Letter Re: More on Retrofitting CONEX Containers for Habitation

Hello,
I am a big fan of SurvivalBlog, and read it almost every day. I am sending a two year 10 Cent Challenge subscription to you in rolls of nickels.
I am doing some research in preparation to doing a buildout with [CONEX] containers next to the site of my future home. I found an interesting guide by Bob Vila.

I am including a few more links I found interesting that other readers may find useful.
News Stories about building out of containers:
MSNBC
SFGate
Treehugger.com

There are also some excellent books on the subject available from Amazon.com. There are a number of prefab kits on the market designed to turn a shipping container into the dwelling. Unfortunately the consensus is that it would take a lot of reinforcement to the structure to be able to bury it. I will be purchasing a spare container for a test and see what is sufficient. If it’s successful I will post pictures on AR15.com and inform your readers. – Steveninpa

JWR Replies: As previously mentioned, for liability reasons and for your own safety, be sure to consult a structural engineer before attempting anything with a CONEX that would cause an usual stress or load.