What is CORTEN Steel and why are shipping containers made from it?
Tweet13.06.2022 - Posted by
Ryan Herr
Updated On 13.06.2022We all know that shipping containers are durable steel boxes, but you really considered why they're so durable, even long after they're no longer being used to carry cargo around the world?
Shipping containers are designed to be carried back and forth across the oceans carrying the things that make our everyday life more convenient; things like clothing and bedding, flat screen televisions and computers, and just about everything that you can find at the Dollar General Store. While on the ocean containers are up against pounding wind and rain, the glare of the direct sun, and the occasional snow storm. How do they do it? It's simple really; they're built with CORTEN steel and designed to withstand everything thrown at them.
COR-TEN, or Corten steel, is commonly referred to as weathering steel. The name Corten is the trademarked name. It may seem counterintuitive, but when exposed to the elements its chemical makeup allows for an early creation of light rust that adheres to the surface of the steel.
Corten still is typically used in bridges and towers, chimneys and rail cars, and even outdoor sculptures.
If you are using a shipping container as a storage unit, or another purpose, and want to extend the life of your container there are a few simple things that you can do. First, remember that Corten steel is not rust proof, it only can slow corrosion greatly, but not prevent it all together. Second, pay special attention to any horizontal area, pocket, or dent on your container. If water is permitted to lie on any surface of the steel than the oxidation process will expedite. Lastly, pay attention to any welding seams and keep an extra coat of Rustoleum or other outdoor paint applied to them. The paint will cover any small cracks and chips that you might not be able to see.
While nearly every intermodal shipping container is made of Corten steel, many domestic trailers or storage trailers are made of aluminium or fiberglass. All three are great materials, and each serves a different market. If your project calls for a strong, secure, and rust resistant structure, a Corten steel shipping container is for you. We recommend that before you get started you read "Container Inspection Tips for New Buyers", and "Storage Container Inspection Tips". As always, if you have any questions during the process you're welcome to contact any of the sellers on ContainerAuction.com or our staff directly. Sellers can be contacted through any listing page, and ContainerAuction.com can be contacted here.
When you see a shipping container, it will look as though it’s constructed of the strongest steel and is invulnerable to any kind of damage because of its superior construction. Many components used to make shipping containers, e.g., frame, cargo doors, corrugated wall panels, and cross members, are generally made from corten steel.
This is a unique variety of steel which is sometimes referred to as weathering steel, and it is the primary material used in the manufacture of modern shipping containers. The thing that differentiates corten steel from other kinds of steel is that it’s a group of steel alloys developed by engineers to make the shipping containers more resistant to corrosion.
Container manufacturers favor this kind of steel because it has all the physical properties which make it rust-resistant, while still being weldable. While the main section of a shipping container will generally be constructed from this corten steel, other areas are manufactured using various other materials.