Martek Roofing, with a little help from MiTek, are designing creative, cost-effective roofing structures to form useable shelters for Container World. Here’s how the new building concept has captured the market’s imagination…
Competition breeds innovation, that’s as true for industry pioneers as it is for newcomers. Container World was established over 40 years ago and was the first container supplier. Today, there are 54 suppliers.
Staying one step ahead of the fast-growing pack meant taking a fresh look at their existing products and services. How could the Container World team use what they already had and offer customers even more?
They realised they could create versatile, cost-effective shelters by placing a metal roof over two parallel stacks of containers. These could be used as all sorts of spaces; workshops, barns, storage units, potentially even housing.
Early research showed examples used in agriculture from places like Namibia weren’t quite robust or adaptable enough. Martek Roofing, led by Chairman Sakkie Maritz, were brought on board by Container World to set the standard using MiTek Ultra-Span and PAMIR design software.
Adapting to challenges, developing solutions
Initial designs had the roof resting on the inner sides of the containers, a span of about 10.5m. This requirement quickly changed, with the project now calling for the roof to cover the whole span of both containers. There was now closer to 15.4m that needed covering.
A lively project schedule meant Sakkie’s team had to adapt fast to this change. Using MiTek’s PAMIR design software, plans were revised easily, without holding up works. The new roof spanned all the required space, with enough headroom to drive a seven-tonne forklift truck inside the shelter.
The logistics of transporting longer lightweight trusses to Container World’s site posed an interesting challenge. Martek ended up assembling each truss twice:
- First, they were put together right after being manufactured, and key joiner plate locations were marked on each truss
- Then, they were disassembled and transported to site before being assembled again, more easily and securely thanks to the markings.
Attaching the roof was as straightforward as welding a flat bar to the top of the containers and bolting through.
Result: A cost-effective option for agriculture and industry
Container World’s pilot was completed successfully at their Mbombela site, and the design is already going nationwide. Their Polokwane, Bloemfontein, and Victoria sites now have example structures demonstrating what’s possible when we think outside the box.
And people are paying attention. The ability to build secure structures out of such simple components is opening up huge possibilities. Remote farms, for example, located hundreds of kilometres from logistics hubs, are perfect candidates. Compared to the cost and labour of putting up a traditional barn, these structures are a no-brainer option.
MiTek products played a key role in this successful pilot. From PAMIR enabling rapid iteration of detailed design, to Ultra-Span providing the physical means to get the job done. Combined with Martek’s dedicated expertise, no challenge is unbeatable.
As Sakkie puts it, “It’s a winning combination of talents, it means we can always get things to work. There’s picking the right materials, obviously; Ultra-Span is so lightweight, which can be a challenge as well as an advantage. But for this kind of application, it’s perfect.
“Then there’s PAMIR, which is absolutely awesome. I sent a customer her 3D designs while we were talking on the phone, she was speechless. There she was, out in the Bushveld some 200km from me in Polokwane, able to see a 3D design for her new roof in seconds. People love it.
“Container World can diversify now. People come to hire a container and end up spending half an hour talking about the possibilities for the roofed design. It’s starting a lot of productive conversations. Everything’s been positive across the board!”
Want the same kind of results for yourself? Get in touch and let’s talk about the kind of partnership that drives your business forward even faster.
