Types Of Containers

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Standard containers. - Standard containers are also known as general purpose containers. They are closed containers, i.e. they are closed on all sides. A distinction may be drawn between the following types of standard container:
|[pi|Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s) |
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|[pi|Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s) and doors over the entire length of one or both sides |
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|[pi|Standard containers with doors at one or both end(s)and doors on one or both sides |
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In addition, the various types of standard container also differ in dimensions and weight, resulting in a wide range of standard containers.

Standard containers are mainly used as 20' and 40'containers. Containers with smaller dimensions are very seldom used. Indeed, the trend is towards even longer dimensions, e.g. 45'.

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High-cube containers. - High-cube containers are similar in structure to standard containers, but taller. In contrast to standard containers, which have a maximum height of 2591 mm (8'6"), high-cube containers are 2896 mm, or 9'6", tall. High-cube containers arefor the most part 40' long, but are sometimes made as 45' containers.

A number of lashing rings, capable of bearing loads of at most 1000 kg, are mounted on the front top end rail and bottom cross member and the corner posts.

Many 40' containers have a recess in the floor at the front end which serves to center the containers on so-called gooseneck chassis. These recesses allow the containersto lie lower and therefore to be of taller construction.

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Hard-top containers. - The walls of hard-top containers are generally made of corrugated steel. The floor is made of wood.

It has two typical distinguishing structural features. On the one hand, it is equipped with a removable steel roof. In some types, this roof has points for accommodating forklift trucks, allowing the roof tobe lifted by forklift truck. The roof weighs approx. 450 kg. In addition, the door header may be swiveled out.

These two structural features greatly simplify the process of packing and unpacking the container. In particular, it is very easy to pack and unpack the container from above or through the doors by crane or crab when the roof is open and the door header is swiveled out.

In the caseof transport of an overheight cargo, the container roof may be left open and fastened directly to a side wall on the inside of the container. To do this, the roof only needs approx. 13 cm (5 1/8") of space.

Lashing rings, to which the cargo may be secured, are installed in the upper and lower side rails, the corner posts and the middle of the side walls. The lashing rings on the side rails andcorner posts may take loads of up to 2000 kg. The lashing rings in the middle of the side walls may take loads of up to 500 kg, provided that the roof is closed.

Usual hard-top container dimensions are 20' and 40'.

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Open-top containers. - The walls of open-top containers are generally made of corrugated steel. The floor is made of wood.

It has the following typical distinguishingstructural features. The roof consists of removable bows and a removable tarpaulin. The door header may be swivelled out.

These two structural features greatly simplify the process of packing and unpacking the container. In particular, it is very easy to pack and unpack the container from above or through the doors by crane or crab when the roof is open and the door header is swivelled out....