Hello Lang,

Not so much of the not following Lang. More of first-hand experience with dealing with said local council on previous occasions. The trouble is with the flat ground around here - things are too readily observable. If I thought I could get away with it .... well! The trouble is - I would be the first one to be caught - and made an example of.

Kind regards
Lionel

Here in Canada, the sea cans were not considered favorably by the various municipal and city councils. This province put a section into it's building code so the RMs could regulate them.

A friend of mine has over a half dozen of them in his commercial operation. What he did was put a "For Sale" sign on a couple of them, and they are considered inventory rather than temporary structures.

His price must be too high though, as he has never sold one yet.

A 40 or 2 x 20?
 

Hi Lionel,

You'll find moving 20 footers much easier to organise (it's just a tilt-bed) than a truck capable of loading & moving a 40 footer, should you ever have to move them. If you want 40 feet in length, consider two 20s end to end.

Best regards

Mike

As Mike says, twenty footers are much easier to move. They are also less like a black hole as the light gets to the far end from the door. This doesn't matter if you are using a 40 footer for long term storage but rooting around with a torch can be a bit of a pain.

David.

That is also why the little ones cost almost as much as a big one.

Speaking of black holes .... every time I try to upload an image to add to this conversation, I get a Load Failed error.

Lionel, you can get High Cube containers that are (of course) highr than a normal container. You can also get them with a galved sub floor.
My friends built a house with 4 x 40 foot high cube containers. they were new and had done only 1 trip from China. The floor was treated with a "safe" treatment. Some are not so"safe" to live in. You wouldn't know you were in containers from the inside. They used the extra height to put in an insulated ceiling space. Each container was separately wired and plumbed so that they could be separated easily for removal and easy re set up. Each container was plugged into a caravan park type power supply post. Check you shire's rules on "temporary" or "relocatable" If they are not permanent the rules are quite likely different. Good luck.
Btw. they clamped them together with proper turn buckles, and bought some U.V. proof tape from Australia to seal the roofs together.

A Reply From Above
 

Hello All,

I received a reply to my enquiry...

The placement of a shipping container on the premises would require the submission of a “Request for Concurrence Agency Assessment” Application with Council which will be assessed against Council’s Amenity and Aesthetics Policy, Table 5.6. After reviewing the premises, you may be able to establish a shipping container on the premises if it were to be located behind the existing shed on the premises and landscaped so as to screen the structure from neighbouring properties. In this case, you would be required to submit the completed application form (attached), proposal plans (site plan identifying the location of the structure and associated landscaping and building elevations of the structure) and the application fee ($505.00). Please note that this process is not required if the shipping container is to be used for storage for a maximum period of 1 month.

Notice the use of the little word "a" as in singular.

Duplicate the bulk of the text above and just exchange the word "shed" with "shipping container".

Having quite a bit of convict blood in my ancestry I might as well follow the principle of, "I might as well be hung for stealing a sheep, instead of a lamb"; and look at building another shed. It requires the same application process and attracts the same fees.

Kind regards
Lionel

If you are going to have two twenty footers, for a few hundred extra you could have this dome. A lot going cheap at auction (commercial grade) at the moment.

Or you could give them the finger and just put up the little structure in the first photo'
.

Lang

Hello Lang,

While they are a very good idea - I somehow doubt they would fit into the Council's definition of aesthetics. It would a bit hard to meet the Council requirement of: so as to screen the structure from neighbouring properties . It would take some big mounds of earth to screen those examples Lang!

Hmmmm .... think .... think ... perhaps I should start digging some big holes in the ground! Say ones about 6 Metres long, 2.4 Metres wide x 2.4 Metres Deep. The neighbours won't see them then!....Advice for Preppers Burying Shipping Containers Accessed 1st May 2020 from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohcXVEu7EU4


Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

Looks like I will review the earlier suggestion of a mezzanine floor as an interim fix. My existing shed is starting to look more attractive because the good thing about it is that the shed is already there. A mezzanine floor is hidden inside an already fully council approved shed - and only invited guests are allowed in.

The mezzanine floor could utilise Phil Waterman's Special CMP Tools and the Electric Hoist that could serve the purpose of not needing to waste room inside the shed by installing stairs. Plus being able to lift heavier items to the mezzanine. Phil's hoist can be accessed through ...accessed 1st May 2020 from, http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/Tools.html.

Then I could go through the application process of building another shed and use it as a dedicated workshop.

Kind regards
Lionel

The hole in the ground sounds like a.............pond. The bus is starting to sound good as well. If you put up the big structure that lang suggested, you might offer it to the shire for large concerts etc. that might (no it wont!) pacify them.
I can see why people go down the "forgiveness" verses "permission" path.

What Type and Size of Pad for Shipping Containers?
 

Hello All,

After trying to do what should have been a very quick and simple job in my shed I have decided to get a shipping container as an interim measure.

What dimensions for concrete pads would be used to sit a 20 or 40 foot shipping container on?

The arrangement would be something like having the concrete pads positioned inside a timber edge. The timber will retain a layer of weedmat and gravel to prevent weeds growing under and around the container

After today's travails - I want to have everything that is currently stored on the shed floor moved out. If it cannot fit on a pallet rack; or on my shelving units - out the shed doors it goes. Such things as engines mounted on engine stands and dollys. Plus bonnets (engine hoods), truck doors and a ride-on mower.

Stuff I currently have to lean over, move around ... or trip over ... to try and reach something that should be easy to get to that is stored away. I just filled up my swear jar by the way... Plus, the dog and cat are in hiding - while covering their ears.

Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel,

The dimension you hear are the OUTSIDE dimensions. So 20 or 40ft long and 8ft wide. The corner pockets are (going from memory here) about 8"x8".

https://www.discovercontainers.com/s...er-dimensions/

Hope that helps.
Matt

Lionel,

A solid Besser block on its side in each corner, dug in almost flush with the ground surface, is all you need to support the container. No need to mix concrete and caste special pads. The gravel only needs to be about a foot or two wide, if you use any at all - under the container (if mounted very close to the ground) does not get light and therefore does not support weed growth, only around the edge, which can be hit with a whipper-snipper (weed whacker) from time to time.

Mike

There are also ' Hi Cube' 45 foot containers, some higher than basic ones too. All the same width. I agree that digging in some concrete blocks for each corner will be fine as long as there is a little space under the floor so that it is not sitting on damp earth.

David

Agree with David. Close to the ground, not in contact with.

Mike

I have my containers sitting on pressure treated wood railway ties (sleepers), and they are very solid. I agree with Mike's comment; the weeds will not grow under the containers due to low light, and as David says; it is important to leave an air gap at he bottom so the floor doesn't rust out due to trapped moisture (I have seen some very rusty undersides).

I have 2 containers (both 20 foot insulated) left over from an original 7 that I shifted up here with. (they are temporary, and there's nothing more permanent goes the saying) They are holding a bit of weight, but have sunk a bit. They are sitting on pieces of 8x2 rough sawn pine. (ground treated) It depends on your ground. (No termites here) All the weight is carried at the corners, so to have the container stay stable you need to do a thorough job of setting them up. Make sure when settled in place that the doors open and close nicely. If the container has a twist in it the doors may well give trouble. If I was going to lay concrete, it would be in front of the doors, so that you can get in and out without the big step up or down, so much.

Storagespace
 

Over 40 years ago I moved on from the garage I moved a set of wodden 'pigoen holes' about 6' high , 10' long and 12" deep to a shed that I had built. I used this to store parts..I eliminated all the English Ford , Y block and Falcon parts ,this left only the SV V8 .Moddel T pasrs are stored saparatly I recently found that the white ants (termites) had taken a liking to the shelvig. i had to move all the parts out of the shelving and remove what they had left.
I am bying new steel shelving 2170 mm high and 300 mm deep this suits me as the parts are in boxes 300 long. EAT THIS YOU BARSTARDS!
So I will have to sort out all the parts and rebox them starting with 1012 wheel nuts to way past the12000 numbers.
i like the narrow shelve because i try to keep 1 , 2 or 3 parts per box . and it makes them easier to find.

It's Arrived Home!... Hello "Tex"
 

Hello All,

Around 8:00 this morning my shipping container arrived home. It is a 40 Foot "High Top". I bought the container locally and was able to inspect it prior to purchase.

There are a number of local suppliers; however, they mostly handle the 20 Foot ones. All suppliers advertise a base price which involves units that are barely fit for purpose. The price rises dramatically for containers that are suitable for storage.

My container is unlined. It is a starting point. The first task is to clear at least three engines that are on dollys and other "goodies" that are currently blocking access to walkways and shelves in my shed. Then panels like spare bonnets and mudguards will be stored in the container.

Once I have safe and hassle-free access to the shelves it will mark a time for sorting. All the contents of the shelves will be spread out on the shed floor. Things will be sorted and stored back on their own dedicated shelves. That way I might not waste so much time trying to find a tool that was put "somewhere - a while ago".

Well such is the plan ... will it become a reality??? At least the first steps have been taken. Enter one big shipping container.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

Just in case you were wondering... the container is sitting on four specially made concrete blocks. The company I bought the container off have been in the game for decades. So for the princely sum of $50 I went home with four of their purpose built blocks.

The container doors open without any trouble.

It is now raining here for the first time in quite a while. I will wait and see how much settling happens. After a week or so, I will grab a spirit level and see what fine adjustments have to be made.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

Well things have been happening here. I bought one 40 foot hi-cube shipping container and had it delivered a couple of months ago. I started to transfer some of my stuff from my shed to the container. I quickly realised that not have any shelving or racks was making the consumption of shipping container space much too rapid to be acceptable. So I stopped.

I decided to track down some pallet racking and steel shelving units. One side wall can fit four bays of pallet racking. The other side wall fits six bays of shelving. I tried a local bloke for a quote to fit out the shipping container. They were twice the price for less stuff and of a dubious brand. So off to Brisbane I went to a mob there who sells second-hand but named brand material: "Dexion".

During the wait to be able to pick up the racking and shelving I had another look in my shed and the stuff still stored in there. This triggered me buying another 40 Foot High Cube. Plus, a duplicate set of pallet racking and shelving. The containers will be spaced parallel with each other.

I was not happy how the first shipping container was placed in my paddock. A previous owner had a series of raised mounds built for fruit trees. So there was a series of mounds and drainage ditches. When the semi-trailer came to drop off the second container I had it positioned away from where the first container was placed. Some extra cash changed hands and the first container was lifted up and moved away from where it had been standing. On Saturday an earth moving company is going to level the area. A mix of recycled road-base and bitumen off the local roads is being trucked in. The road-base is going to be mostly level - with a nice uniform slope for drainage and it will all be compacted down. The next step will be to get a mobile crane to position the shipping containers onto their pad.

I jumped the gun a bit today. I got sick of having to carefully squeeze how far I can open my best car's door to stop it hitting against an engine mounted on a stand. I figure there are plenty of tie-down points in the shipping container to be able to secure the engine stand when the crane comes to move the container.

Roll on to the weekend so I can have a level spot to sit the shipping containers on in the very near future. After that I can continue my quest in trying to bring order out of the chaos that currently exists in my shed.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

The two 40 Foot shipping containers will be parallel to each other on a pad that is 14 Metres by 15 Metres ... 45 by 49 Feet. I decided on getting the 40 Foot sized container due to finding a local source that sold them for a damn good price. Other companies were selling a single 20 foot container for not that much less money than what I could get the 40 foot container for. I could also inspect the container locally before purchase and I was guaranteed having the same container arrive on my block. Apparently, some mobs have a display container that you inspect; or they show photographs of a sample container that can be viewed online. They then transport the container from their storage space located in another town to here. What arrives on the block may not be the exact same container that you inspected. It's quality can also be a lot different too.

I will be getting mains power connected to the inside and outside of the containers. Yes, it does get darker the further into the 40 foot container you go! Yes - I will need to organise a mobile crane to re-position the containers. Hopefully, it will be a one-off pain to deal with.

Following on from the advice from other posts in this thread, I have left a space at the back of the container and at the front.

In the future I intend to get some second-hand 6 Metre (19 Foot) "C" and "Z" purlings to make a roof over the top of each container. These sections are frequently advertised online locally. The steel will allow for some roof coverage for workbenches along the inside-side of each container.

Lang, with the whirly-birds - can they be fitted high to the back of the container instead of cutting a hole in the roof? I live in the sub-tropics and condensation is already noticeable inside the containers. It may be a while before I start putting a roof over the containers and cutting holes in a flat roof for a whirly-bird just seem so counter-intuitive.

Another long-term plan is to have the two skillion roofs joined together to form one big covered area.

I will take some photographs of the pad being formed. Now to arrange for a mobile crane....

Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel,

You can also vent the containers by using a vertical length of black pipe like poly pipe or plastic pipe, from any point in the container (near the base is good). The pipe has to be high enough to get direct sunlight as long as possible each day. Once it heats up each day, and the air inside rises, it causes suction from inside the container. Cheap venting: a few plastic plumbing fittings and some flat black paint. Needs a vent top to prevent rain getting down inside the pipe.

Mike

Lionel I used podroof for my containers, a bit more expensive than sourcing the parts yourself but designed to bolt straight to the containers.
They only supply the roof I have to make the back wall myself when I get the time.

Hello Rob,

Thanks for posting about your roof. Could you take some close-up photographs of how the posts for the roof are connected to the shipping container?

I had a yarn with a shed constructor and he suggested having a steeper pitch to the roof. This will allow storage space on top of the container and under the new roof. From your photograph it does not look like the roof pitch has that much clearance over the container. I also want to span 14 Metres with the roof.

First thing to do is to get the pad done though.

Kind regards
Lionel

When Robert posted the photos of his roof on his "new view" thread, I looked up one of the companies that supply these. They have some assembly videos, along with a lot of variety in the roofing designs that might give you some ideas.

https://shieldup.co/

As Rob said they have two designs, the one I used is fixed at 10deg pitch. Their maximum span is 22 metres.

Hello Rob and Robert,

Firstly, thank you Robert for posting the photographs so quickly.

Thank you Rob for posting the link to the cover people. Good to know that they can span 22 Metres. It is a shame the mobs do not sell plans. I suppose things like cyclone ratings make things more complex than a one-size-fits-all drawing.

I visited Rob's link and butchered one of their drawings using Microsoft "Paint" to mock up a possible style. The second container located 14 Metres away would be a mirror image. Their design featured two containers side-by-side.

Anyway, I have a Land Rover ex-Army 2A Ambulance motor hanging off my trailer crane while I sort out the engine stands fixed wheels and change them to swivels. Then it is a little trip from the shed to the container to make some more space in the shed.

Kind regards
Lionel

https://www.podroof.com/au/examples/
This is the company I used, I didn't find the one Rob linked.