Containers
intended for intercontinental use have external
nominal dimensions of:
| Length
|
9.8125
feet (2.991m) as 10 feet
19.875 feet (6.058m) as 20 feet
29.9375 feet (9.125m) as 30 feet
and 40 feet (12.192m) |
| Width |
8
feet (2.438m) |
| Height |
8.5
feet (2.591m) and 9.5 feet (2.896m) |
All above dimensions
have permissible tolerances.
The 20 feet (20') and 40 feet (40') containers
are very popular in ocean freight. The 8.5
feet (8.5') high container---8 feet 6 inches
(8' 6") high container---is often referred
to as standard container.
The demand for the high cube container---hicube---is
increasing. The popular high cube container
has a normal height of 9.5 feet (9.5' or
9' 6").
There are half height containers (4.25'
or 4' 3" high) designed for heavy loads
such as steel rods and ingots, which absorb
the weight limit in half the normal space.
The most widely used type of container is
the general purpose (dry cargo) container
(please see Container Classifications) having
a nominal length and height of 20' x 8.5',
40' x 8.5', and 40' x 9.5'. Referring to
the Dimension of General Purpose Containers
below, the dimensions shown in the table
are not fixed, that is, the external and
internal dimensions may vary among containers
of the same length and height.
The container capacity is the total cube
a container can accommodate. The term cube
often refers to the cubic measurement of
cargo. The capacity (i.e., the internal
volume) is determined by multiplying the
internal dimensions, that is, the product
of internal length, width and height. The
capacity may vary among containers of the
same length and height.
|
