building materials – Shanghai Metal Corporation

THE CHALLENGES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GREEN BUILDINGS

In our previous article, we have written about how green buildings are becoming a trend around the world. Awareness towards green is better than before and consumers are more attracted to green building.

The growth in green buildings activities seems encouraging for a more sustainable future, but there are still many obstacles that are need to be solved.

According to a study in Hong Kong (Vivian W. Y. Tam and al., 2012), the economical factors are one of the major challenges of this industry. As you might already guess, an energy efficient system costs more financially in the building cost compared to conventional building system :

Green materials are more expensive (difficult to buy locally, require more preparation process and procedures in the production)

Green design needs more time and fee (designers need to research on the building environment, weather patterns, etc. to design an effective natural lighting and ventilation)

Other factors that limited the opportunities to develop green buildings are the lack of experience, knowledge and standards on the implementation of green buildings.

In order to improve the implementation of green building and to give encouragement to builders, the role of the government and technology research is important :

The government needs to initiate the implementation of green building for all projects to boost builders’ confidence in developing green building, and also to highlight its benefits for the environment and the reduced long-term cost (less maintenance cost and longer service life)

More research in green technologies is needed in order to establish a clear guideline or procedures on the implementation of green buildings. This is necessary to reduce uncertainties for designers, architects and clients in the implementation.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is one of the leading expert in manufacturing and supplying building materials. We care for the world’s future and we are committed to provide construction materials in a sustainable way that contributes in the well-being of our environment. Our steel products are 100% recyclable and have great strength, ductility and durability, which helps to save energy, raw materials and reduce waste. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further information. We accept and are able to help you with any challenging construction projects.

Ayu P.//SMC editor

Shipping Container Beer Garden – Sacramento’s Little Germany

Thanks to the trade deficit with China, the ports of the USA are filled used shipping containers that are rarely sent back to their original destinations. Luckily people have found a way to use them in, say, housing, retailing and restaurant business. One instance is a container beer garden in Sacramento.

The German style Biergarten is built out of two shipping containers that are welded together. A 40 ft container operates as a kitchen, bar, storage and an ordering station. Another 20 ft container is attached to operate as a restroom.

The construction needed also some reinforcement materials. Paneling was done with stainless steel and diamond plate aluminum was used in flooring. They used 6-inch tiles to cover the space between the walls and the floor.

The Biergarten sells 32 different draft beers and and traditional German food including German sausage that in procured from Sacramento’s German butcher. This open-air beer garden closes at 9 pm from Sundays to Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays they close an hour later. They are closed on rainy days.

Shipping containers accompanied with appropriate building materials lets people start new business with relatively low costs. We sell a large variety of containers and building materials in Shanghai Metal corporation. Visit our websites for detailed descriptions or send us your inquiries through this form. Check also our social media channels for future updates.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: The Sacramento Bee, The Biergarten, Sacramento Local,

Please use the the social media boxes below to SHARE this article to reach all the people interested in container-based business.

An Antarctic Prefab Shows the True Potential of Shipping Containers

India’s National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research is situated in northeast Antarctica. The Bharati Indian Polar Station is built on an 27,000 square feet area out of 134 shipping containers. The research center’s residential quarters shows almost everything that can be built out of shipping containers including an hotel of 24 single and double bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, library, fitness room, offices, a lounge and an operational theater.

There are at least two reasons why the research complex was built by using shipping containers. First, according to the Antarctic Treaty System, all the construction in the Antarctica should not leave any trace to the environment. Shipping containers make it possible to dissassemble and remove the building without causing any environmental impact.

Second, due to shipping containers’ physical properties and their durability, they are an excellent building material for extreme weather conditions. Shipping containers are designed to be shipped even in a rough weather in the world’s seas. Therefore they can even handle the wind gusts of 200 mph and the temperatures of -40 C of the Antarctica.

The shipping container complex was prefabricated in Germany and shipped to Antwerp and Cape Town. In Antarctica the research center was able to be assembled quickly. The facade of the center was designed to forestall the buildups of snow drifts.

Thanks to the German company Bof Architekten, the center can accommodate 47 researchers during summers and 24 during winters. The energy of the center is provided by a Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP) which is powered by stockpiles of kerosene. There are actually a total of three CHP units on site, so as to ensure that an untimely mechanical failure does not leave the residents in dire straits.

Shipping containers and shipping container architecture are one of Shanghai Metal Corporation‘s largest businesses. Our containers are built to last according to international standards. In order to learn more about our products and services, please visit our websites on containers and container projects. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Try also scanning our QR code with your smart phone, tablet or phablet.

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Gizmag, Bof Architekten, Inhabitat

How China Can Save Europe from Crisis

The dissolution of the Soviet Union is arguably one of the greatest geopolitical disasters of human history. It resulted in the rise of ethnic nationalism and ethnic based conflicts across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Many of the new countries had mixed Russian and local population and after centuries of repression under the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union, tensions were high. This is the basic history behind the current war in Ukraine.

Russia is backing the anti Ukrainian forces with both financial and military aide. As a result many European Union members have levied sanctions against Russia which have the potential to hurt all parties involved. As the 6^th largest exporter of steel there is a massive gap that will need to be filled and this is where China can not only make a vast amount of profit, but also improve relations with the EU.

The economic recovery in the EU is fragile at best and any major shock could end the recovery and cause a recession. This is of particular concern in Europe where many nations are dependent on Russia for their raw materials and mineral resources. As many EU members want to limit their dependence on Russia, China is presented with a great opportunity to become Europe’s new de facto supplier of raw building materials.

China and the EU are becoming more interdependent on each other and adding Chinese steel to the equation will only increase economic cooperation. Furthermore, as Russian sanctions begin to take affect all over Europe the governments of these regions will most certainly be grateful to any nation that helps them avoid another economic crisis.

Shanghai Metal Corporation has been following the developments in Eastern Europe closely and with great concern. We take the economic health of the EU and the world as a whole very seriously. One of our main products is structural steel and it will be an honour to supply the EU if and when the need arises.

For our full list of products that we offer check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

(Jordan S.//SMC)

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/21/russia-retreats-from-us-as-sanctions-begin-to-bite.aspx

http://www.issb.co.uk/global.html

http://de.bearing-news.com/ascat-technology-to-improve-steel-industry-product-quality/

http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/russian-steel-firm-threatens-eu-job-losses-over-sanctions-301721

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101855249

http://russianreport.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/day-of-victory-on-red-square/

Pictures: telegraph.co.uk, thevirtualtravelers.com, ukrainetrek.com, newsweek.com, ibtimes.com

Shipping Container City – Shanghai Immigrant’s Homes

Soaring property values in China have some Chinese migrants finding alternative solutions. The so-called ‘shipping container city’ can be found on the outskirts of Shanghai. In 2001, officials tore down a similar container village in Pudong (Shanghai’s financial district), consisting of over 100 container homes, because it was “too dangerous”. This current stack of containers in Shanghai has been housing Chinese migrant workers for over a decade.

The origin of the unusual city comes down to a single 70-year-old man (known to the renters simply as “Old Man”) who bought the empty containers from a local customs official. Originally planning to use them for storage, he paid to have the containers stacked on the side of a road. He then snaked electrical and water lines through the stack to each container before deciding they would be better suited as homes for migrants.

This isn’t the first instance of container housing. As we’ve previously reported here , container houses could be the solution to affordable housing, and not just in China. The US has seen a number of container homes spring up of late. Companies have also noticed the advantages of container housing. For instance Starbucks has already installed its container coffee shops in Seattle and London.

Shanghai Metal manufactures shipping containers. We are the leading manufacturer and supplier in China. From the acquisition of raw materials, packaging and exportation, SMC ensures only the best quality of products. By assigning professional experts at every stage of production, we ensure continuous support in our worldwide business. To find out more, please visit our website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

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