containerssmc

Luxury Container Hotels

A container hotel system is a new trend to take the hotel business closer to a specific clientele. Besides, the hotel solutions are made for luxury consumers offering them a wonderful experience.

For example an UK company Snoozebox offers portable hotel services to any location or any events. The portable lodge has 40-400 rooms and each room has a flat screen and a Wifi.

Sleeping around is a Belgium pop-up hotel company located in Antwerp. It offers container hotel rooms that are equipped with rain showers, box-spring beds, iPod docking stations and air conditioning. They also have rooms with saunas.

A luxurious looking container hotel village has also been built in Changzhi, the city of Shanxi province in China. In addition to their high-end indoor design, Xiang Xiang Xiang Pray House is located in Taihang mountain gorges area giving the village a beautiful natural environment.

China is a major exporter of container homes with over 3 million containers shipped in 2011. CNN Travel writes that the idea came from the Japanese when they imported a large amount of containers to build temporary homes for the survivors of the 2011 tsunami earthquake.

Shanghai Metal Corporation also offers container homes and hotels for the creation of portable hotel facilities. To learn more about our products, please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Original articles and pictures: CNN Travel, Ingeniabox, Sleeping Around, Snoozebox, Abcey,

Aesthetic Dog House Design

For some American homeowners their most important family member might be their four-legged friend. It can can be seen from an research conducted by the American Pet Product Association which states that 68% of all the U.S. households own at least one pet. During the same year over US $53 million was spent on pets.

As a result, architects, builders and interior designers say there is increasing demand for pet-centric spaces that are outfitted with pet-size furniture. Some design-conscious pet owners also are aiming to build their pets’ homes in an aesthetically pleasing way.

pethome2

Building a doghouse that is just right for your dog can be fun and rewarding. However, if it is done without a plan and an understanding of how it fulfills its purpose and function, it can be a disaster. When building a doghouse, one must consider the proper size, design, building materials, construction, placement, and bedding for the doghouse. A doghouse’s purpose is to allow its occupant to be dry, out of the wind, cool in summer, warm in winter, and provide it with a place to feel safe. For more accurate tips on designing a dog house see this link.

Shanghai Metal Corporation also offers customized dog houses that will keep your pet dry. To get more information about our dog houses, please click here.

References: The Wall Street Journal, peteducation.com

Picture sources: guidinghome.com, diynetwork.com, sunset.com, filesluxury.com

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Taking Action to Lower Water Consumption

Do you have genuine lawn in your yard? If so, have you ever estimated how much water you need to consume in order to keep it fresh and how much does it cost you? Well, according to an article in slate.com, an average American lawn gulps down 21,600 gallons of water per year. That adds about $42 to your water bill. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also states that the Americans consume approximately $474 every year on water and sewage charges plus additional $230 on water’s heating costs. So, every single method of saving water has value. A good article for economical irrigation methods can be read here. Especially in areas suffering from drought one must take these tips into serious consideration. Some regions take actions in order to promote their residents to save water. For example in L.A. region, a superhero has emerged to take action.

Meet the Lawn Dude – the new mascot of the fight against California’s drought. Lawn Dude was unveiled last Thursday by the Southern California Water Committee, a nonprofit advocacy group, and Clear Channel Outdoor as part of a campaign to get southern Californians to conserve water during the state’s protracted drought. He pops out in billboards across the region reminding the people not to consume too much water. Lawn Dude is to support the region’s goal to cut water consumption by 20%. In order to get to know him more visit his Twitter site.

If you share the Lawn Dude’s vision, you might want to inspect your lawn irrigation system. In Shanghai Metal Corporation, we also offer solutions for garden and lawn spray, water-saving and irrigation. To learn more about our rotating nozzles, please check our website here. Also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

References: Slate.com, St. Johns River Water Management District, United States Environmental Protection Agency, The Wall Street Journal

Also visit our blog on our artificial grass and learn how to cut your lawn irrigation costs to zero.

Tuomas P.// SMC Editor

Advantages of Artificial Grass

Artificial lawns have been used regularly in sports arenas since the 1970’s and it has been a hype in private use for over a decade. Artificial lawn comes with many benefits including the easiness of maintenance. In fact, you do not need to water or mow it at any time. This is not only convenient for the users but also great for the environment.

Artificial grass lawn

As already mentioned, maintaining a natural lawn requires a heavy load of watering, especially if it seldom rains in your area. According to slate.com’s article an average American uses 21,600 gallons of drinkable water annually on watering lawns. Think of how much money you can save. Watering your lawn also depends on the soil in terms of how much water a genuine lawn requires. For instance, sandy soils drain really quickly. As a result, it adds up to user’s water bill.

A user-friendly solution for your garden.

In addition, a genuine lawn needs to be fertilized frequently. The fossil fuel that is the equivalent of a barrel of oil goes into manufacturing 560 pounds of such fertilizer, so our collective lawn habit is costing us more than 11.8 million barrels of oil annually. We also use 70 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides on our lawns every year. Moreover, the gas-powered mowers are hazardous both to people’s eardrums and the climate. According to an article in Science Daily, an hour of grass cutting equals to 100 Miles worth of auto pollution.

Shanghai Metal Corporation proudly offers artificial lawn solutions with various colours and different dimensions. For information on our artificial grass, please have a look at our web page.

Follow Shanghai Metal Corporation also in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

References: Slate.com, Science Daily, The Wall Street Journal, Sunset.com, realestate.msn.com,

Tuomas P.// SMC Editor

Benefits of Galvanized Steel

The Solar Canopy in Chicago is made of galvanized steel.

Hot dip galvanizing is proven to be the best way to improve steel’s durability and performance. It is a simple process that gives huge benefits to your installations. Galvanized coating is also maintenance-free giving you a safe solution to your asset management. As life-cycle costing is also extremely essential, galvanizing provides the facility to design for a predictable, engineered result. Standing Seam metal roof material

A house with a galvanized steel roof.

Hot dip galvanizing protects steel from corrosion by providing a thick, tough, metallurgically bonded zinc envelope, which completely covers the steel surface and seals it from the corrosive action of its environment.

Galvanization gives steel 10 proven and guaranteed benefits:

1. Lowest first cost among all protective coatings for steel.

2. Easiness of maintenance/the cheapest in long-term

3. Long life

4. Reliability

5. Toughest coating

6. Automatic protection for damaged areas

7. Complete protection

8. Ease of inspection

9. Faster erection time

10. A full protective coating can be applied in minutes

(see references for more detail)

In Shanghai Metal we offer various custom-manufactured galvanized steel products including roofing sheets, wires, coils strips and plates. For more details, visit our websites.

Shanghai Metal Corporation LinkedIn

Shanghai Metal Corporation on Twitter

Shanghai Metal Corporation on Facebook

References: Galvanizers Association of Australia – 10 Benefits of Galvanized Steel, Why Galvanize?

Tuomas P.//SMC editor

Containerized Homes

The shipping container is the most prominent feature of the transportation industry. In fact, it revolutionized the world. Modern container shipping celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006. Almost from the first voyage, use of this method of transport for goods grew steadily and in just five decades, container ships would carry about 60% of the value of goods shipped via sea. in 1955, Malcom P. McLean, a trucking entrepreneur from North Carolina, USA, bought a steamship company with the idea of transporting entire truck trailers with their cargo still inside. He realized it would be much simpler and quicker to have one container that could be lifted from a vehicle directly on to a ship without first having to unload its contents.

Now days, the container industry is experiencing another wave of change. With a little amount of imagination and creativity, the average single function unused container can be transformed into a family home or a luxury beach house. For example, here is a beautiful beach house in New Zealand. It has used a container to provide the internal structure for the building. One of the containers major industrial strengths, its structural strength.

As the container was purpose built for transportation, it has resulted in projects being found in the most breathtaking locations. All due to the ease of which the building materials, the containers, can be transported. This snow fort in Quebec was constructed out of seven containers.

The main driving force behind this second lease of life for the containers is the sustainability movement and the development of the idea of “up-cycling”. The spirit of up-cycling is very much at the center of these developments. Projects such as these are still seen as experiments but one would suggest that this trend is starting to change. The idea of using underused space and materials and re-purposing them within urban communities is on the way up. This beach house, constructed on an army base in Sr Lanka, provides a perfect example. Originally used to transport weapons, it is now an ideal place to come and relax.

Due to the huge surplus of shipping containers that have flooded the market in recent years, it couldn’t be easier to get your hands on one, for cheap, today. The idea about ‘living in a box’ is slowly changing as people see the amazing potential homes that they could be building. It would appear that no terrains are off limits!

Shanghai Metal Corporation currently provides a variety of new shipping containers that can be custom tailored based on customer requests. We hope that this article will encourage all to explore their own ideas for shipping container use.

If you already have an idea, but need shipping containers check out our current offerings, click here

To view metal and construction products as well as SMC company information check out our website: click here

—And You Can Always Join The Conversation Here—

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Henry B.//SMC Editor

EMBRACING THE SHIPPING CONTAINER IN ISTANBUL

GAD Architects stacked a series of recycled shipping containers on top of a fancy shopping mall in Istanbul to create this remarkable modern day bazaar. Officially it’s a food court, but in practice, it is so much more. Used shipping containers are as much of a nuisance as they are ubiquitous, but artists, designers and developers in the Middle East are finally getting used to the idea that they can be reused in numerous exciting ways.

Several shipping containers were deployed to construct this two-level assemblage of retail facilities and restaurants in Istanbul, Turkey – an airy, multipurpose space that comfortably circulates customers while providing plenty of green space at the same time.

In summer, the units can be opened up without excess solar gain to make optimum use of the prevailing breeze, but in winter months, when it’s colder, the whole area can be closed down to trap warmth inside

The lower, denser level accessible from the Trump Towers Mall below is comprised of a series of intersecting walkways and what is officially called a “food court” that includes 18 eateries and shops.

“Different cuisines in a mix with contemporary retail requires a sensitive design for every single unit, establishing and underlining it’s personal identity, thus contributing to a solid overall appearance,” writes GAD on their website.

While this area resembles the traditional souk in function, its newness and the upscale environment detracts somewhat from the ambiance of a souk, but the shipping containers and interior decor add depth and character in a way that straight up concrete buildings will never do.

We chose the container – with its industrial and rough aesthetic – to create an urban, contemporary atmosphere and contrast and thereby enrich its surroundings,” he said.

“Furthermore, the container as a generic, standardised unit is a great passe-partout for the interiors of the 25 units within the project and their eclectic appearances, while framing and unifying them at the same time.”

Glass facades create an air of transparency and community while also ensuring that the space is bright
and upbeat, and the upstairs is more relaxed with five restaurants that have large decks and terraces as well as a plenty of (hopefully indigenous) greenery.

Adaptive reuse, creative use of space, and modular design combined with a strict attention to structural integrity results in a very respectable project that is bound to be relished by both high and low maintenance customers.

Shanghai Metal Corporation currently provides a variety of new shipping containers that can be custom tailored based on customer requests. We hope that inspiring design like Freight Farm will encourage all to explore their own ideas for shipping container use.

If you already have an idea, but need shipping containers check out our current offerings, www.standard-container.shanghaimetal.com, www. special-container.shanghaimetal.com

To view metal and construction products as well as SMC company information check out our website: click here

—And You Can Always Join The Conversation Here—

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Shanghai-Metal-Corporation-4965106

Twitter: (@Shanghai_Metal)

http://twitter.com/Shanghai_Metal

Facebook:

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Source:

green prophet

GAD Architects

Henry B.//SMC Editor

SMC’s Top 5 container innovation

There are plenty of benefits of to the so-called shipping container architecture model. A few of these advantages include: they are plentiful, they are easily transported, they’re stackable, relatively inexpensive, they can be prefabricated, and they’re extremely durable. Residential applications are also becoming a popular topic of conversation among green supporters. This article will show how the idea’s simply do not just stop with residential projects. They can range from a container Starbucks store in the states to urban growing projects.

1. The Dordoy Bazaar in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is almost entirely composed of empty shipping containers stacked two high creating a maze for shoppers to buy all sorts of inexpensive goods. Typically, the lower container is used as a shop, while the upper one is used for additional storage. According to a 2005 newspaper report, there were some 6,000 to 7,000 containers in the bazaar; around 20,000 people worked there (as vendors, security, service personnel).

2. The world’s first hotel built from recycled shipping containers has popped-up in Uxbridge, West London. Each prefabricated container comes fully-equipped with fixtures, furniture, and windows from a factory in China. The company, Travelodge, states that constructing this type of hotel 25% faster and 10% cheaper than the more traditional construction methods. Also, construction is much quicker, because all that has to be done is to fit each container together like it was a giant Lego set.

3. This award-winning office design by Clive Wilkinson is made out of stacked shipping containers is the home office of Palotta Team Works, a US charity event company. The 47,000 square foot warehouse is filled with shipping containers that have been transformed into modern office spaces. This design layout saved the company a ton of money on construction costs, and it allowed the entire space to be more open and airy.

4. The urban farm unit by Damien Chivialle is composed of a shipping container with a greenhouse built on its open roof. It helps give back the growing spaces or allotments that many cities had years ago. Organic and healthy eating is back on the menu for many families and this idea fits right into that market. The company, Urban Organic Gardener have created a simply irrigation system that makes this project affordable and sustainable.

5. Of the nearly 20,000 Starbucks stores around the world, the South Salt Lake drive-through is one of only three built with recycled shipping containers. The idea behind the change in design came from a goal to upcycle. Alisha Damodaran, spokeswoman for Starbucks, “We use a lot of shipping containers to transport merchandise, coffee and tea all around the world,” she said. “A container has about a 20-year life span, and after that, there’s no use for them. Our design team was inspired by a desire to help keep items used throughout our supply chain, like old shipping containers, out of the waste stream.” Starbucks goes further. Stores are LEED-certified, a rating system for energy efficient buildings. In addition, the design of each store is meant to reflect its surroundings.

Shanghai Metal Corporation currently provides a variety of new shipping containers that can be custom tailored based on customer requests. We hope that these inspiring designs will encourage all to explore their own ideas for shipping container use.

If you already have an idea, but need shipping containers check out our current offerings, www.standard-container.shanghaimetal.com, www. special-container.shanghaimetal.com

To view metal and construction products as well as SMC company information check out our website: click here

—And You Can Always Join The Conversation Here—

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Shanghai-Metal-Corporation-4965106

Twitter: (@Shanghai_Metal)

http://twitter.com/Shanghai_Metal

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/shanghaimetal

Source:

http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/

http://m.sltrib.com/

Henry B.//SMC Editor

Grow Your own container Reefer

The New York Times recently wrote a bold editorial comparing marijuana to the Prohibition and calling on the federal government to repeal its ban on the drug. This is an obvious positive step forward for the US, and global, cannabis industry. This is due to the fact that the main opponent to ‘bud’ has and always will be the media. Therefore, with a media powerhouse backing the industry, it only reaffirms the just how drastically the wind has changed.

The U.S. cannabis industry grew 64% in 2013 and is expected to reach $2.34 billion in size by the end of 2014, according to ArcView Market Research. With a growing number of public companies capitalizing on the interest in the space, investors have no shortage of opportunities to put their capital to work, from established firms like GW Pharmaceuticals plc to recent entrants to the market.This level of growth within the industry has lead to a number of small scale firms being established across the United States. The markets have become flooded with ‘medical grade’ and, of course, the prices have experienced a decline. Therefore, growers have decided to search for cheaper yet more efficient growing equipment.

The majority of the main grower forums, such as ‘grass city’ and cannabis.com’, have all started trends discussing the shipping containers potential place in the industry, as ‘the perfect grow room’. The container has huge potential in upscale construction projects. The inherent stability and security that the container brings to any construction project is almost equaled by its price. For a standard 40 ft container the price can range between $2000 to $5000 depending on the condition. Therefore, the container growing rooms are an obvious smart investment to those in the industry.

podponics

Shanghai Metal Corporation currently provides a variety of new shipping containers that can be custom tailored based on customer requests. We hope these articles will encourage all to explore their own ideas for shipping container use.

If you already have an idea, but need shipping containers check out our current offerings, click here

To view metal and construction products as well as SMC company information check out our website: click here

—And You Can Always Join The Conversation Here—

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Shanghai-Metal-Corporation-4965106

Twitter: (@Shanghai_Metal)

http://twitter.com/Shanghai_Metal

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/shanghaimetal

Source:

Cannabis Financial Network

Grass City

marijuanagrowing

HENRY B.//SMC Editor

Panama Canal Expansion

The much awaited Panama Canal expansion is set to be operational in the final quarter of next year. This $5.25 billion dollar investment has been predicted to go one of two ways. It is most likely to boost the East and Gulf coast container trade, however, there is speculation surrounding this as certain reports have predicted that the Panama Canal Authorities will be disappointed with the trading figures. Moreover, the opening of the larger docks is already increasing exports. This is due to the coal and grain cargo that is travelling from Asia to the US Gulf ports of LNG.

It is no secret that the Panama Canal industry has suffered greatly due to the changes in the world’s shipping lanes, losing its position to the Asian Suez Route. This has been a direct result of the shift in global sourcing patterns to South and South East Asia. The Chinese Industry is no longer the cheap production house that it once was. Increasing product standards, like those at Shanghai Metal Corporation are a testament to this, but by no means should anyone count China out. It will remain an important source for U.S. manufactured imports because of its modern port infrastructure and efficient logistics. Therefore, the adaption of doubling the canal space is an obvious attempt to resurrect some of the lost trading lines and will help to further the US – Chinese trade relationship.

The evolution of the mega ships was the driving force behind this expansion. The average Panama carry is limited to around 5,000 TEU,s. Whereas this development is set to increase this towards 13,000 TEU’s. This would help to remove the price deficit that has developed between the Suez and Panama. For the average 4,8000 TEU ship from Hong Kong to New York, via Suez, the cost per TEU is $850. For the same ship to travel via Panama it rockets to $1,250.

Suez canal Q2 2013

“The new locks will be a game-changer,” said Oscar Bazan, the canal authority’s marketing manager. “Once the new lane is open, we expect to recapture some of the volumes that have shifted to Suez.” He said U.S. trade with Northeast China will continue to grow, even if trade with Southeast Asia shifts to the Suez route.

PANSUEZ_photo — the present day canal is unable to cope with the industries ever increasing ship size and TEU capacity

There are very positive signs of private investment and development with Panama. It appears that many wealthy investors have put there faith into this project in providing the regeneration that Panama requires. Although spot rates on the two routes are set by the market, lower slot costs on the Suez route enable carriers to offer much more favorable annual contract rates, which are likely to come into play in next year’s trans-Pacific contracts. “Cargo will flow downhill to where cost is the lowest and service is the best,” John Vickerman, president of maritime and port consultant Vickerman & Associates, reminds us. However, the proposed plans for an alternative canal through Nicaragua will certainly pose as an economic threat.

If you already have an idea, but need shipping containers check out our current offerings, click here

To view metal and construction products as well as SMC company information check out our website: click here

—And You Can Always Join The Conversation Here—

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Shanghai-Metal-Corporation-4965106

Twitter: (@Shanghai_Metal)

http://twitter.com/Shanghai_Metal

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/shanghaimetal