EVACUATION UTILIZED CONTAINER SHELTER: A PROJECT DESIGN FOR

IMMEDIATE HOUSING RELIEF DURING POST-CATASTROPHIC EVENTS

A Project Study presented to

The Faculty of College of Engineering
Cebu Technological University – Main Campus

In Partial Fulfilment
Of the Requirements for the Degree in
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

By
Bentillo, Jhomar L.
Casul, Sidney Patrick B.
Genon, Jeck Jeck H.
Haboc, Reynaldo Jr. G.
Ursaiz, Jerson C.

MARCH 2019
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Despite the technological advancements of humanity, natural disasters still remain inevitable

as it is destructive. When earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters occur, infrastructural

damage, in addition to casualties, causes the most significant loss that challenged the afflicted

population and their resilience. During these events, vast majorities of families are displaced from their

homes and left to strive for basic necessities, of which primarily includes temporary housing.

In the Philippines, the most common form of temporary evacuation shelter revolves around

government facilitated evacuation centers residing in the form of accessible areas such as basketball

courts, churches, government facilities and schools similar to the Naga Landslide Incident last

September 20, 2018 that took over 79 lives and millions worth of properties. The Field Office

established evacuation camps on September 21, a day after the landslide which affected 1,493 families

or 6,208 persons in five barangays in the said city. The affected families settled in evacuation centers

set-up at the Naga Central Elementary School, Enan Chiong Activity Center, Naalad Elementary

School, Apo Cement Gym, Naga National High School, and Colon Elementary School

(www.reliefweb.int, 2018). While such accommodations are easily accessible and tested for decades,

such areas tend to be easily overcrowded additionally creating new sets of dilemmas for the evacuees

such as obstruction of privacy, theft, and viral infections that may affect the elderlies and the children.

And If these hindrances may be satisfied, the evacuees would still want to engage for shelters set up

for longer terms of recovery as such instances delays the aforementioned facilities from progressing

into their usual activities which is vital for the total rehabilitation of the area. As such dilemmas pile

up, logical steps should be made to unravel such problems and make a more suited evacuation shelter

for a country frequently visited by calamities such as the Philippines.

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 The solution is to find a more economical and efficient means of constructing temporary

evacuation shelters that emphasizes affordability, accessibility, and utility for disaster-afflicted families

and among countless alternatives, this research aims to assess the utilization of used shipping containers

in post-disaster evacuation and housing applications, particularly temporary housing. There are many

reasons why containers are a logical choice as building materials. The book Container Architecture best

describes these reasons:

“Containers have many characteristics that make them convenient for use in architecture. They

are prefabricated, mass-produced, cheap and mobile. Because they are compatible with practically

every transport system, they are easily accessible all around the world. They are strong and resistant,

while also being durable and stackable. They are modular, recyclable, and reusable.” (Kotnik, 2008)

With renewable resources and energy efficiency at the forefront of the world’s thoughts,

containers fit the need for efficient construction materials. They are reusable, recyclable, and reduces

the need for other construction materials with typically no groundwork excavation processes, are quick

to set up and complete, and generate less waste than traditional construction projects. Also, containers

are available in large quantities around the world, most of them left stagnant in docks, reusing them

would give new purpose to these containers as it is cleaning our harbours from it. They are also very

durable due to the fact their existence was born out of a need for strong, long lasting shipping materials.

But as it is promising, it has its disadvantages like essentially, they are just a large, closed metal

box. There are no openings to allow light and air to enter the container. Although there are some distinct

containers that are used for temperature controlled products, the majority of containers have no

insulation. In addition, since there is no insulation and the walls are relatively thin, containers are not

very soundproof. Overcoming these insufficiencies is the key to successfully converting containers into

viable living environments sufficient enough for immediate housing relief and the objective of this

research.

2
Statement of the Problem

This study determined the needs of disaster-afflicted families in the Philippines for sufficient

temporary shelter relief. The findings of which served as a basis of the proposed Evacuation utilized

container shelter.

1. The purpose of this study is to provide a project layout equipped with the technical requirements

needed to cater the basic housing needs of disaster-afflicted individuals by using shipping containers

as temporary shelters during catastrophic events in the fastest approach possible.

2. The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of acceptability of the proposed evacuation

utilized container shelter as to its total efficiency, safety, mobility and cost.

3. The purpose of this study is to provide a product design for a container dwelling sufficient enough

to cater the aforementioned problems.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will redound to the benefit of the society by imposing a solution to

the inadequacy of temporary shelters during post-catastrophic events by using innovative materials as

to which the study proves it is in the form of evacuation-utilized shipping container shelters. This study

would be beneficial to the following entities:

1. Disaster-afflicted individuals - This study provided a solution to the lack of temporary

housing provided by both the public and private sectors to such evacuees.

2. Building Designers - This study provided new alternatives for designers in producing more

efficient structures by utilizing the advantages of shipping containers not just by means of

evacuation and temporary housing but also in the commercial aspect of low-cost construction.

3
 3. Entrepreneurs - The potential of this study may poke the attention of entrepreneurs to

commercialize the study making it available for the masses not just for evacuation purposes

but also as an alternative means of low-cost innovative housing especially for a third world

country such as the Philippines.

4. Engineering Instructors - This study promoted innovative ideas to conventional housing both

for evacuation and regular housing to instructors to furtherly expand the topic and impart the

knowledge to interested students thus creating a cycle of infrastructural innovation and

advancement.

5. Future Researchers - This study imparted researchers more reference materials and

inspiration to furtherly enhance the infrastructural advancement of the community by creating

more research papers and thesis study.

Objectives of the Study

The research aims to develop standard shipping containers into a temporary shelter specifically

designed for immediate housing relief during post-catastrophic events. Along with more specific

objectives such as:

1. To provide a technical design for shipping containers that shall cater the basic necessities of a

proper temporary shelter such as cost, utility, mobility, and structural durability.

2. To gather data and analysis about the degree of acceptability and the advantages of the research

project from traditional temporary evacuation shelters.

3. To assess the aforementioned research data and conclude the qualification of the study to meet

the inquired prerequisites of an effective evacuation utilized container shelter.

4
Definition of Terms

Terms here are conceptually and operationally defined for better understanding of the readers.

Evacuation centers - are usually large facilities that can accommodate people in transition due to an

emergency. Often they are in school gyms, churches, or other community buildings that have room for

people to sleep, usually on cots, and have adequate bathroom facilities.

Shipping container - is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling.

Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the

ubiquitous corrugated boxes.

Temporary shelter - any home, single or multi-unit dwelling or housing unit in which persons who

are without housing or a fixed address receive temporary housing or shelter.

Disaster Management - the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing

with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order

to lessen the impact of disasters.

Cargotecture - is a form of architecture using steel intermodal containers (shipping containers) as

structural element.

Modular architecture - refers to the design of any system composed of separate components that can

be connected together.

Conceptual Framework

To provide additional insights about the research study, an analytical tool equipped with several

variations and context flow that aims to make a solid conceptual distinction and organization of ideas

is needed. The figure below shows the conceptual flow of natural calamities, its effects to the society

and the probable solution of which the research study provides.

5
 Natural Calamities

 Storm surge
Homelessness
 Tsunamis Disaster
 Typhoons management team
 Landslide
 Earthquakes
 Wild fire
Government and Non-
Government building sector

Effects:

 Obstruction of
privacy Traditional evacuation shelters
 Theft (Schools, Gym and etc.)
 Viral infections

 Prefabricated Evacuation-Utilized Shipping

 Mass-produced Container Shelter
 Low-cost
Figure 1
 Mobile

In detailed inspection, it is observed that natural calamities bring forth havoc upon the area

which prompts the local disaster management team to take action. After the efforts of the team to

evacuate and save victims, the area is still left in chaos with minimal to no property left structurally

stable, victims are left displaced from their homes and needing relief of which the government and

some non-profit organizations strive to meet along with the basic food and water, shelter is also

provided in terms of evacuation centers.

While the evacuation centers meet the basic needs of the victims, it has its negative effects

such as obstruction of privacy, theft, spread of viral infections and the delay of rehabilitation due to
6
major infrastructures such as schools, or government facilities not fully functioning because of the

victim’s habitation of the said premises.

To shift the balance and restore the area, the research study will be conducted to solve the

problem, by providing the victims with evacuation utilized container shelters. By using these

containers, the victims are relieved from overcrowding and will give the centres a way to continue their

activities to promote the rehabilitation of the area along with its advantages to the provider, as such

containers are prefabricated, mass produced, cheap and mobile furtherly helping not just the victim but

sold the government from high-cost and corruption prone projects.

Scope and Delimitation

The research study is conducted in municipality of Consolacion and will focus on variables

such as the potential of shipping containers as an innovative material for the future of the construction

industry, the efficiency of the proposed evacuation utilized container shelter during post-catastrophic

events ranging from its structural capacity up to its design and will show the advantages and

disadvantages of shipping containers as a temporary shelter from common-built shelters.

This research will include minimal to no major NSCP guidelines and will solely focus on the

internal issues of a container shelter with only basic to no external concerns such as power installation,

water system, waste management, groundwork details and other construction matters for the research

only emphasizes immediate housing relief through a temporary structure and is not a subject to any

building code regulations.

7
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter stresses the point by conferring the issues of temporary shelters during post-

catastrophic events and how the concept of using shipping containers as conventional means of housing

translates into initiatives such as immediate housing relief and how sustainable the container shelter

can be.

Natural Calamities in the Philippines

An important factor when analysing the effectiveness of a temporary shelter is knowing the

diversity and frequency of natural calamities to prepare the container from unprecedented events

resulting from such disasters. The Philippines' evident risk to natural disasters is due to its location.

Being a country that lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is prone to earthquake and volcanic eruptions. In

addition, the country is surrounded by large bodies of water and faces the Pacific Ocean where 60% of

the world's typhoons are made. One of the most devastating typhoons that hit the Philippines in 2013

was Typhoon Haiyan, or "Yolanda", that killed over 10,000 people and destroyed over an estimated

worth of $14 billion of properties and damage to various sectors. (Wikipedia.org)

Other environmental problems that the country is facing include pollution, illegal mining and

logging, deforestation, dynamite fishing, landslides, coastal erosion, wildlife extinction, global

warming and climate change that will also eventually cause disasters in the near future. (Wikipedia.org)

Disaster Management

Disaster management plans are multi-layered and are aimed to address such issues as floods,

hurricanes, fires, bombings, and even mass failures of utilities or the rapid spread of disease. The

8
disaster plan is likely to address such as important matters as relinquishing people from an impacted

region, arranging temporary housing, food, and medical care. (John, 2004)

There is no country that is immune from disaster, though vulnerability to disaster varies. There

are four main types of disaster (WCPT, 2010):

Natural disasters. These disasters include floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcano

eruptions that can have immediate impacts on human health, as well as secondary impacts causing

further death and suffering from floods causing landslides, earthquakes resulting in fires, tsunamis

causing widespread flooding and typhoons sinking ferries

Environmental emergencies. These emergencies include technological or industrial

accidents, usually involving hazardous material, and occur where these materials are produced, used or

transported. Large forest fires are generally included in this definition because they tend to be caused

by humans.

Complex emergencies. These emergencies involve a break-down of authority, looting and

attacks on strategic installations. Complex emergencies include conflict situations and war.

Pandemic emergencies. These emergencies involve a sudden onset of a contagious disease

that affects health but also disrupts services and businesses, bringing economic and social costs.

Being aware of the Disaster Management a local area may execute will greatly affect the role

of emergency temporary shelters as such managements discuss plans for rehabilitation and temporary

safety of the afflicted families which the research study aims to take part and provide solution.

Emergency Management

Is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organization

management processes used to protect asses of an organization from hazard risks that can cause

9
disasters or catastrophes, and to ensure the continuance of the organization within their planned lifetime

(Haddow and Bullock, 2003). Emergency Management is organized into four phases (NCDHD, 2011):

Mitigation: actions taken to eliminate a hazard or reduce its potential impact.

Preparedness: planning for major emergencies, including training and exercises.

Response: actions taken in response to emergencies.

Recovery: actions taken after a disaster to restore services and reconstruct communities.

In the same way as Disaster management, Emergency management takes a big role in the

rehabilitation of the disaster-afflicted area as such direct plans of the management for emergency

precautions during the post-catastrophic phase of the event where the research study will usually take

place. By associating with the emergency management, a proper head count of the disaster afflicted

individuals, distribution of temporary houses, and the accurate response of the victims will be observed

with order.

Shipping Container History

The modern shipping container has greatly benefited society by providing the world with the

most reliable means of import/export of goods domestically and internationally by maritime shipping

as how Galleon trades flourished in the ancient world but before steel shipping containers existed, goods

were transported via a so called “break bulk method”, in which various types of containers and vessels

were stowed loosely inside the ship (A Sea Change, 2009). In the 1950s Malcom McLean, sometimes

referred to as the “father of containerization”, invented the modern steel shipping container. McLean’s

shipping container concept was founded in his experience as a truck driver and desire to derive a more

efficient method for unloading the goods within a truck and placing them on a cargo ship. His concept

allowed for the reinforced metal containers to be lifted directly from the truck and stacked on the ship.

10
Shortly after McLean implemented his concept, the Matson Navigation Company loaded its vessel,

Hawaiian Merchant, with twenty cargo containers for shipment from California to Hawaii, the first ever

shipping container voyage across the Pacific (A Sea Change, 2009) and made its successful path up to

the present. However, the revolution of the shipping economy has also led to massive excesses of

containers in the United States due to the trade deficit with China and has as a result provided a unique

opportunity to convert an existing resource into either emergency shelter or low income housing.

(Levinson, 2006)

Shipping Container Architecture

Shipping container shelters have been considered as early as the mid-1960s and developed as

a result of an architectural interest in merging mobility and manufacturing into building construction.

In 1966, the American architect Paul Rudolph considered the use of containers as components in the

design of towers in Manhattan. The use of containers in underdeveloped countries had long been

considered by architects and implemented as a cost effective means for shelter (Scoates, 2003).

However, in the United States and other developed countries, container housing continues to be a

somewhat radical concept that is reserved primarily for modernists (Strauss, 2010). The use of

containers as a building material has grown in popularity over the past several years due to their inherent

strength, wide availability, and relatively low expense. Homes have also been built with containers

because they are seen as more eco-friendly than traditional building materials such as brick and cement.

Here are some of the advantages:

Customized. Due to their shape and material, shipping containers can be easily modified to fit many

purposes.

Strength and durability. Shipping containers are designed to be stacked in high columns, carrying

heavy loads. They are also designed to resist harsh environments, such as on ocean-going vessels or

11
sprayed with road salt while transported on roads. Due to their high strength, shipping containers are

usually the last to fall in extreme weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis.

Modular. All shipping containers are the same width and most have two standard height and length

measurements and as such they provide modular elements that can be combined into larger structures.

This simplifies design, planning and transport. As they are already designed to interlock for ease of

mobility during transportation, structural construction is completed by simply emplacing them. Due to

the containers' modular design, additional construction is as easy as stacking more containers. They can

be stacked up to 12 units high when empty.

Labour. The welding and cutting of steel is considered to be specialized labour and can increase

construction expenses, yet overall it is still lower than conventional construction. Unlike wood frame

construction, attachments must be welded or drilled to the outer skin, which is more time consuming

and requires different job site equipment.

Transport. Because they already conform to standard shipping sizes, pre-fabricated modules can be

easily transported by ship, truck, or rail.

Availability. Because of their wide-spread use, new and used shipping containers are available across

the planet.

Expense. Many used containers are available at an amount that is low compared to a finished structure

built by other labour-intensive means such as bricks and mortar — which also require larger more

expensive foundations.

Eco-friendly. A 40 ft. shipping container weights over 3,500 kg. When up cycling shipping containers,

thousands of kilograms of steel are saved. In addition when building with containers, the amount of

traditional building materials needed (i.e. bricks and cement) are reduced. (en.wikipedia.org)

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 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides a context for the design and execution of an evacuation utilized container

shelter development along with essential research information to enhance the study. The research is

mainly composed of an analysis of the technical standards of an ISO (International Standards

Organization) shipping container, possible transportation options and its methods, and disaster prone

locations within the Philippines, specifically in Cebu area. Finally, the methods and purposes of the

architectural review are defined in categories such as the structural stability.

Technical Standards

The two customary dimensions in the world for shipping containers are the 20 feet (6.09 m)

and 40 feet (12.19 m) length containers. There are also uncommon variations in length that are still

available in the market which includes, but are not limited to, 10 (3.05 m), 30 (9.14 m), and 45 feet

(13.72 m) in length. The standard width for these containers is 8 feet (2.44 m) and comes in different

heights. Today the most common height is 8.5 ft. (2.59 m) while 9.5 ft. (2.90 m) is becoming more

extensive.

Shipping containers also contain ridged sides and top in order to provide additional strength in

which the strength is transferred down through the corner posts to the corner castings at the bottom and

then through the floor. The floor is constructed of steel cross members approximately 6 inches (150mm)

deep, which are approximately 20 inches (508mm) apart and give oblique strength and support the

floor. The cross members are welded at each end to longitudinal beams which run the length of the

container between the corner castings. This all means that the strength of a shipping container lies

within the corner posts and the floor. Structural alterations or damage to these components will

deteriorate the container. However, this decreases the internal dimensions from the external dimensions

13
which were described previously. The corrugations are stereotypically one inch in width, in which case

would deduct two inches (50 mm) from the width giving an internal width of 7 ft. 10 inches (2.38 m).

The shipping container doors are usually two inches thick (50 mm). Therefore the exterior length is

withheld by three inches (75 mm) to give the interior length of the container. For example if a 40 foot

container was used the interior length would be 39 ft. 9 inches. The floor of container has a six inch

(150 mm) clearance off the ground with an actual floor thickness of approximately one inch (25 mm).

Along with the one inch corrugation of the roof the interior height has an eight inch (200 mm) difference

from the external height.

Table 1. Specifications of shipping containers

Specification 20’ x 8’x 8’5’’ 40’ x 8’ x 8’5’’

Tare Weight 4,894 lbs. (2,220 kg) 8,245 lbs. (3,740 kg)

Max Payload 62,082 lbs. (28,160 kg) 63,405 lbs. (28,760 kg)

Max Gross Weight 67,107 lbs. (30,480 kg) 71,650 lbs. (32,500 kg)

Internal Capacity 1,170 cu. Ft. (33.2 cu. m.) 2,391 cu. Ft. (67.7 cu. m.)

The table displays the specifications of the two standard size shipping containers of 20 and 40

feet in length. The max payload is the weight of cargo the containers can withstand. The tare weight is

the weight of the container itself, the max gross weight is the weight of the container and the maximum

weight of the contents it can hold. This denotes the ultimate conceivable weight of the container.

Transportation Methods

The researchers have ventured multiple modes of transportation for the shipping containers.

There are multiple varieties that can be useful to transport the container including aircraft, trucks, boats

and rail. However, not all locations are accessible by rail and boats. Therefore, the researchers have

explored aircraft and trucks as the main options for transportation. In a disaster relief situation, where

14
time is crucial, the fastest mode of transportation would be by aircraft. There are many helicopters that

specialize in heavy lifting capabilities. However, the leader of its kind is the Mil-26. The Russian built

Mil-26 helicopter has a maximum load lifting capability of 44,000 lbs. (20,000 kgs) but the Mil-26 is

mostly used by the Russian Army and is not readily available in the Philippines. The closest the

Philippines can get is the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter, the pioneering workhorse of the

Sikorsky series and has a maximum load lifting capacity of 24,500 lbs. (11,113 kgs) (Military Factory,

2016). A table is given to show the advantages of the aforementioned modes of transportation along

with each representative model in its peak capacity.

Table 2. Modes of transportation for shipping container

Vehicle Gross Max Speed Accessibility Advantage Remarks

Weight
(Truck) - Has high
Isuzu EXR 45 000 kg 63mph Common loading
QL Tractor (99 208 lbs.) 101 kph capacity Good
Head -easily
accessible
(Aircraft) -Has high speed
Sikorsky UH- 24 500 lbs. 183 mph Rare advantage
60 Black (11 113 kg) 294 kph -ignores terrain Fair
Hawk problems/traffic
Helicopter

For both the S-60 and the Mil-26, the maximum gross weight of a container would be too much

for either helicopter to carry not to mention the S-60 is commonly surplus and only has 7 available units

scattered among airbases in the Philippines. Another downside of helicopters is that there may not be

an airbase located nearby the disaster. This could take time to fly the helicopters to a closer base in

order to load them with the containers. While helicopters have the advantage of speed from one point

to another, trucks are more widespread and accessible in all locations. The largest gross weight of a

truck is 99,000 lbs. (45,000 kgs) unless an oversize permit is given. Typically the weight of the chassis

is 11,000 lbs. (5,000 kgs). This will allow the containers to carry more weight inside them than if

helicopters were used and reach close to the potential loading capacity that the containers are able.

15
Trucking may be the best mode of transportation due to the easy availability and flexibility no matter

the location and the higher load capacity. However, if helicopters are available nearby they may be the

quickest form of transportation when time is of the essence.

Site Location Guidelines

The characteristics of the site will influence the amount of site preparation work required prior

to the installation of the containers. Site selection must be taken with high consideration which is ideal

for the container development anticipated in this report. An ideal site should be contain at least 4856

sq. m of land area and be clear of any natural or manmade obstacles such as boulders or damaged power

lines to house the containers efficiently.

The researchers endorse that vegetated areas with trees greater than six inches in diameter be

evaded due to the cost and schedule repercussions supplementary with large tree removal. An ideal site

should also be comparatively level and well drained, which will lessen the need for site grading

activities. In terms of location, the site should ideally be in close proximity to an access road to facilitate

the transportation of the containers from the factory, construction materials, and supplies once the

settlement is established. In disaster prone locations, ideal container locations should be pursued prior

to the start of an event to aid the process of establishing the container settlement.

Disaster Prone Location

To indicate an ideal site, the researchers have sought an investigation to pinpoint a location

with a high disaster risk and fits in the criterias of the latter guidelines. The Mining and Geosciences

Bureau Region 7 has identified 789 barangays in Central Visayas that are highly susceptible to landslide

and flooding. These include at least 41 barangays that are susceptible to flood and 22 barangays prone

to landslide in Cebu City. Of these, “very high risks” of landslide were found in a total of 12 barangays

16
in the towns of Alegria, Balamban, Catmon, Consolacion, Ginatilan, Minglanilla and Pinamungahan;

and a total of 16 barangays in the cities of Cebu, Naga, Mandaue and Toledo (MGB, 2018).

The researchers have selected the municipality of Consolacion as the site location because of

its vulnerability to landslides as 70% of the total area of the town is above or highland mountains and

18% foreshore land. The researchers have gathered data from the Consolacion City Municipal Hall and

has acquired the total population which is 131,528 people, bordered on the north by the town of Liloan,

to the west by Cebu City, on the east by the Camotes Sea, and on the south by the city of Mandaue and

having an approximate gross annual revenue of 300 million as of 2016. The contours are irregular and

the highest point is about 500 metres (1,600 ft.) above sea level (Wikipedia, 2015), its accessibility to

other neighbouring disaster prone locations like Liloan and Mandaue, and its access to a national

highway venturing straight into the core of Cebu City. The following tables show the gathered data

provided by the municipality of Consolacion.

Table 3. Flood evacuees as of 2017- 2018 in municipality of Consolacion.

Barangay Flood
Jugan 15
Riverside 154
Nangka 33
Libo 154
Tugbongan 128
Lansaga 212
Pitogo Laray 344
Pitogo 85
Tayud Bankerohan 158
Tayud Bagakay 220

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 Table 4. Data of Fire incident 2014-2019
Year Structural Vehicular Grass Intentional Accidental
Fire Fire/Forest
Jan.–June 0 0 0 0 0
2014
July – Dec. 3 0 3 1 2
2014
Jan. – June 0 0 0 0 0
2015
July – Dec 5 4 2 1 10
2015
Jan. – June 5 1 10 0 16
2016
July – Dec. 4 0 4 0 4
2016
Jan. – June 6 0 1 0 7
2017
July – Dec. 0 0 0 0 0
2017
Jan. – June 0 0 0 0 0
2018
July – Dec. 4 0 0 1 3
2018
Jan. – June 1 1 0 0 2
2019

Based on the tables, the data shows the vulnerability of the municipality to such disasters such

as flooding, fire and even landslides of which has two incidents last 2017 in Brgy. Cabangahan and

Lanipga supports the need of the municipality for an evacuation center such as the research incurs.

Site Location

The exact location of the site, as proposed by the local authorities of Consolacion is in Garing,

Consolacion City alongside the barangay hall which is 4.5 km away from the Municipal Hall. The 8648

square meters of land with dimensions of 92 by 94 meters is slightly elevated providing prevention of

flooding and is close to the local authorities of the barangay providing more security and order when

the evacuation site is erected and is strategically remoted from the capital area to prevent accumulation

of damage when disasters occur.

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 Fig. 1a. Garing, Consolacion City Fig. 1b. Garing proposed evacuation site

Structural Stability and Safety

The first and most important issue that has to be constantly considered is the structural stability

of the containers. As discussed in the Technical Standards section the strength is transferred down

through the corner posts to the corner castings at the bottom and then through the floor. The floor is

constructed of steel cross members approximately 6 inches (150mm) deep, which are approximately

20 inches (508mm) apart and give transverse strength and support the floor. The cross members are

welded at each end to longitudinal beams which run the length of the container between the corner

castings. This all means that the strength of a shipping container lies within the corner posts and the

floor. Structural alterations or damage to these components will weaken the container.” Illustrations are

provided to show the importance of the corrugated posts and their structural stability when under stress.

19
 Fig. 2. 3D Shipping Container Stress Model

The image above is of a standard 40′ container under 40lb/sf live load and 24lb/sf roof load or

90mph winds with corrugated sides removed for alteration purposes. Under standard loading, the

container fails miserably as illustrated by the red lines the make up the corner posts and the altered

walls within the figure. This is due to the container being designed as a singular unit with all sections

functioning together to generate a structurally stabilized structure. While it is possible to make cuts out

of the corrugated metal sides of the container without losing structural integrity, precaution must be

taken to not modify the corner posts, the beams that run between them, and the floor. Another important

factor that has to be addressed is ability of the container shelter to resist the elements. Obviously, a

shipping container provides a closed environment that will keep rain and other environmental

conditions, but containers are not set up for any sort of temperature control. Therefore, modifications

must be made for the inclusion of insulation and heating/cooling systems. Although protection from

the elements has to be maintained, people still need access to natural light and fresh air. Windows and

doors have to be added to the containers with caution and proper planning in order to have a steady

ventilation while preserving the structural integrity of the container. In order to best accomplish this,

the researchers shall base their design for use in a range of climates with the corresponding type of

disaster as the table provides.

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 Table 5. Analysis of Suitability for shipping container housing

Type of Disaster Key characteristics Predicted lead time Suitability for

shipping container
housing
Large land areas
inaccessible for long
Flooding-Inundation periods, lower Several days Medium-depending on
destruction than flash inundated area
flooding
Transient, structurally Medium to Good –
Flash flooding destructive None depending on ground
conditions
Fire Can be structurally Several hours Good to very good
destructive.
Highly structurally Medium to Good –
Earthquake and destructive. Can None-depending on depending on
landslide accompany landslide, early warning systems aftershocks
fire, flood or tsunami
High displacement of
debris, structurally Several hours to
Storm destructive, sometimes Several days Good
accompanied by
flooding.

A review of key characteristics of typical disasters against the above factors gives the suitability

for using shipping container temporary housing, as shown in Table 4. It can be argued from Table 4

that shipping container temporary housing is less suited to disasters that render large areas inaccessible

for long periods of time like flood and can only be sorted by providing optional footings for the

container shelter and to also choose a well leveled evacuation area (see site location for more details).

More suitable are disasters like fires that have up to several hours warning lead time and can be

apprehended instantaneously, the affected area can also be accessed relatively fast after the disaster and

can offer a large area for site relocation.

21
Architectural Review

The architectural review of the project focused on existing examples of shipping container

housing. The purpose of the review was to get a sense of the capabilities of shipping containers as

housing units and to retrieve ideas pertaining to specific modifications of the containers that would be

usefully applied to the project at hand.

Much of the architectural review focused on container housing which would be suitable for

low income emergency housing; unfortunately, the availability of materials of shipping containers used

as emergency housing was low. Numerous foreign examples of container housing have been analyzed

for this study, some of which are discussed below.

Fig.3 Container City II

Container City located on Trinity Wharf in the Docklands was a project of Urban Space

Management, a real estate development and urban management firm. The project started out with one

complex of live/work studio apartments. The original plan was for a 3-storey building made up of

recycled shipping containers to house 12 work studios. Shortly after it was finished in May 2001 (5

months of construction), a 4th floor was added to the building.

Due to the success of the project, additional complexes and similar projects have been

established, namely Container City II (an extension of the original Container City), Riverside Buildings,

Container Learn (additional classrooms for Tower Hamlets College) and Cove Park (an artist’s retreat

22
in Scotland’s west coast) as an extension of Container City I, was a 5-storey building housing 22 studio

units and was completed on 2002.

It is connected to Container City I via walkways and is fully equipped with an elevator and full disabled

access.

Fig. 4 Student Housing Project

Tempo housing designed this complex in 2006 in response to the need for student housing

within the city. This 5-storey complex houses 1,000 students in units that are said to be well-insulated,

surprisingly quiet and comfortable. Each unit is equipped with a balcony, bathroom, kitchen, and

separate studying and sleeping rooms. The complex is also fully equipped with a centralized heating

and high speed internet, as well as bike parking.

Fig. 5 Amsterdam Container homes

Perhaps due to the success of the student housing in Keetwonen, another housing project made

up of recycled shipping containers sprang out of Amsterdam.

23
 However, many concepts used in the modifications of shipping containers to convert them into

affordable housing could very well applied to emergency housing. Such useful concepts include the

general layout, windows, doors, flooring, other interior modifications, and exterior modifications.

24
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the data gathered, the results of the statistical analysis done and the

interpretation of data to provide a solid outcome and the core goal of the research.

Design

The design of the containers used for emergency shelter is one of the most important aspects

of the project. Without a functional design, there is no point in using the containers. The goal of the

design is to create an efficient container shelter with the least amount of time and effort to be spent in

construction due to its objective to provide housing relief to disaster afflicted individuals as immediate

as possible. As shown in Figure 6, the container shelter is divided into three equal size rooms. The

living spaces are divided by a solid barrier, such as a double layer of drywall, and each room has two

twin size beds that are bunked. The optional couch could also be an option for a bed as well as the

excess space be layered with sleeping mats if the situation arises. Each room also contains a shelving

area for the occupants to store their belongings and clothes. The living spaces also have separate

doorways, which give the occupants privacy from the other people in the containers, and two windows

to provide adequate daylight.

Fig.6. Container Housing Floor Plan

25
 The layout also provides a maximum living space for an average Filipino family of 5 members

per room (PSA, 2015) that would cater at least 15 people at a time. The benefits of the layout is that it

allows the inhabitants to be able to sit and relax within their own room while still providing an adequate

space for simple recreation. Restrooms are logically excluded from the interior design as goal of the

shelter is to provide a short to medium term immediate relief. Further installations will place additional

load to the container creating a delay in transport and assembly. To address the needs for a hygienic

room, temporary restroom cubicles are feasible until the LGU responsible for the entire disaster plan

could install proper water and waste management system.

Fig. 7. Perspective View Plan

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 The exterior design focuses on simplicity, diminishing further costs to provide access to more

production of temporary shelters consisting mainly of 3’x5’6’’ Double hung windows and 3’x6’8’’

Aluminum Screen Doors which solely aims to increase air circulation. Also footing installations are

viable if the site location is prone to flooding.

Site Layout Design

The site, which is 7743.45 square meters, 89.8 meters by 86.23 meters, was designed with the

intent to provide emergency container shelter and all of the other functions to an approximation of 1440

people. As shown below in Figure 8, The Site Layout also has a capacity which is slightly more than

1440 evacuees because of the 3 meter offset the researchers’ placed in the lot area design for site

renovations and possible expansions in the near future.

Fig. 8. Site Layout Plan

In terms of the Toilet and Bath area, a total of sixteen units were provided for in the design.

Each bathroom unit consists of 8 portalets and 2 bathing room. The assumption was made that each

bathroom unit had the capacity to service 10 people at a time. In accordance with this, each unit is

bordered on the pathway system, and 2 meters was provided behind each unit for maintenance and

expansion purposes. Normally, an estimated 2% sloping is suggested to fully prevent flooding via

drainage channels along the walkways in standard sites but the proposed site is naturally elevated and
27
sloped which will prevent flood occurrences in the vicinity and if unforeseen circumstances are

inevitable, precast footings can be an additional feature in each container unit.

Insulation

While container shelters are highly acceptable in other countries mostly in Western/European

countries with a cold climate, it may pose a disadvantage for a third world country like the Philippines

due to the incompatibility of shipping containers to resist the hot-humid climate of the country and

may be a concern to the design of the temporary housing unit, especially if the unit proves to be difficult

to ventilate naturally, since the majority of the disaster victims are expected to employ only this type

of ventilation with occasional aid from electric fans (i.e. air-conditioning units are not a viable option

to ventilate the unit). To address the situation, the researchers need to determine which type of

insulation will prove ideal for the climate. A table is provided to show the main types of insulation, the

materials, and the advantages of each type.

Table 6. Types of Insulation

Type Materials Advantages

Good for adding insulation to

existing finished areas,
Batt or Blanket Fiberglass, Rock wool
irregularly shaped areas, and
around obstructions.
Cellular glass, Polystyrene, High insulating value for
relatively little thickness.
Rigid Board Polyurethane, Polyisocyanurate

Good for adding insulation to

existing finished areas,
Foamed in Place Polyurethane
irregularly shaped areas, and
around obstructions.

28
 Good for adding insulation to
existing finished areas,
Loose Fill Cellulose, Perlite, Vermiculite
irregularly shaped areas, and
around obstructions.

Autoclaved aerated concrete

and autoclaved cellular
Cast Insulating Concrete
concrete masonry units have
10 times insulating value of
conventional concrete.

In the application of use on a shipping container, size is of the utmost importance. For this

reason the type of insulation the researchers chose was the rigid board insulation which will allow the

containers to have the necessary thermal protection as well as a small amount of space consumed as

mentioned in Table 6.

Furring strips should be installed on the insulation to create a cavity between the insulation and

gypsum wall board in which to install the electrical systems. The strips should run horizontal against

each wall at a distance of 24” on-center. Each container should have 1-5/8” galvanized metal strips.

Power

One of the most significant features of providing liveable conditions for the individuals living

in the emergency shelter site is the power supply. The people living in the emergency shelters will need

services that only electrical appliances can convey safely, such as lighting and temperature control. In

order to conclude how to best provide this power, it is vital to first have an idea of how much power

will be required. Table 7 shows the average power consumption of the various appliances that might

be found on the site. Making some assumptions about what each container will have in terms of

appliances the team could define the complete power requirements for the venture.

29
 Table 7. Typical Power Consumption
Appliance Typical Power Consumption (in Watts)

LED Light Bulb 7-10

Electric fan 25-75

Phone Charger 4-7

Radio 5-8

Television 40-100

Rice Cooker 200-500

Washing Machine 400-500

As shown in the table, the typical power consumption per room is about 1,200 watts to 3,600

watts per container. With 108 containers including potential electricity use in charging stations and

supervising facilities, this would result to having a total of 388,800 watts (389 kW). Incorporating a

safety factor into the power demands, a generator that can supply 400 kW or higher would be necessary

for the site. One of the best generators available for this type of demand is the Volvo 450 kW diesel

generator. It has a four stroke turbocharged heavy duty diesel engine running at 1800 rpm, which

provides anywhere from 115 to 600 volts of 3 phase power. In addition, it is housed in a weather proof,

sound attenuated enclosure and can be ordered with a heavy duty road trailer, high capacity fuel tanks,

and many other accessories if necessary. The figure below shows the electric layout for the site.

30
 Fig. 9. Electrical Site Plan

Water Supply

In order to provide water to the disaster relief community the team first needed to determine

the amount of water that will be consumed per day, not including drinking water. This water amount is

based upon the average usage of baths, and faucets. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority of

water usage, “The average person consumes a total of 24 gallons of water for taking a bath in a day.

Finally, each person uses the faucet five times a day, averaging 30 seconds each time, for a total of

eight gallons per day”. Table 8 applies these averages to the number of people the site will support.

31
 Table 8. Water Supply
Water Consuming Function Gallons Per Person Per Day

Bath 24

Faucet 8

Total 32

In the proposed site design, the maximum number of people it can contain is approximately

1380. On average, a person uses 32 gallons of water for bath and faucet. In a day, with maximum

evacuees, the whole site uses roughly 44160 gallons of water. In order to house this large amount of

water, the researchers proposed using four tanks of 8.63 meter diameter, which can hold up to 140,308

gallons of water. The water supply could last up to 3 to 4 days but it is recommended that it should be

restocked 2 days after its last fill. The figure below shows the plumbing layout plan for the evacuation

site.

Fig. 10. Water Supply Site Plan

32
Waste Management

As the importance of a functional water supply is critical in sustaining the site, the waste system

also deems its importance. But as how the research implies the need for an immediate relief, such

intricate systems are complicated and cannot be installed instantaneously. A faster way to address such

complication is to install portalets for the evacuees to use until they are fully rehabilitated. These

portalets are installed in the Toilet and Bath area of the site with 8 1.5 by 1.5 meters dimension per

T&B unit and a makeshift bathing area in between.

Materials of Construction Cost Breakdown

The estimate reveals that the container development proposed within this report could

potentially be a viable option for major disasters. Each container can be provided for an estimated cost

of Php 156,296.25 that contains 3 units costing Php 52,098.75 for each family as opposed to the budget

of Yolanda Temporary Housing units made entirely of 1/4-inch plywood walls and roofs with two

slopes in the Municipalities of Hernani and Quinapondan, Eastern Samar last January 7, 2014 which

costs Php 836,017.00 per bunkhouse containing 12 units costing Php 69,668 per unit (DPWH, 2014).

Table 9. Evacuation Utilized Container Shelter Unit Material and Cost

Items Quantity Unit Unit Cost Total Cost
Used 40’ container 1.0 PC Php 75,000.00 Php 75,000.00
Painting Container exterior 5.0 PCS Php 640.00 Php 3,200.00
3’x5’6’’ Window Cut out, torch cutting 136.0 LF Php 50.00 Php 6,800.00
3’x5’6’’ Double hung window 6.0 PCS Php 2,000.00 Php 12,000.00
3’x6’8’’ Door Cut out, torch cutting 58.0 LF Php 50.00 Php 2,900.00
3’x6’8’’Aluminum Screen Door 3.0 PC Php 2,500.00 Php 7,500.00
3mm Vinyl composition tile flooring 35.0 PCS Php 27.75 Php 971.25
(300mmx300mm)
9mm Gypsum Ceiling 30.0 SQ.M Php 175.00 Php 5,250.00
9mm Gypsum Wallboard 101.0 SQ.M Php 175.00 Php 17,675.00
Roofing insulation 30.0 SQ.M Php 50.00 Php 1,500.00
Floor insulation 30.0 SQ.M Php 50.00 Php 1,500.00
Wall insulation 101.0 SQ.M Php 50.00 Php 5,050.00
Wall/Ceiling painting 5.0 PCS Php 640.00 Php 1,920.00
Twin size bed 3.0 PCS Php 4,000.00 Php 12,000.00
1-5/8” Galvanized Furring Strips, 24” 101.0 SQ.M Php 30.00 Php 3,030.00
O.C.
Total Php 156,296.25
33
 Government agencies should consider the application of emergency container housing as part

of an overall disaster management plan, especially in high risk areas. Forward planning is essential to

ensure that the container residences are provided in a cost effective and timely custom. This study was

commenced primarily as a general guide for the application of emergency container housing; further

evaluations should be performed to assess the benefits of emergency container housing and deliberate

all possibilities available in the particular area of concern.

34
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion

This report was accumulated to consider the potential usage of shipping containers as a means

for providing emergency shelter to displaced victims. To accomplish this goal, feasible designs were

developed for a liveable container shelter unit where building systems were carefully evaluated in

consideration of both functionality and cost. In addition to considering the individual units, a viable site

design integrating 7,750 m2 was developed with a theoretical capacity of 280 families or at least 1400

individual evacuees. This design could be replicated many times depending on the total displaced

population.

In addition the creation of applicable designs, the study considered location, logistics, and cost

in an effort to evaluate the overall feasibility of the project. The estimated cost per container was found

to be Php 156,296.25.

To accomplish the goals of the project, the researchers requested for the partnership of the local

government as they can handle or provide what the community needs in times of the said phenomena

as the proposal oversees the preparations of future events.

Overall, the study proved to be meaningful and engaging. Although the usage of shipping

containers for low income and viable housing design has been explored continuously across the globe,

the potential application of containers to emergency evacuation housing has not been fully utilized. The

methods for disaster relief explored in this research remains relatively unexplored, and this report

certainly presents an exclusive perspective on the issue. The study was predominantly thought-

provoking because of its relevance to many areas of innovation such as civil engineering, construction

management and architectural conventions.

35
Recommendations

The research may have reached its conclusion and has been categorized as fit by the researchers

but even so, it still has some limitations due to the time constrictions of the project and the different

expertise of the individual research members. These limitations can still be improved by future

researchers that may find this research worth innovating. To start, long term assessments are

predominantly inhibited by the accessibility and reliability of recorded data. The frequency, and

often the methodology, in which surveys, censuses and statistics are made do not always suit the

purposes of this kind of research. Aerial documentation, if available, represents one of the most

reliable sources to observe physical change. Nevertheless, a careful and detailed process of

observation of aerial data becomes very time consuming. For similar studies, a first phase in which

the housing diversity is identified in the aerial data according to the selected criteria, would allow

to reduce the number of detailed survey samples needed, thus considerably reducing the time of data

collection. Another issue is about the technical aspects of the topic. Although basic ventilation,

plumbing, and electrical system components were selected, detailed consideration of the installation of

such systems was minimal if not outside the scope of this study. Another limitation of the study was

the absence of a drainage analysis or waste management, with the time constricting nature of the an

immediate emergency housing relief the waste system is deemed unfeasible if not unnecessary.Future

researchers cound improve the issue to create a more permanent evacuation center with complete

engineering systems. A third limitation of the study was the absence of accurate cost estimate data on

items which were designed precisely for the project at hand, such as the precast concrete panels used

in the walkway. To fully innovate and improve the research topic, utilization of the latter censuses

are needed with a research goal of creating not only a temporary evacuation center, but a permanent,

fully functional mega structure fixated mainly on shipping containers. Any further continuation of

this study should consider the aforementioned limitations.

36
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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"All About Shipping Container - History”,http://www.isbu-

info.org/all_about_shipping_containers.html, 2018.

Angelo, W.J. “Shipping Containers Show Promise for Living Space”, http://enr.construction.com,

2003.

“Canvassing of Container Shelter Materials”, http://www.wilcondepot.com, 2018.

"Container City | Home", http://www.containercity.com, 2018.

"Container Container. Suppliers of quality shipping containers and secure stores",

http://www.containercontainer.com, 2018.

DPWH. “Yolanda Temporary Housing Units”, http://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/news/1271, 2014.

Fuller, M. "Converting Shipping Containers for Housing",

http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Converting_Shipping_Containers_for_Housing-

Building_Systems-A2382.html, 2009.

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landslide survivor”, “https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/dswd-supports-managing-evacuation-

centers-cebu-landslide-survivors, 2018.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com, 2010.

Kotnik, Jure. "2+ Weekend House ", http://www.jka.conhouse.com/2plusEN.html, 2010.

Kotnik, Jure. “Container Architecture”, http://www.jurekotnik.com/2012/08/container-architecture-

book, 2012.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau. “Landslide, Flashflood warnings up in Central Visayas” ,

http://r7.mgb.gov.ph/landslide-flashflood-warnings-up-in-central-visayas/, 2018.

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Philippine Statistics Authority. “Average Family Size in the Philippines”,

https://psa.gov.ph/content/highlights-household-population-number-households-and-average-

household-size-philippines, 2015.

Pilloton, E. “Keetwonen Recycled Container Student Housing”,

http://www.inhabitat.com, 2007.

Santos de Asis, Josefina. “Potential of container housing in the Philippines”,

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38
 APPENDIX

CONSOLACION LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS

39
February 13, 2019
Hon. Teresa Alegado
Municipal Mayor
Consolacion, Cebu

Attention: Ms. May Silva

MSWDO

Good day!

We, the 5th year Civil Engineering students of Cebu Technological University – Main Campus are
conducting our research study, Evacuation Utilized Container Shelter: A Project Design for
Immediate Housing Relief during Post-Catastrophic Events in which the municipality of
Consolacion is the sole location of the study. We would like to request for an in-depth view of the
current data of calamities that the inhabitants of Consolacion has experienced for the last 5 years with
the number of casualties, displaced families and property damage costs of which specifically pinpoints:
Fire incidents, Flash Flood incidents, Landslides, Earthquake and Typhoon casualties. In addition, we
would also like to request for data regarding the location of the evacuation centers that have been used
during the aforementioned calamities.
We are hoping for your affirmation and will be grateful for any assistance that you may offer. We will
assure that the data gathered will be kept with utmost confidentiality.
Thank you and God bless!

Respectfully Yours,

Jeck Jeck H. Genon

Group Representative

Noted by: Approved by:

Engr. Evalinda Pelimer Hon. Teresa Alegado

Chairman, Civil Engineering Dept. Municipal Mayor
Cebu Technological University – Consolacion, Cebu
Main Campus

40