RADCO was the first third party agency in California to plan review and inspect modular projects that utilize repurposed shipping containers. The project was the Waldorf School of Orange County located in Costa Mesa. Since then, the trend of using shipping containers has attracted many contractors and builders across the country. Currently, there are no regulating rules or guidance in the ICC model codes for this type of structure.
RADCO has been developing criteria and methods to review shipping container buildings. Each state modular program has a unique approach to addressing shipping container buildings. Some states have accepted RADCO’s plan review methodology. Others have kept these containers out of their jurisdiction entirely. The Modular Building Institute (MBI) recently created a task force with the goal of establishing a baseline criteria for evaluating shipping container building. This task force will also work with ICC on acknowledging this type of construction and adopting codes to legitimize it. This effort will in turn enable States to adopt such codes into their modular building programs.
RADCO’s Vice President of Plan Review Services, Hala Jawad, AIA and Plan Review Engineer Mohsen Anis, P.E. are currently serving on the MBI/ICC task force. They have been working together to develop RADCO’s criteria for reviewing the shipping container buildings. You can find the white paper, the product of that task force here. RADCO has also been invited to participate in the committee that ICC has formed to develop the code for the use of repurposed shipping containers in modular projects.
