KUANTAN: FANCY living in a cosy home that are actually stacked shipping containers? It may raise eyebrows but such a home or office does exist and has all the amenities that can make life comfortable.
A joint-venture project between Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and Portland Group of Companies has already been implemented at the UMP campus in Gambang here, where shipping containers are being used as basic building modules.
The first in the country, a three-storey building that houses 72 offices for lecturers was built using the “modularcraft system” from Europe.
It used specially-treated containers and “green bricks” (G-Bricks) that are made from industrial waste. The building also required fewer supporting concrete beams and only a handful of workers to complete the job.
To tackle the heat issue, a thermal insulation coating, known as “Primer X”, was used to reduce the internal temperature between eight and 10ºC.
Portland Arena Sdn Bhd group managing director Izz Mika’il Abdullah said the concept was suitable for homes, offices, hostels and classrooms, especially in areas with limited space, and each unit can be customised.
“For example, a student room can have an attached bathroom, a study table, a wall-mounted television set and a single bed while an office unit may have a sofa, windows and desks. Upon completion of the fabrication factory in Pekan, we will promote the concept throughout the country,” he said.
UMP Chemical Engineering and Natural Resources faculty dean Professor Datuk Dr Rosli Mohd Yunus said the technique could reduce wastage as the modification works for the containers were carried out in the factory.
“Construction can take up to a year, depending on the size of the project and whether the containers can be transported by road, ship and air. We can also instal lifts for tall buildings.”
UMP vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim said the G-Bricks were fire-resistant and made from a mixture of cement and industrial waste using an air-dry manufacturing process.