Description
A typical container has doors fitted at one end, and is constructed of corrugated weathering steel. Containers were originally 8 feet (2.44 m) wide by 8 feet (2.44 m) high, and either a nominal 20 feet (6.1 m) or 40 feet (12.19 m) long. They could be stacked up to seven units high. At each of the eight corners are castings with openings for twistlock fasteners.
Taller units have been introduced, including 'hi-cube' or 'high-cube' units at 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m) and 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 m) high. The United States and Canada often use longer units at 48 ft (14.63 m) and 53 ft (16.15 m).
The "pallet wide" containers are about 2 inches (5 cm) wider than standard containers to accommodate for Euro-pallets common in Europe. These containers feature an internal width of 2440 mm for easy loading of two 1200 mm long pallets side by side – many sea shipping providers in Europe allow these as overhangs on standard containers are sufficient and they fit in the usual interlock spaces (with the same floor panel the side ribs of pallet-wide containers are embossed to the outside instead of being molded to the inside). Australian RACE containers are also slightly wider to accommodate Australia Standard Pallets. Especially the 45 ft pallet-wide high-cube shortsea container has gained wider acceptance as these containers can replace the 13.6 m swap bodies that are common for truck transport in Europe – the EU has started a standardization for pallet wide containerization in the EILU (European Intermodal Loading Unit) initiative.
Swap body units use many of the same mounting fixings as Intermodal containers, but have folding legs under their frame so that they can be moved between trucks without using a crane. They are generally lighter in weight. The containers flex during transport.
Container capacity is often expressed in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU, or sometimes teu). An equivalent unit is a measure of containerized cargo capacity equal to one standard 20 ft × 8 ft (6.10 m × 2.44 m) (length × width) container. As this is an approximate measure, the height of the box is not considered; for example, the 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) high cube and the 4-foot-3-inch (1.3 m) half height 20-foot (6.1 m) containers are also called one TEU. Similarly, the 45 ft (13.72 m) containers are also commonly designated as two TEU, although they are 45 and not 40 feet (12.19 m) long. Two TEU are equivalent to one forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU).
Read more about this topic: Intermodal Container
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