To:

1) Open top ISO containers are readly available;

2) & 3) Such openings are not standard and you would have to design your own.

4) Normal skeletal trailers are not at all bottom dump friendly.

End tipping skeletal trailers are quite common. Waggon tipplers are also usd in some outrageous instances.

Your application will determine the hardware application as follows:

a)Forget bottom dump containers now.

b)Evaluate the CAPEX vs OPEX for your fleet. If it will be your fleet you can design a "side doors within side doors" arrangement: you will still have a manageable safety issue.

c)If you must use standard open top containers then you will have to pay for dunnage to shore across the back doors. Some of the dunnage will get smashed and some will eventually be returnable as a full container load.

It is incredible that ISO containers are not used more often for dry bulk......but they're not! Perhaps the topic is related to cargo value. ■

Originally Posted by jps1272

I am looking for some type of 20' container to handle bulk cargo like coal. The design details I am looking is:

1. Top open - so that cargo can be easily loaded

2. should have either side opening or bottom opening arrangement with lock for unloading.

3. suitable unlock arrangement for either side opening or bottom opening when lifted by crane at destination for cargo unloading.

4. transportation to be done on truck trailer.

Please provide information if such / similar containers are existing.

Thanks & regards,

Jigishu Shah

The issue is economies of scale and it will not work.

On issue number one:

The problem is water and more water.

The container needs to be water resistant

or water proof to a certain extent.

On issue number two:

A typical shipping container is designed to

carry a payload economically within a given

foot print.

Building the container to have a side opening or bottom

opening dumping gates is feasable but cost prohibitive

as the amount of reinforcement to guarantee a strong floor

end walls and roof would require many more tons of steel

and the cost of transport by water would be cost prohibitive

as a cube shipping container is ment to be a certain weight

to allow a maximum number of cubes to be transported in

a given space.

The other issue is dumping gates; the need/desire for dumping

gates requires massive steel reinforcement as the container is

being handled at the top four corners of the container and all

the stressses are being transfered to the end walls and the

floor of the container.

At most you would be able to transport ten metric tons of coal

and the container would have to weigh that much simply

because of the reinforcement required in the floor, walls, and

roof to maintain the cubes structure to prevent a floor failure

IN THE INDIVIDUAL CONTAINER.

If you are seriously intent on pursuing this, transporting the coal

by the use of a super sack is possible but not economical in any case

unless you are transporting anthracite coal which is of a much higher

caloric value.

A 20 foot cube will only be capable of loading 10 pallets of material.

in any case.

The short cube can be obtained to transport heavier cargo.

BUT the cubes strength comes from more rigid reinforced floor

for heavier payloads.

Container liners are ment for cargo like grain which has a high bulk

to weight ratio not the high weight to bulk ratio. ■