Another Shipping Container House In Atlanta...

Owner/Builder: g a d design + construction llc 404-992-8605
Architect: Francis Kirkpatric
Structural Engineer: George W. Runkle, P.E., Runkle Consulting, Inc.

#2 Shipping Container House is now under construction, it is next to the original, and is somewhat the same design. There are a few changes to it based on our previous experiences with the first one, and some other ideas that we put into play.

Here is an elevation view of the house from the Architect's plans:
New Shipping Container House, Atlanta

In this house the biggest difference is the top floor - it is completely clear-spanned, no interior columns at all. To handle this, the first idea was to run beams from side to side, however they get in the way of ductwork for HVAC. We looked at bar joists, but the openings were not large enough, and they ate up head room. So, we specially designed trusses made from 2x2 angles with a square opening made from 3/4" steel rods top and bottom at the center, which allows the ductwork to pass through. This preserves our headroom and gives an open area. Also, we made the subwalls 8" thick instead of 10" thick (the normal thickness here in Atlanta) to give you a bit more room in the garage underneath.

Here is a couple of videos taken, one on the first floor and the other in the garage as construction progresses:

This is the First Floor:

This is the basement/garage area under the house. See the beam pockets at the top of the subwall - the containers are supported by several beams running right to left. This is a bit narrow, but remember it is 40' long. A typical garage is a bit over 20' long, so it is twice the normal length. The owner of the container house on the right side (see in the upper right corner of the photo) keeps 4 cars in his garage. They are in their pretty tight, but they do fit.

Fabrication in progress

This is one of the top containers under fabrication. The openings are being stiffened with 1 1/2" x 2" steel tubes.