Shipping containers and lightning - Port Shipping Containers (2024)

FAQs

Shipping containers and lightning - Port Shipping Containers? ›

To minimize the risk posed by lightning strikes, shipping containers are often grounded as a safety precaution. This grounding redirects the electrical charge safely into the ground, preventing damage to the container's contents and reducing the risk of fire or explosion.

Because shipping containers are made of steel, they will become conductors if hit by lightning. However, if a container is grounded, the shell will act as a Faraday shield and the electricity will be conducted around the outside without affecting its contents.

Using a Shipping Container as a Faraday Cage

When these are connected properly, they will then direct any electricity into the ground, protecting the electrical equipment that is inside the storage container.

And the term 'highly flammable' can refer to a wide range of goods: aerosols, batteries, fireworks, fertilisers, cleaning products, nail varnish, solvents, and oils, among other things. If a fire does break out, it has the potential to not just destroy your shipment, but everyone else's too.

One of our most popular conversion projects is to join up two or more shipping containers together to form wider, or longer, spaces. These conversions have become more popular as shipping containers are more commonly used instead of traditional building materials.

Many people wrongly believe that only yachts, with their tall masts, are at risk, but the truth is any vessel out on the water is vulnerable due to the simple fact that they will be the highest point for some considerable distance, even in a harbour.

If a shipping container is stored and locked in properly, it should withstand a tornado. When secured with the appropriate twist-locks, a container will remain in place and not slide or topple over.

The best way to protect your container from an EMP attack is by building a “Faraday Cage” or an enclosed space with adequate shielding. Use microwaves, metal trash cans with sealed lids, or ammunition boxes to store the electronics you want to protect. Use a stainless steel/copper mesh wall to seal your door.

Are Faraday cages legal? While electric jamming devices are illegal, Faraday cages are completely legal. In fact, they're commonly used in power plants or other highly charged environments, planes, microwave ovens and buildings.

While containers aren't completely bulletproof or flameproof, they can still withstand a great amount of wear and tear; which we think is pretty impressive.

Why you shouldn't live in a shipping container? ›

Containers house a lot of different things. They could be pesticides or chemicals for instance. Containers are usually coated with lead-based paint to withstand the salty air and water in the oceans. They can be toxic to your health.

Don't put perishable, living, or hazardous materials in a storage unit, such as food, plants, toxic chemicals, lawn mowers, or illegal items. You should also avoid storing extremely rare or valuable items in a unit.

containers manufactured especially to hold food, like Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers. Do not use non-food grade containers like plastic or paper shopping bags or plastic trash bags to store food. Chemicals or dyes from these bags can leach into the food and contaminate it.

While traveling at sea, it's possible to stack containers around nine units high. For modified structures, it all depends on the building. If you're hoping to create an on-site office space, stacking containers two or three units high is probably best for safety.

If you're considering getting yourself a shipping container for personal use, whether it be for secure storage or even as a home office, you may be wondering, “Can I put a shipping container on my land?” Generally speaking, the answer will be 'yes'.

Shipping container garages can be built quickly and easily, using just a few basic tools and materials. All you need is some wood, nails, screws, brackets, and plywood sheets depending on the type of shipping container garage that you want to do. Most of these items can be found at your local hardware store.

Though not always necessary, securing your shipping container to the ground can provide added security and peace of mind when storing important materials or inventory. Many people find themselves unaware of the best way to do this, or even if they need to take this step at all.

Thanks to the high-quality corten steel, shipping containers are impervious to water and wind. Even larger units or those stacked on top of one another remain weather resistant as they evolve into new uses. All shipping container structures must serve first as protection against the outdoors.

A typical shipping container likely has steel walls 0.075” thick. A blast-resistant building should have thick steel walls; depending on the building's response level, the walls may be steel sheet or corrugated. A shipping container would likely need to be reinforced to gain this level of strength.

Of course, modern ships are made of steel, which is a good conductor for power. This means that in case lightning strikes the mast, it is possible that power will run through the mast to the hull and then, end up at sea, achieving earthing.