Using Storage Containers for Construction Sites and Warehouses | An In-Depth Guide

Construction sites and warehouses the world over are turning to storage containers to meet different requirements, and with good reason. After all, one can use these containers to store practically anything that fits through their doors. Besides, you also get multiple options from which to choose when it comes to sizes.

What Are Storage Containers?

Storage containers are made using heavy-duty reinforced steel shipping containers, which makes them vandal-, fire-, and weather-resistant. Irrespective of whether you manage a construction site or a warehouse, you may use a storage container to meet different space requirements within a short span of time. What also helps is you may get a container for as long or as short a duration as you like. 

Customizing storage containers is possible through the use of shelving, roll-up doors, turbine vents, and more. When you work with a reputable storage container provider, you can be assured of finding the best quality unit based on your budget, especially when container shortages pop up. Besides, a good service provider will be able to guide you surrounding the type of unit that works best for you based on your specific requirements.  For example, while a climate-controlled unit is great for keeping furniture moisture- and dust-free during renovations, it won’t be of much help when storing perishable food.

Benefits of Using Storage Containers at Construction Sites and Warehouses

The use of storage containers at construction sites is not new, and the rise of e-commerce has led to a significant demand from the warehousing sector too. Storage containers offer various benefits for construction site and warehouse owners alike. The fact that these stackable and lockable units give you near-instant access to additional space is only the beginning.

Quick and Easy Access to Set Up

Storage containers give you the ability to get the extra square footage you need in a quick and easy manner.  All you need to determine is how much storage space you need and how much money you’re willing to spend.  A distinct benefit of going the storage container way is that you get easy means to scale up or down as required. 

Improved Project Management

With a storage container or more become part of your premises, you have the option of buying different types of materials in bulk and storing them securely. Since your employees don’t have to wait for inventory deliveries because you always have the required materials on hand, you may look forward to reduced idle time and better project management. Besides, bulk orders can help bring down delivery costs.

Flexibility

Depending on your requirements, you have the option of moving storage containers from one construction site or warehouse to another.  When you rent any such unit, you simply need to contact the company you work with for moving it between locations. If you buy a storage container, you need to take care of its relocation on your own. Flexibility also comes in the form of adding to your existing storage container/s.  What helps is that stacking these units is possible, so you don’t necessarily need extra ground space. 

Customizable

Climate-controlled storage containers come with insulated walls, and you may opt for heating or air conditioning. You may also choose from other customization options such as lighting, shelving, galvanized steel doors and frames, heavy-duty cargo door locks, panic hardware, lockboxes, pipe racks, roll-up doors, and turbine vents.

Increased Security

Theft from construction sites and warehouses can lead to significant losses. Fortunately, storage containers give you a highly secure way to store just about anything. Whether you need to safeguard expensive material or important documents, you may use a storage container to good effect. What helps is that while the heavy-duty steel walls are not easy to penetrate, you may also use state-of-the-art locking systems for added peace of mind.

Multipurpose Storage Space

The use of new and used storage containers does not limit to the world of construction sites and warehouses.  For instance, homeowners who’re looking at undertaking renovation projects and need extra storage space might benefit by looking at what these containers have to offer.

At Construction Sites

In ideal construction scenarios, materials should get to sites shortly before their actual use. However, fact remains that construction sites often have to deal with storing an assortment of materials that do not limit to expensive fixtures and electronics. You may, after all, also have to deal with excess stock of materials such as tiles, blocks, cement, window panes, and doors.

When you choose to store your construction materials in a secure storage container made of reinforced steel, you may look forward to multiple benefits. 

• You don’t have to worry about your materials being stolen.
• Your materials remain safe from weather-induced damage. 
• Storing all your materials in a single place keeps your site organized helps minimize the risk of injury. 
• Your storage container can serve as a one-stop shop for all the construction materials you use. 
• You may use climate-controlled storage for materials that are sensitive to hot and cold temperatures or moisture.
• Storage containers provide the required safety for storing flammable and potentially hazardous materials.
• If you wish to store oils, lubricants, or fuels, fitting your storage containers with drip trays and vents is possible.

A storage container serves as an effective tool shed. If you have your workers’ and contractors’ tools stored under lock and key in a secure container, you minimize the risk of theft and can also look forward to lower site insurance costs.Using a storage container as extra locker space is also an option, giving you the ability to safeguard your workers’ belongings while they are busy at work.

At Warehouses

Given the e-commerce boom, a significant number of spaces are being converted into warehouses. The use of storage containers in such scenarios is on the rise, mainly because of the several benefits on offer. For starters, setting up storage containers is more cost-effective than constructing brick-and-mortar structures. Storage containers rate highly when it comes to keeping any type of cargo secure. The fact that scaling up is easy is a definite plus. Besides, should the need arise, moving storage containers from one place to another is always an option.

As Data Server Rooms

Climate-controlled storage containers can make for rather effective server rooms. While several businesses now have copious volumes of data on the cloud, some choose to keep their servers in-house. Unfortunately, expanding existing server rooms is easier said than done, all the more so because they require more cooling than what regular air conditioning units can handle.  What helps is that you may get the cooling that’s required built into a storage container and then place it as close as possible to your existing server room.

Storage Containers of the Domestic Front

If you plan to renovate your existing home, a storage container gives you the ability to store your family’s possessions in a secure way. This can be onsite or offsite. If you plan to continue living in a small portion of the home while the project is underway, moving your furniture, large appliances, and clothing into a storage container ensures that you don’t have to mind every step because you’re cramped for space. 

Domestic renovation projects vary in scale from modest extensions to extensive remodeling, and requirements for usable facilities and available space vary accordingly. What helps is that storage containers, in the singular or multiple, are equipped to handle just about any scale of domestic storage needs. 

When it comes to domestic projects, most clients choose to rent storage containers as opposed to buying them. This is simply because their needs typically extend to the short-term, and buying a storage container makes more sense if you have a long-term requirement.

The Prep Work

No matter whether you buy or rent a storage container, you need to do some groundwork before it is set up. This is to ensure that the container remains stable and secure at all times. For instance, if the ground underneath a storage container remains moist, it can lead to degradation of the container’s exterior over a period of time owing to corrosion. You also need to ensure that your storage container does not sink into the ground owing to lack of prep work. Remember that your storage container might remain in the same place for a prolonged period, which is why you need the ground beneath it to be safe.

Getting the Ground in Order

A basic requirement for setting up a storage container is that the ground beneath it should be flat, firm, and dry. Conversely, grassy patches, soft soil, are sloped surfaces are not ideal for setting up such containers. In some cases, using a gravel pad can work when dealing with unsuitable surfaces.  If you buy or rent your storage container from a reputable company, you may seek its advice surrounding whether or not the surface you have in mind will work. 

If you plan to get a storage container or more for long-term use, installing footings in advance might be a good idea. Concrete slabs can add a tidy sum to your overall expenditure, although this is not the case with wooden planks or blocks made of concrete and steel.  While these aid in protecting the soil from degrading, they also help reduce the potential risk of flooding.

Site’s Access and Size

Consider your site’s location from the accessibility point of you ahead of time. This is because the area should be easily accessible by a delivery truck that’s large enough to carry your storage container. Determine just how and where you want the container placed, because moving it around at a later stage will require professional assistance. For example, do you want the doors to open in any particular direction?

If you feel you might need to scale up at some point in the future, consider selecting an area that leaves room for one or more containers. If you feel you don’t have adequate space, consider looking at offsite storage trailers instead. 

The Need for a Permit

The need for permits typically comes into play when you wish to place a storage container on the street. However, it’s best to check local codes even if you plan to set up a storage container at a construction site, a warehouse, or a residential property. Since city codes and requirements for permits vary from one place to another, it’s best that you confirm this aspect with your container provider.  

Other Uses of Containers at Construction Sites and Warehouses

The use of shipping containers does not limit to meeting storage requirements. In fact, their use is common in various other applications for short- and long-term use alike. As with storage containers, all these solutions come in various sizes.

• Offices. You may get an office container in the form of a furnished and well-ventilated space, replete with air conditioning, cabinets, desks, chairs, and phone/data lines. Depending on your specific requirements, you may get it customized to function as a sales office, a meeting room, or partitioned workspace for your employees.
• Break rooms. If you need extra space that can serve as a comfortable break room for your employees, you may get a climate-controlled container with added features such as seating, a kitchenette, and storage lockers. The right type of setting can help improve staff morale and increase productivity.
• Restrooms. Brick-and-mortar restrooms can be expensive to construct. When you use a modified container to serve as a restroom, you have the option of getting it fitted with all the regular amenities you find in a conventional restroom, be it a sink or a hand dryer.
• First aid station. No matter whether you need to set up a first aid station at a construction site, a warehouse, a school, a music concert, or a commercial establishment, it is possible to customize a container as an effective first aid station. Such units can come with air-conditioning, drinking water, sinks with hot/cold water, examination tables, adequate shelving/cabinets to store different medical supplies, and foot-operated trash cans. 

If you need increased mobility, you may consider looking at what mobile office trailers have to offer. These are not made using shipping containers, but are prefabricated in factories instead.

Conclusion

Irrespective of whether you need secure storage space for a construction site, a warehouse, any other type of business, or even a residential project, you can count on storage containers to serve the purpose rather well. Given the fact that they’re made using heavy-duty steel, durability is not a concern. Besides, these containers are perfect when it comes to safeguarding whatever you store in them from nature’s elements and vandals alike.

What helps when it comes to using storage containers is that setting them up is fairly easy and takes little time. The ability to scale up or down as required is a definite plus as well. All you need to do is ensure that you select an experienced and reliable storage container provider.