🏠 correctly .
Thank you for your compliment. It is very much appreciated.
Very detailed. Thank you!
I am glad it was helpful. Thank you for the comment. Let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to cover.
I’ve built a few container projects. My favorite foundation is a hybrid approach using concrete. The door opening end is a modified stem wall (just a peer that goes between the end corners) that is an integrated front step. The rear corners are sono tube style to correct grade issues. I can’t wait to build more container items.
That sounds like a good designed foundation solution for the soil that you probably are building them into. Thank you for sharing your experiences. It is always good to hear how others have built their own shipping container projects.
How does a container bind to the foundation so it doesn't slip in case a serious earthquake happens?
@@criss6945 the simplest way is to install a weld plate into the wet concrete located at each of the four corners that will line up with the container corners. Then weld the container to the plate.
@@maverickmacgyver That's great idea. Thanks! 👍
We are in Canada, we would like to add 2 floors containers addition on top of 2 stories existing building.
Hopefully someone has vids for foundations that have to support and elevate, in heavy clay, in the south where it gets HOT.
Check out the video that you are commenting upon at location (1:22) Type #3 - Matt, Slab, or Raft Foundation. I had in mind the expansive clays of north Texas when I was talking out this type of foundation.
Thanks for the information, it helps!
Glad it was helpful!
Great help, thanks.
You're welcome!
The first two foundation drawings show unsupported corners! Insane: Like you said, all the container weight is on those corners. That expensive stem wall just keeps vermin out, but you could do the same thing with mobile home skirting for 1/100th the cost. Piers are the way to go. I love sonotubes. Dug the holes in one day with a rented Home Depot tracked mini-excavator. Set those sonotubes in place with some gravel to keep them there, and the concrete truck came the next day to fill them for my solar panel array. Rated for 140 MPH wind! Totally feasible for DIY. The building inspector loved it.
I am not understanding your point about the first two foundations not supporting the corners. The 1st foundation discussed is a raft slab. It has a down-turned concrete foundation at the corners and all around. The 2nd foundation discussed is a stem wall. It has the reinforced concrete wall at the corners over a spread footing and all the way around.
You are so correct about the stem wall being an expensive way of keeping the vermins out. I like your suggestion.
Yes, sonotubes are a proven way of supporting point loads. Glad you had a good experience with them and with the people inspecting them.
Thank you very much for your comments. If there are other topics you would like for me to cover on the channel or on my blog (liveinacontainer.com), please let me know.
@@liveinacontainer6602 I was talking about your illustrations: The raft slab and stem wall illustrations look like there is nothing under the corners, and all the support starts a few inches away on the bottom beam. Of course a real raft slab or stem wall would have corner support. But they also "support" the bottom beam for no particular reason, since there is no load there! So people would pay a lot more money and get no additional foundation, which is the theme of the video. I like Maverick MacGyver's suggestion to build a stem wall only in the front, so you can add a step or porch, and use piers for the back corners.
Adding a "bigfoot form" to the bottom of the sonotube will help spread the load out unless you are on bedrock.
Try watching the video on something bigger than your phone. The corners are clearly supported in the illustrations.
Packing gravel around sonotube is counter productive. Water will quickly drain through the gravel and pool up beneath your footings. Better method is to backfill around the tubes with soil, and compact very well, creating a mounded area at the top so the water drains away from the tubes. We use a sledge hammer to compact small areas like this as we backfill. I’m a licensed landscape contractor in California with 20 years experience.
When I built my shop I used the twist looks with rebar with 2’ square concrete, our ground here in the desert south west does not freeze.
Zero frost line is a unique conditions relative to other parts of the country. What is "twist looks?"
@@liveinacontainer6602 Sorry twist locks that go into the container corners.
Yeah it gets cold here, so just 2” below dirt and water won’t freeze.
Generally from what I have seen on foundations they are all grossly over engineered. Architects been cautious and applying what they know from house construction. I know there are areas in the world with extreme weather but I have a shipping container on my property I have used for storage just on a few bricks at the corners. The shipping container hasn't blown away, washed away and hasn't moved an inch and has been there for nearly 20 years without issue. If you want only one floor there is very little need for any foundation the average 40ft container is about 4 tonnes and with contents you can probably double that it will quite happily sit with very little foundation needed.
Thank you, David, for your comments.
Sounds like you have found it acceptable for your shipping container to set upon very little foundation. Foundations need to be designed for the particular type of soil, slope of land, proximity to other things like other building's foundations / planting with deep traveling roots / water table, seismic and wind lateral forces, etc.
Almost all areas of the world has some sort of building code to follow. The codes are written to keep the occupants safe from structural failure and other threats. Please be sure that your minimal foundation follows the local codes where it is built and stay safe.
@@liveinacontainer6602 True the codes or building regulation are there to keep people safe. They also cause needless expense to people who just want to put up a basic shipping container because local authorities have no frame of reference and experience of the type of building a person is wanting to construct. Another example would be the straw bale house. Compressed straw bales are more than capable of supporting a heavy load roof etc. Yet building control will most likely not entertain such an idea and insist the building is timber frame or the like where straw bale just fills in the walls. The problem causes a stifling of imagination and buildings all look the same (United Kingdom) because builders will only submit plans they know the local building control will pass.
@@dcawkwell
I'm buying a pod built on a 20ft container platform and am a little torn if I need to go to the length of having concrete piers in the ground to bolt the pod to. The winds really aren't too crazy here, no cyclones, but it does only weight 1.5 tonne.
@@carl8568 I would go for 3 block walls one at either end and one in the middle to stop the flex in the middle of the container. 4 to 6 inches of concrete under the walls will be more than enough. Good luck. Go a little higher with the walls if you want to make running cables and pipes in from underneath the container easy it saves having to run them around the container.
@@carl8568 with goods in it would have to be a very strong wind to move
Hello my name is Frank and I love your videos extremely informative for me. I have been working towards a container home for the last three years with the location of south east corner of Arizona. My hobby is astronomy and this is the best option. My niece an architect in Toronto knows nothing about the United States Southwest however she was the one that suggested containers years ago and said I probably should use pier type foundations. I had an area of 80‘ x 80‘ graded with 95% compressed material. My main question is how do I keep the bottom of the container as close to or on the grading as possible using peers so no dangerous deadly creatures live underneath the home.
The distance between the bottom of your home and the ground is depending upon a few things. Here are some things to consider: the slope of the land, the space you need to run the plumbing under the house, some municipalities require a certain clearance as a crawl space. To keep creatures away from the bottom of your home can be done by fencing or wall with a continuous footing around the house. There are several other options that you can probably come up with too. Let me know how it turns out.
dude i ve moved from canada to australia, and rest assure canada or the U,S has nothing to worry about in terms of lethal spiders or snakes ; don t even mention crocodiles, box jelly fish and cone shells
Thank you for the information and the time you took to do this I have a question I would like to put a mobile home on top of a two containers how much weight bearing can they old 40 ft long how much weight can you put on top of it thank you for your time and knowledge
A lot of shipping containers are designed to support a stacking load to around 400,000 pounds. You can verify the stacking load capacity by looking at the label on the shipping container (see this article to better understand what I mean at liveinacontainer.com/what-do-all-the-labels-on-shipping-containers-mean/ ). But, keep in mind, that the loads are designed to be directly (and only) upon the four corners of the shipping container. The spans between the corners are not designed to support so much load. So, check with a structural engineer to see what additional structural members needs to be added to support the mobile home over the two containers. You might also need to have additional foundations under those added loads as they transfer down to the ground.
Let me know how is it goes.
Most common where we live (Arizona desert) is placed directly on the hard pack ground. Son has one at the home they just bought.
It's being moved to our property and is going on pier blocks.
We have no frost line. Less than 12" annual rainfall.
Our biggest hurdle will be keeping it from being a dutch oven. Our summer temps are over 100° for several months straight with much of it over 120°.
It is for storage, not habitation or workshop.
Thank you for the comments.
I searched about insulating a home in the hot Arizona desert and found this article that might be of interest to you at: www.usiinc.com/blog/insulation/how-to-keep-heat-out-of-a-house-in-a-hot-desert/.
If you want more information about how much insulation to use to achieve certain recommended R-values in US with various types of insulation, check out my article at: liveinacontainer.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-insulate-a-shipping-container-home/.
And, if you are not tire of seeing my mug on a video, check out my video about insulating a shipping container at: ruclips.net/video/GrIkQmbMIpc/видео.html
Hope this helps.
Get an open shed roof over that thing, lots of solar panels will also help create another layer between the sun and the container.
I am using hardwood railway sleepers and 2 truck axles driven into the ground at each corner with load locks on chain , been through a couple of cyclones without a problem
Very resourceful.
Was wondering about a foundation that would be appropriate for a solid rock base. We are located in Ontario Canada and a lot of our northern parts have a lot of rock known as the Canadian Shield. What do you recommend?
Rocky soil that is close to the earth's surface usually drains water away from the foundation well. Shallow foundations, but below the frost line, usually works best.
If the rocky strata is deeper, then a pile footing would be required.
But, if the rocky soil has clay mixed in it, then you will need to design a foundation that will allow the soil to shrink and swell when it absorbs the water without transferring cracking stress into the foundation.
These are some things to keep in mind when talking to a local engineer, architect, or builder for their recommendations who is very familiar with the soil in your area.
You can also hire a geotechnical engineer to test the soil and give recommendations of the best foundation for your piece of property.
I also found this article helpful at www.mascore.ca/ontario-soil-types
Very informative
Thank you, Bill. If you would like for me to cover anything else in particular, please let me know.
really excellent and good info!
so the load is a form of pier pressure they didn't talk about in elementary school
i had not even taken the frost line into consideration. thanks for pointing that out
Glad you got a lot out of it. Thank you for your comments.
Ha Ha, I didn't think of that.
Yep, the frost line is an important key factor to remember. There are 13 key factors I list in two recent videos. You can find them at (Video 1 of 2): ruclips.net/video/yWuduSc6R64/видео.html ; (Video 2 of 2): ruclips.net/video/Nq9q4_gxuVA/видео.html
I am seeking a structural engineer for my container project who has experience with shipping containers. I am in Houston, any suggestions? I am so inspired by your expertise, professionalism, and enthusiasm in getting this critical information out to those who may have an interest in building. I want to do 4 to 6 and need an expert as I do not have a clue.
Paula, thank you for the complements. I an not familiar with the Houston market of structural engineers. But, I am sure that there are many available there. Here is the link to see the entire roster of licensed engineers in the State of Texas. Some are not experts in structural engineering. pels.texas.gov/roster/eng_rosters.html. Perhaps you could call a few architects in Houston and see who they would recommend (that's what I do) and google for names of engineers,
This was super useful, thank you. Question, does a raised pier foundation count as a permanent foundation for mortgage purposes? I understand that the foundation has to be permanent for banks to consider it a permanent home. thanks for your help in advance.
Check with the mortgage lenders for their interpretations. Also, check with the building department. Some municipalities will accept any type of permanent foundations (pier, beam, slab) as long as the container is welded to the base plates that are permanently embedded into the foundations with rebar.
What size of sonotube diameter, should I use for a pier style foundation, for shipping container home?
Jason, I cannot answer that. Please ask a structural engineer who understands the type of soil the foundation will be built upon and understands what loads will be put on the foundation from your container home.
Very informative, thanks.
Quick question: have you heard of people building basements out of containers? is there a way to do the 3rd kind of foundation on the underground and then partially burying the basement? Does it make sense even to bury steel strutures like containers?
My 'dream' would be 3 flors (the third: under the roof) and a basement which is not totally under the ground (to have big enough windows. 4 rows of 5 or six 40ft containers on top of each other in total.
(I write from Germany, greetings and thanks)
Good question. I am not very confident that the shipping container would be the best structure for partial or fully under ground construction. While they are designed to support lateral loads at sea, they are not designed to withstand large amounts of horizontal loads directly onto the siding. Soil has a way of imposing lateral forces that would be better supported with reinforced concrete or reinforced concrete masonry units as foundation walls. Check with a structural engineer (and maybe a civil engineer) to get more in depth information about soil loads and how to build under ground.
I may consider setting container on 3" gravel, 6" deep.
You might want to set it on a foundation. Although not a very permanent type of foundation, some find that rail road ties work well for their storage containers.
Ive been thinking about diamond piers strong reusable and movable
Interesting idea. I have not used diamond piers on any of my projects. Let me know how it turns out if you choose to use them. And, if you do choose to use them, be sure to check with a structural engineer who is familiar with the product and your project's load and soil bearing capacity.
Thanks alot
Happy to help
Have you looked into American Ground Screw?
I have that on my list of videos to make. Thank you for reminding me about it. Have you used it on any of your projects?
I’ve been working with shipping containers for a living for a long time and have been pondering on if and how to build myself a home with shipping containers. They are very sturdy and very strong.
Yes, they are designed and built to be strong and sturdy for the high seas. With that, they can withstand earthquake and pounding forces that other building materials are not able handle.
Can a brick house be used as the first floor? I want to renovate my home and use shipping containers as a second-floor addition.
Short answer is yes, with the proper structural support and water proofing details. But, that answer is way too general to act on without having a structural engineer determine if your home can support the additional weight and an architect to determine how it will stay warm and dry along with being built within the local restrictions like cods and zoning laws. There are a lot of things to look into that include:
Foundation concerns: Is the existing foundation designed to support the additional weight?
Existing structural system of your home: Most brick homes are framed with wood studs. Others are supported with concrete masonry units (CMU). The face brick is often not structural but is tied back to the studs or the CMU supporting walls. You will need to know what that supporting wall is and how much additional load can placed on it.
The structural component of the shipping container: Also, the walls need to be located to transfer the vertical load added to it from the shipping container on top of it. Shipping containers are designed and built to transfer their loads down from their four corners. Are the walls of the existing home located exactly where the corners of the shipping container will be located. Probably not. If not, then additional columns and footings and/or beams to transfer the new shipping container loads down to the existing walls will need to be designed by a structural engineer.
Additional types of loads: Lateral loads will also need to be taken in consideration. These are loads caused by winds and the like.
Waterproofing concerns: If all that is not enough, it might be a little tricky to design how the shipping container connects to the existing structural members of the home while maintaining the waterproofing required between the two different types of construction.
Local building codes and zoning laws: Be sure to check what is allowed to be built in your community. Codes general deal with life and safety issues. Zoning laws usually deal with the context of the building relative the rest of the nearby built environment, such as maximum heights, maximum area of the building, set backs, ... If you want to know more about this, check out my article at liveinacontainer.com/building-codes-that-affect-container-home-construction/ .
I am fixin to start building my shipping container home in Central Florida. Curious what type of Foundation would be good in the soft sand on a canal?
You should consult an engineer who is familiar with your site. That engineer might suggest piles in the soft sand.
Thanks for the advice
I have been trying to find videos or info from those setting a container on a matt/slab or a stem wall, specifically how they access crawl space or lack thereof, to do the plumbing, due to little or no ground clearance.
Check you building codes. But, many codes require crawl spaces to be vented to prevent condensation and mold under your home. Since part of the stem wall would be with a vent opening, you can also install a door or access panel on that wall too. Here is a website link of a company that promotes doors into the crawl spaces from the exterior: www.quality1stbasementsystems.com/crawl-space-repair/doors-entryways.html.
Speaking about venting, if you live in a flood zone, you might need a different type of vent that swivels and allows water to flow in and out of the crawl space like in this link:
smartvent.com/
Obviously, if you use a matt slab, the plumbing or anything else below the slab will not be accessible without using a snake to be ran through the pipes or opening up the slab to gain access.
BTW, I like your Dallas Cowboys icon next to your posted name.
@@liveinacontainer6602 Thanks for the quick response. I agree. I was specifically referring to the first two examples in the video and, for hat matter, many videos of container builds on YT.
We are hoping to purchase 3 40' high cubes early this week and just trying to get as much info as possible, prior. Thx
Oh, been a Cowboys fan all our lives (from Big D, originally). It has been tough, as of late. They are seeming to make a few positive moves recently. Don't know if it's gonna work. "There's always next year", as they say.
Great!
Thank you, Lev. I appreciate the feed back.
What about using ICF for a foundation system? I am wondering how many trailer complexes have been destroyed by high winds that have gotten under the trailer with skirting. There is also a product called Bigfoot that creates the footing for sonotube forms to help spread the load out that attaches to the sonotube form.
Thank you for the suggestions. I will get some vids out about those.
@@liveinacontainer6602 The topic I am most interested in is thermal movement in containers that may or may not be significant enough to affect solid welding of the connection between two containers, and whether or not there needs to be an expansion joint between the two containers that will allow for movement. I cannot seem to find any information on the internet relating to that issue. Since container roofs are convex that weld seam could potentially be subjected to ponding and a crack in a weld could be a source for a leak which would be hard to locate if the water moves horizontally as I know it would. I am retired after 34 y ears in an architectural office and 14 in an engineering office so it it is hard to drop the pencil.
I am curious about using metal culverts instead of sono-tubes for piers??
Richard, I have not used culverts instead of Sono-tubes. But, I would expect metal culverts designed to withstand the lateral forces that poured concrete places on its forms would be sufficient. Check with a local structural engineer for the sizing, soil bearing depth, reinforcing, and psi strength that will be required for your building.
Also, some prefer to use Sono-tubes when the piers are exposed. The cardboard material of the Sono-tubes can be peeled off after the concrete sets. Doing so, the concrete becomes the visible aesthetic element. But, with metal culverts (I assume you are inquiring about metal and not clay - but, my point if valid with whatever material your culvert is...), it would probably remain as a visible design element. Might add to the industrial aesthetics of the house.
Used for storage & shop.
Good use for it.
What if you live in the tropics where it doesn't freeze regarding frost line
Check with your local building permit authorities for the depth required for your foundations in your area. The load bearing capacity of your site will also determine the depth of your foundation.
Can you place a shipping container on top of a flat roof brick building?
Have a structural engineer who is familiar with your brick building advise you on that. There are too many variables for me to give you a straight answer to your question.
Some considerations when putting a shipping container on top of an existing building should also include:
* Is the bearing wall brick? Or, is it timber or steel studs that support face brick?
What is the structural bearing capacity of the existing roof, walls and foundations?
*Also, the roofing will probably need to be removed where the containers will be resting. So, how you waterproof the roof around the shipping container base will be important.
*The existing roof insulation in the areas the shipping container is not to be placed will need to be protected.
*Putting a structure upon another structure will obviously raise the height of the overall building. Will the new height comply with the local building ordinances and zoning restrictions?
*Will the new shipping container be accessed from underneath? If so, are you able to take up space for a stair (and elevator of desired or required) on the existing floor under the existing roof?
*Or, will an additional stair bulkhead need to be built on the existing roof to allow a person to walk on the roof to the shipping container?
*If people need to walk on the roof to get to the shipping container, is the roof designed to hold the live load of people and equipment moving about the roof? Also the additional load of roof pavers from the stair bulk head to the shipping container?
*Are there guardrails on the edge of the roof that complies with the code if people are to walk on the roof to the shipping container?
*Is the sanitary piping sized big enough to serve another additional floor that the shipping container will create?
...just some things to consider....
I'm getting a very nauseous feeling just thinking about the expense of any one of these methods.
Construction can be costly.
Constructive criticism, skip all the foundation for your opinion of what is wrong and get straight to the 3 foundations you recommend and why. Boom, fast, simple, educational!
Thank you for the tip.
Larry, Thanks for these videos, many people have no general-knowledge or practical experience in such projects, and information such as you present can be very helpful to THOSE people. BUT, I have a very serious question for YOU! Have YOU actually bought a container, made the modifications YOURSELF, and probably most importantly is this question: Are you currently actually living full-time in a container which you modified? If NOT, I personally find very little value in what you say, primarily for one very important reason, which is the old but true statement: "Those that CAN, DO, and those who CAN'T, TEACH."
Bill, thank you for your comments of your concern about my expertise in building and living in a shipping container home.
During the past almost 40 years as a registered architect, I have designed and built all sorts of buildings throughout the world. Some you have seen on TV, movies, and various media. (feel free to browse through my port folio at liveinacontainer.com/about-us/).
To date, I have designed several buildings with shipping containers, including a community of shipping container homes for the homeless, but have not built one for myself to live in.
so you mean that teachers who teach how to write can not write, that's the most stupid statement anyone has taken for truth, OMFG
I am looking to get blueprints. How do I contact you?
Please email to me your contact information, what type of building you are wanting to build (house/office/school... if house: how many bedrooms, bathrooms...), and what address the building is to be built (I am a licensed architect in NY and NJ state. Beyond that, you will need to find someone to sign and seal your permit drawings along with a structural engineer) at liveinacontainer@gmail.com
Do you know of a contractor in Delaware who can give me a price on building one of these for me in Kent County, DE?
I am not familiar with the DE construction community. But, Google shared this link that might be helpful...jpwshippingcontainerhomes.com/shipping-container-homes/de/delaware-city/build-a-shipping-container-home . Hope someone from that site will be helpful.
this info is free?
Hope it is helpful for you.
Would have been better if Larry showed ACTUAL examples of these foundations from start to finish. IJS.
I might do that sometime. Thank you for your comments.
So where do you find a structural engineer who will work on cargo containers in California. It would be nice if the structural engineer did not charge more than the cost of the containers…
I just did a quick Google search and found this directory of Californian structural engineers:
structural-engineers.regionaldirectory.us/california.htm
I have not worked with anyone of them, so I cannot recommend any of the ones on the list.
Hope their fees are fair and are within your budget.
I appreciate your time. I just went through the list our county gave me and only one would touch containers, his estimate was $12,000.
You can skip the first minute and twenty seconds. That when the real information starts
I am glad you stuck with it.
Ur a talker o my!
Its an important thing to do in order to share my thoughts...but, actually, I am more of a visual person (comes from being an architect for a long time).
@@liveinacontainer6602 I study lots of RUclips videos because we are starting a channel of our own. I think you talk just the right amount to convey the message.