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.
Table and Diagram:
Dimension of General Purpose Containers
Dimension of General Purpose Containers
|
CONTAINER |
Capacity |
Recommended
Load Volume |
|
Nominal
Dimension |
Length |
Width |
Height |
Cubic
Feet |
Cubic
Meter |
Cubic
Feet |
Cubic
Meter |
|
External |
20' |
8' |
8' 6" |
|
|
|
|
|
6.096 m |
2.438 m |
2.591 m |
|
Internal |
19' 4.25" |
7' 8.625" |
7' 10" |
1170 cft |
1000 cft |
|
5.899 m |
2.353 m |
2.388 m |
33.131 cbm |
28 cbm |
|
External |
40' |
8' |
8' 6" |
|
|
|
|
|
12.192 m |
2.438 m |
2.591 m |
|
Internal |
39' 5.375" |
7' 8.625" |
7' 10" |
2385 cft |
2050 cft |
|
12.024 m |
2.353 m |
2.388 m |
67.535 cbm |
58 cbm |
|
External |
40' Hicube |
8' |
9' 6" |
|
|
|
|
|
12.192 m |
2.438 m |
2.896 m |
|
Internal |
39' 5.375" |
7' 8.625" |
8' 10" |
2690 cft |
2350 cft |
|
12.024 m |
2.353 m |
2.692 m |
76.172 cbm |
66 cbm |
|
|
|
|
|
. |
|
