Types of Shipping Containers used Worldwide Shipping containers are available in different sizes and made of distinct materials to use for various purposes. Plywood used for flooring of shipping container worldwide is a tropical wood of Apitong or Keruing variety. Following are the types of shipping containers with reference to size, shipping container flooring, and use. According to size: Standard or industrial containers: 20’ and 40’ containers are now classified as industrial containers, made up of steel but mostly aluminum. These shipping containers have been widely used for international trades. Specifications of standard containers are higher payload, inexpensive, prevent damage from outside, airtight, and water-resistant. Mostly used to carry barrels, sacks, pallets, and boxes, etc. It can be modified and customized inside according to the needs and types of goods to be transported. For example, a standard container could be a Garmentainer if hangers are fitted inside for hanging the clothes, rolling floor container especially for difficult to handle goods. Standard container sizes: Measure of dimensions 20ft. container 40ft. container Length 19.4ft. 39.5ft. Height 7.9ft. 7.9ft. Width 7.8ft. 7.9ft. Cu capacity 1,172cu ft. 2,389cu. Ft. Tare Weight 5,071.5 lbs. 8,268.8lbs Loading capacity 55,126.7lbs 61,250lbs Flooring of the shipping container: Bamboo flooring with an epoxy coating is the evolution as an alternative to plywood container flooring. No need to treat bamboo with pesticides to avoid insects and pests attack. Second option is vinyl flooring. It is good when the container is used for non-breakable cargo shipping. Open-side/open-top containers: As the name indicating, these shipping containers have a Tarpaulin sheet as an outer covering instead of a solid roof. Specially designed for the transportation of large-size machinery (construction materials, pipes, cables, and large pallets) or heavy objects. Due to open top, they have more carrying capacity than normal or standard containers. Open sides of containers are useful for ventilation during perishable goods transportation. These are available in both 20’ and 40’ sizes. Although, open-top containers are very much useful for some difficult to transfer objects but are expensive and cannot be stacked on top of it to conserve space. Measure of dimensions 20ft. open top container 40ft. open top container Length 19.4ft. 39.5ft. Height 7.8ft. 7.9ft. Weight 7.8ft. 7.8ft. Cu capacity 1,155cu. ft. 2,356cu. ft. Tare weight 5,982lbs 8,774lbs Loading strength 62,214lbs 58,422lbs Flooring of the shipping container: Plywood container flooring is mostly practiced in open-top containers, used to carry large and heavy machinery so need the floor that must be strong, shock absorber like plywood. Double door container: Have you ever experience a double door container? These containers have doors on both sides: front and back sides or back and length sides. The doors are of the same specifications and swing open outside. Perishable goods (need fresh air constantly, cars, heavy machinery, etc.). They are available in both 20ft. and 40ft. sizes. Measure of dimensions 20ft. container 40ft. container Length 19.4ft. 39.5ft. Height 7.8ft. 7.9ft. Weight 7.8ft. 7.9ft. Cu capacity 1,172cu. ft. 2,389cu. ft. Tare weight 5,071lbs 8,268lbs Loading capacity 55,126lbs 61,200lbs Flooring of the shipping container: Vinyl flooring when it is used for heavy machinery cargo. It is impenetrable to oil, water absorption and easy to clean and maintain. Plywood container flooring is stronger and a great shock absorber than vinyl flooring. Reefer containers: These are big moveable refrigerators, having a built-in system of temperature control through T-shaped decking which is constantly sending cold air through the goods. Reefer containers are the need of the day. If you can find any kind of seasonal and non-seasonal vegetable and fruit in your area, it is because of these reefer containers that makes it possible to transport the highly fugacious things from one place to another. Again, reefer containers are available in both 20ft. and 40ft. sizes. Measure of dimensions 20ft. container 40ft. container Length 17.9ft. 37.9ft. Height 7.5ft. 7.4ft. Weight 7.5ft. 7.5ft. Cu capacity 2,039cu. ft. 2,380cu. ft. Tare weight 6,791lbs 10,845lbs Loading capacity 61,078lbs 65,080lbs Flooring of the shipping container: The best-suited reefer shipping container flooring would be of steel and aluminum. It proves to be very tough and stable to temperature variations. Plywood container flooring is an older practice in reefer containers. Flat rack containers: These shipping containers have sides only at the short end of the container. It may be in the form of a fixed end flat rack or a collapsible flat rack container. Capable of carrying loads more than 40,000-50,000 kilograms, FT containers are very useful and stronger for the objects larger than the sizes of ordinary closed shipping containers and busses or other machinery. The flooring of the Flat rack containers: Its floor is constantly exposed to the atmosphere, that is why needs flooring which is resistant to outside conditions, for example, steel and aluminum flooring. Plywood flooring will not prove to be good in terms of longevity. References: Islam, H., Zhang, G., Setunge, S., & Bhuiyan, M. A. (2016). Life cycle assessment of shipping container home: A sustainable construction. Energy and Buildings, 128, 673-685. Hoffmann, N., Stahlbock, R., & Voß, S. (2020). A decision model on the repair and maintenance of shipping containers. Journal of Shipping and Trade, 5(1), 1-21. Getahun, S., Ambaw, A., Delele, M., Meyer, C. J., & Opara, U. L. (2018). Experimental and numerical investigation of airflow inside refrigerated shipping containers. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 11(6), 1164-1176. Tso, C. P., Wong, Y. W., Jolly, P. G., & Ng, S. M. (2001). A comparison of hot-gas by-pass and suction modulation method for partial load control in refrigerated shipping containers. International Journal of Refrigeration, 24(6), 544-553.