Shipping containers are built almost entirely from corten steel, a weathering steel alloy that resists rust without ever needing paint. The frame, corrugated wall panels, cargo doors, and cross members are all corten. Everything else on the container (flooring, locks, hardware) is a different material, chosen for a specific job.
Here's what's actually in each part, and why it's built that way.
Corten steel was developed to eliminate the need for painting. It's weldable, and when a piece of paint or coating does chip, a thin layer of rust forms at the surface and stops there. It doesn't creep deeper into the metal. That's the whole reason a container built in a factory can spend years outside, get knocked around a job site, and still hold its structural integrity.
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Corner castings Cast steel, welded to the corner posts. Built to take a crane hook or a stack of loaded containers above them. |
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Twist locks Steel locking pins. Pivot into the corner casting to anchor the container to a truck bed, foundation, or another container. |
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Cross members Steel joists under the floor. Create a gap between the ground and the flooring so moisture doesn't seep in from underneath, which is also why many container structures skip a traditional foundation. |
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Forklift pockets Reinforced steel slots along the base. Let a forklift lift and move the unit. Not always rated for use once a container's been modified and gained weight. |
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Cargo doors Corten steel, same as the walls. Built to keep cargo secure and weather out on a multi-week ocean voyage, which is overkill in the best possible way for a jobsite. |
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CSC plate A steel data plate, not a material choice. Certifies a qualified inspector confirmed the container is structurally sound and safe to stack or lift. |
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Falcon plate Falcon's own plate, confirming the modified structure meets our standards, not just the shipping industry's. |
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Flooring Marine-grade plywood (standard) or bamboo (increasingly common). Different material, different tradeoffs, covered below. |
The floor is the one place a container isn't steel. Most come with marine-grade plywood, treated with a small amount of insecticide so nothing hitches a ride during the container's working life. That insecticide doesn't off-gas or aerosolize. It's a problem for bugs, not for the people standing on it. We trust it enough that we kept the original plywood floor in our own container-based office.
Bamboo flooring has been showing up more often, mostly because it's gotten cheaper and easier to source. It's mildew-resistant, durable, and a renewable material, which makes it a common upgrade for containers converted into living spaces where the floor is also part of the finish. If you see a woven grain pattern underfoot instead of plywood, that's bamboo.
A corten steel frame is what lets a container skip a foundation, survive a Gulf Coast summer, and get stacked without engineering gymnastics. Knowing what's underneath the paint is the difference between spec'ing a structure that holds up and one that surprises you two years in.
Shipping containers are simple structures by design, which is exactly what makes them a solid base for offices, living space, and jobsite storage.
Corten steel, also called weathering steel. It's the material used for the frame, corrugated wall panels, cargo doors, and cross members.
Corten steel was engineered to skip painting. When a coating chips, the exposed steel forms a thin protective rust layer instead of corroding further.
Most container floors are marine-grade plywood treated with insecticide. Bamboo flooring is a growing alternative, especially in containers converted for living space.
Yes. It's applied to prevent insects during the container's working life and doesn't aerosolize, so it isn't a risk to people in the space.
A CSC plate certifies a container meets international shipping safety standards. A Falcon plate is specific to Falcon-modified structures and confirms the unit also meets our own quality and safety standards.