Emergency Shelter Homes

Since the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, there have been many requests for international quotes. Companies are now conducting a great deal of research and product testing to create emergency shelters using shipping containers as the main building blocks. All over the world, there are natural disasters that claim the lives of thousands of people.

When considering the construction of an emergency shelter house in an area prone to hurricanes and earthquakes, there are two factors to consider regarding the construction and design of the emergency shelter house:

The first is the susceptibility to water damage, usually caused by floods, and the second is the resistance of building materials to wind damage. Because most coastal countries are prone to hurricanes and tropical storms, the safety of a steel construction home becomes a high priority.

Water damage: Most of the damage suffered during and immediately after a hurricane is caused by flooding and incursions of water through damaged structures. Shipping container houses reduce the chances of water damage in a number of ways. Most importantly, steel wall structures are inherently watertight, so rains, driven by hurricane force winds, are unlikely to break the structure. These ISO shipping containers are hurricane and earthquake proof based on their design and seaworthiness.

They can withstand 100 mph winds without anchor and 145 anchor winds.

These houses can be used at first as emergency shelters and later converted into houses or offices in the future.

These containers can also be stacked on top of each other and replace poor Haitian construction. In addition, the emergency shelter shipping container must be placed on a secure, elevated base.

Emergency shelters are generally located in locations away from areas that have a history of flooding. However, even in areas that are not normally susceptible to flooding, significant runoff can occur during heavy rains. That is why the installation of the houses in terms of elevation and positioning of the land is very important.

All emergency shelter shipping container homes are placed on foundations that will meet, and generally exceed, the levels of protection needed in the foundation of the homes. Also, the mostly steel construction will not be prone to cracking or fracturing, as a concrete structure would be. This leads to a longer life and less maintenance for your home.

Wind Damage: While water damage far outweighs other forms of hurricane damage, damage from high winds can also be serious. There are generally two sources of wind damage during hurricanes. The first, and most obvious, is the hurricane itself. In a strong hurricane, the wind speed can reach over 160 mph. However, the strongest winds associated with hurricanes are generally caused by tornadoes generated by the hurricane. Winds from a strong tornado can exceed 250 mph. A high percentage of wind damage is actually the result of airborne debris.