×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Storage barn made out of shipping containers
2

Storage barn made out of shipping containers

Storage barn made out of shipping containers

(OP)
A friend is builing a storage shed using stacked shipping containers welded together with a trussed roof attached.

The structure is 5' from a small convetially framed office building.  The plans examiner wants a 3 hour fire rating due to the distance between buildings and their classifications.

Does any one know what the fire rating of an empty shipping container is? (standard 20' and 40' containers are being used)

May be a spray on insulation would work for both the containers and roof.

Thanks in advance.


David





RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

Are these the steel containers that you see on ships all over world? I would think the steel wall would hold up to a 3 hour fire. Then you have the other wall of the same container.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com

RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

(OP)
Richard,

These are Steel containers.

Thanks for your help.

RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

Consider cantacting the container (triwall) manufacturer.

RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

I ams sorry. I would have never thought that a storage shed required a fire rating.

I learned something new today.

Is there a minimum size before a storate shed requires a fire rating?

One more thought. Can you move the shed to 10' from the building, or whatever distance before the fire rating becomes a non-issue?

RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

We are dealing here with several plan-check related issues which include inter-alia:

1. Ocupancy Classification...see IBC Sec 311  S-1 or S-2 for storage...could plan checker have designated one of the H(harzadous) occupancies listed in Sec 307?

2. Type of Construction. Does it have to be non-combustible or is combustible permitted? This will depend on area, height etc Tables 503 and 601..seems V-B will work. Note that table 601 indicates required fire ratings for building elements. Read applicable footnotes in table 601 then move on to Table 602.

3. Location of property..Table 602 <5ft..and H occupancy requires 3h, S-1 2h and S-2 1 h. The distance is 1/2 distance between exterior walls of both occupancies..i.e 2.5 ft

4. Roof: In addition to Table 601 check Sec 1505

5. Compliance to Chapter 7 Fire-Resistance-Rated Construction. Now for argument sake let's say 3 h is required for walls. A prescriptive approach allows for compliance with Table 720.1(2). Alternately compliance can be achieved through procedures of Sec 721 or with research report. Will an approved fire-proofing product work with what you have from a compliance stand point?

RE: Storage barn made out of shipping containers

interesting problem.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources