Faux roof for a shipping container

[Rene]

If I wanted to place two 20' shipping containers together side by side and place a faux roof on them, what would be the appropriate spacing of trusses if it's non functioning roof and stricktly used for asthetics? and maybe water collection. I'm also thinking about just tack welding a triangle shaped metal frame instead of trusses and attaching roofing panels to the metal frame.
iscuss:

[riverwolf]

Without knowing the design its difficult to say but usually standard trusses are on two foot centre.
enjoy.

riverwolf

[csgray]

Rene,
You want to make sure your design will not tear loose and become a hazard in high winds, a good anchor system could save you a lot of hassle and heart ache later. Sheet metal can slice right through all kinds of surprising things if it gets enough wind behind it. I grew up in tornado country and sheet metal roofs from outbuildings caused amazing amounts of damage, and they killed a lot of livestock too.

Carol

[lquade]

rene, we picked up some used 2x6 trusses and spaced them at 4 feet. you screw the metal into the purlins anyway. also used for water catchment and of course as csgray says, we anchored well the 2 20 ft. containers with i think 12 feet between them...

[DanielP]

Since there is no "live load"(snow), Your span could go as far as 20' or more, 4' o.c. depending on the chord size (talk to the truss mfg). The biggest issues are uplift and lateral loads(wind). Good connections at the bearing points (containers),diagonal strapping across the top of the trusses and sufficient screws attaching the roofing material should work. There is no such thing as a faux roof.
Ask Dorothy.

Ed to add; At first I thought that you were trying to span a space between the containers. If this is not the case, consider a shed roof, supported with purlins 4' o.c.

Dan

[Rene]

Picture more of an awning frame than an actual "roof".

[DanielP]

Whatever "style", wind loads are what have to be addressed.

[rainyjim]

Rene,

best to keep in mind those shipping containers were not designed to have any weight put on the top of them, just inside them. that said you will need to reinforce the roof of the container if you plan on building off of it.


Other than that.

This is a fantastic idea, while non conventionality may bring up some problems with design I wholly suggest you continue forward with this idea and be proud doing so, you are the same as all those brave individuals who crossed the mainland ages ago with nothing but a covered wagon. Use your ingenuity to your hearts content and revel in your newfound status: pioneer.


Cheers

rainyjim

[OpenD]

quote:

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Originally posted by rainyjim
best to keep in mind those shipping containers were not designed to have any weight put on the top of them, just inside them.

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Sorry, that's not right. They're actually designed to be stacked up to eight high, loaded, with the load being carried by the steel box girder frame. The roof panels won't support a lot of weight, but the structure will. There's a 500 unit student dorm in Denmark built by stacking them up that way.

A nifty way to work with them is to attach a roof frame to the cam-lock points at the corners. You can buy the hardware ready made through shipping supply companies.

And you definitely get more bang for your buck spacing two containers at a distance from each other and then roofing the entire span to shelter the central space as a courtyard, or even a fully enclosed space. There's a fully permitted house in Houston that was built this way and featured in Dwell magazine a couple of years ago.

[MarkP]

I think that RainyJim is not wrong. Most people tend to think of containers as giant lego blocks, equally strong along their entire length, but they aren't built any stronger than they have to be and they are designed to be stacked with all the weight being supported by the corners. While you can get somewhat creative as long as you keep that in mind, the vast majority of designs I see on the web are impractical and illustrate the fact that most people think you can put heavy stuff all over the roof.