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Known as intermodal containers, the standard steel boxes used for mobile storage across land and sea are made according to strict specifications established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that develops and publishes international standards for just about everything. These shipping container design standards cover everything from size to the quality of steel used for construction, as well as the allowed gross weight of the ISO container.
There are a number of different standards that specify standards for shipping container design. While the vast majority of containers are categorized for general purpose use, there are separate standards for reefers – an insulated shipping container that is also refrigerated – and other even more specialised units.
All ISO standards are available for purchase and they cannot be accessed unless paid for, although there are some “informative sections” of the ISO standards that are available publicly. These include the accepted definition of an ISO container and of a freight container.
In addition, there are freely available definitions for both container structures and components.
These are some of the more important standards that relate to any ISO container used for shipping:
In addition, there are several standards that cover the specification and testing of:
There is also a standard, ISO 3874: 1997, that covers handling and securing of containers that are generally used for mobile storage.
Almar sells and rents out both new and used shipping containers in South Africa, Africa, and parts of the Middles East. All our containers are made to ISO standards. Contact us for details.
A beautifully created shared office space right in the heart of Nairobi, Kenya, Ikigai has attracted people from a cross-section of industries who value interaction and the possibility of collaboration with others but want to work in a highly professional environment. Based on a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being," Ikigai is such a popular office venue, it has been expanded with converted mobile containers to meet the demand.
Founded by two passionate entrepreneurs, Wachuka and Nyambura, who believe in the collective greatness of the community, Ikigai is located on a beautiful property that boasts a huge, rambling, old house and lush green gardens. They lease the property and are bound to keep the house in its original form. They may not build any permanent structures on the site, which is why they have opted to expand using mobile containers that may be relocated later if need be.
Rather than renting out rooms, they offer different types of membership that cater to the varied needs of individuals looking for reliable but flexible workspace. For instance:
All forms of membership offer high-speed Wi-Fi and there are communal areas in addition to the meeting spaces and boardrooms. Roasted Truth, an artisan barista-operated coffee bar established in one of the many converted shipping containers, and its adjacent coffee deck, is another perk for members.
When the owners of Ikigai decided to expand their office space, there were several major challenges they had to consider, including the fact that permanent structures were not acceptable. Aesthetics are important to the Ikigai team, and it was essential that if mobile containers were going to be used, these had to blend with the existing environment.
Almar Container Group, which has operated in Kenya since 2010 and is now the country’s largest supplier of steel containers to the end-user market, was approached to undertake the project. One of the benefits would be the speed of delivery and Almar’s ability to move the mobile containers to another site later if required.
First, they had to identify suitable areas for converted shipping containers. Then they had to design both a workable layout and container design based on this configuration. Ikigai needed big glass windows and doors incorporated in the design to facilitate both light and airflow. Almar’s designers achieved this by using double-glass sliding doors and lovely big tilting windows. The containers were also well insulated.
PVC tiled flooring was chosen, and down-lighters were installed to meet the client’s brief for smart, modern, and functional office spaces. The exterior walls of the containers were covered with timber cladding that would blend with the garden environment and surrounding spaces. Ultimately, the project shows how effectively converted shipping containers can be used in an upmarket residential area.
Whether you want accommodation for offices or boardrooms in upmarket converted shipping containers, mobile containers for traditional industrial office use, or steel containers that can be converted into living accommodation, Almar can help fulfil your needs in Southern Africa or the Middle East. Call us to discuss your needs or request a shipping container cost.
The sub-Saharan Africa rail revitalisation project that is rehabilitating and upgrading vital railway networks in Southern African Development Community (SADC) is surging ahead using storage containers for rent, particularly in the north-south corridor that runs from Durban through Zimbabwe and Zambia to the United Republic of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The project incorporates two other corridors, east-west that links Namibia, Botswana, and Lesotho to South Africa, and the Maputo corridor that links Swaziland and Mozambique to South Africa.
Not only will rail revitalisation improve the quality of rail networks through the region, enabling mining and other industries to transport more steel containers by rail more quickly, safely, efficiently, and economically, but it also represents a paradigm shift in the way SADC railways have been operating. Instead of countries in sub-Saharan Africa working in isolation, the project will drive economic growth through the region and develop what will become a single, unified railway system.
The rail revitalisation project is driven by national governments and as such, represents a substantial investment in the region. It is a mammoth project primarily because the rail network has been poorly maintained throughout the region for a very long period of time.
Being part of the rejuvenation of this incredibly important logistics backbone to Africa has been a long-standing dream for the team at Almar Container Group, a leader in the global steel containers industry.
As a South African Department of Transport green paper published in 2015 stated, the rail transport sector has had “mixed fortunes” since it was inaugurated way back in 1860. Even though a rail network offers much more efficient transport solutions than road transportation, it has been substantially under-utilised over the past few decades. As a result, one of the major challenges is the “aging, deteriorating or obsolete” state of the existing network. The first project envisaged in the green paper was to promote efficient movement of goods through “industrial corridors” that connect coalfields to power stations as well as the expansion of coal and iron-ore rail lines, and expansion of ports – which is happening now.
In recent months, the South African government as well as other SADC governments have become increasingly aware of the incredible potential railways have to inject into the economy of the region. For instance, Zambia has implemented a target of 30 percent of all mining-related exports travelling via rail. State-owned entities in various countries that previously maintained tight control over rolling stock have begun to ease up and allow private operators the space to drive the efficient use of the rail infrastructure. And finally, shippers of cargo are starting to buy into the opportunity with the initial trial shipment showing incredible efficiencies.
Almar has receiving and collection facilities for steel containers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, which has enabled the company to play a key role in the final roll-out of the rail solution, allowing shippers even more efficiency with one-way rentals. What this means is that there is never any need for shippers to pay for empty returns of mobile containers.
The storage containers for rent service offered by Almar is operational in the north-south corridor, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, where various drop-off points are located. The company has more than 150 of its 20ft containers available along this route. Please contact us for container rental prices.
Dabaab
Container Conversion
The Centre for Victims of Torture (www.cvt.org)
CVT needed to mobilise urgently to assist with the refugee crisis in Dabaab, which is a remote region of Kenya bordering Somalia. As CVT had no personel on the ground in Dabaab ahead of the project, they had no way of building or assembling a structure before they needed to move in.
Almar East Africa were able to design, manufacture, deliver and install world class accommodation modules for the CVT team within a matter of weeks, including laminate flooring and air conditioning. The team was able to move into the en-suite comfortable accommodation and begin their much-needed work without the worry of having to arrange accommodation and site preparation. We took care of it all for them.
When Parbat Siyani Construction was awarded a large tender for a major construction project involving the prestigious City Lodge Hotel in central Nairobi, they decided they would need container offices to be able to accommodate the expert team leading the project.
Registered by the Kenyan Ministry of Roads and Public works as a category A class of contractors, Parbat Siyani Construction opted for Almar container offices that would address all their needs. These ranged from vital security to absolute comfort within a budget that met their needs.
Parbat Siyani Construction needed a site office with top quality facilities that would cater for the many developers and engineers working on the newly awarded project. Additional challenges included the fact that:
Well known for their ability to provide high-quality remote site accommodation and container offices in Africa and the Middle East, Almar’s project team in Nairobi seized the opportunity to meet the Parbat Siyani challenges.
Because shipping containers are available in different sizes, and they can be used as modular units, the Almar design team opted to use a selection of different sizes, some of which were used together to form a simple but effective double-storey configuration. In all, the project incorporated a total of about eight containers.
Doors and windows were fitted before the container offices were moved to the site. The layout and double-storey design of the containers ensured that they took up minimal ground space, which in turn would guarantee there would be no interruption once development and construction started. The quality finishes inside the container offices included laminate flooring, high-quality lighting, and air conditioning, ensuring that the working environment really was world-class.
In addition to the site offices, boardrooms, kitchen, and essential ablution areas in the Kenyan container offices, the Almar solution for Parbat Siyani also incorporated a critical access-control container. This shipping container was designed and located so that security staff could search anyone before they were given permission to enter the site. All the container offices were also provided with robust security windows and doors for added safety.
Whether you need world-class container offices in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, or the Middle East, Almar can help you fulfil your unique on-site needs. Contact us to see what we can do for you and your company.
