MOUNTING METHODS
What Your
Shelter Sits On.
Containers, block walls, pallet racking, posts or straight to the ground. The mounting method decides your
covered width, your clearance and how much groundwork you need — so it's worth getting right early.
SEVEN WAYS TO MOUNT
Pick What Suits Your Site
All seven carry the same shelter. The right one depends on what you already have on site, how much clearance you need, and whether you want to keep the option of moving it later.
01
Shipping Containers
The most common method, and usually the fastest. As standard we weld the baseplates to the containers — it is by far the strongest connection, and it is what we will specify unless there is a reason not to.
Where welding is not an option, we mount to the corner castings with twistlock beams instead. That suits rented containers that have to go back as they came, and insulated units where welding introduces the risk of fire.
Containers double as lockable storage and as a large part of the hold-down, so in most cases there are no piles and no concrete footings. They are usually not enough ballast on their own, so we specify what else your wind zone requires — and the site still needs stripping and a compacted hardfill pad underneath.
- Welded as standard — the strongest connection
- Twistlock beams for rented or insulated containers
- Containers become secure storage
- Single or double stacked, fast to install
02
Concrete Block Walls
Where the blocks are in good condition and placed accurately, the shelter mounts straight to them — each baseplate has pre-fabricated mounting holes that bolt directly into the block. That's the neatest and quickest version of this method.
Where the blocks are older, or not laid accurately enough to line up, we fix a steel beam along the top and mount to that instead. It takes up the tolerance and gives a continuous, level mounting line.
Either way you get a solid retaining edge and a mounting point in one, and the wall height sets your clearance. Popular where you're already storing bulk material against a wall — aggregate bays, silage, compost, fertiliser.
- Bolts direct to the blocks where alignment allows
- Steel beam option where tolerance needs taking up
- Doubles as a retaining wall
- Wall height sets the clearance
03
Timber Or Steel Posts
Freestanding on posts, with no containers involved. The right choice when you want open access from all sides, when containers would look out of place, or when you simply don't need the storage.
Post height is set to suit — so you can build in exactly the clearance your machinery needs rather than working around a fixed container height.
- No containers required
- Open access on all sides
- Clearance height built to suit
- Suits schools, yards and open sites
04
Freestanding
Our standard range adapted to a direct ground fix. Rather than landing on containers, walls or separate posts, the shelter's own side legs are extended down and fixed straight to the ground.
It's the option when there's nothing on site to mount to and nothing you want to build first. Leg length sets your clearance, and because it fixes directly to the ground the footings and hold-downs are specified to your ground conditions and wind zone.
- Standard shelters with extended side legs
- Nothing to mount to, nothing to build first
- Leg length sets the clearance
- Footings and hold-downs engineered per site
05
Pallet Racking
Our own bracket, developed in-house, sits on top of external steel pallet racking and carries the shelter frame. The racking you already need for stock does double duty as the structure holding the roof up.
It suits trade yards, timber merchants and any operation where the racking is going in regardless — roofing it turns an open yard into covered, sorted storage without a separate structure taking up ground.
- Proprietary bracket, developed in-house
- Racking doubles as the structure
- Often adaptable to existing slabs
- Keeps stock covered, sorted and accessible
View Project →
06
Existing Structures
Shelters can be fixed to an existing block or concrete wall, or to the edge of a building, using what's already there as one side of the structure.
Common on sites that have grown over time and already have something solid in the right place. Tell us what's there and we'll design around it.
- Fix to existing walls or buildings
- Uses what's already on site
- Saves building a full mounting side
- Engineered per site
07
Combinations
Nothing says both sides have to match. Containers down one flank and timber poles down the other is a common arrangement where a building, a boundary or the ground itself rules out containers on one side.
The shelter above is unchanged — only the mounting differs from side to side. Open Country Dairy is a working example, containers against the building, and timber poles opposite.
- Different mounting on each side
- Works on uneven or tight sites
- Keeps access where you need it
- Engineered per site
View Project →
Whichever method you pick, the site still needs preparing — topsoil stripped and compacted hardfill laid to the bearing capacity the engineering calls for. Tell us what's there now and what needs to fit underneath, and we'll recommend a method and tell you why.
IF YOU'RE MOUNTING ON CONTAINERS
Inside To Inside, Or Outside To Outside?
This one only applies to container mounting. It's where the shelter frame lands on the containers. On block walls, racking or posts it doesn't arise, because you set the span when you place them.
STANDARD
Inside To Inside
The frame mounts to the inner edges of the containers. The quoted clear span is the usable space between them.
- Span is the clear working width
- Containers sit outside the covered area
- Our standard configuration
WIDER COVER
Outside To Outside
The frame mounts to the outer edges. This brings the containers themselves under the roof and adds roughly five metres to the overall covered width, meaning a larger shelter is required.
- Containers protected under cover
- Greater height clearance at container edge
- Same overall height
MOUNTING FAQS
Common Questions
The questions we get asked most about how shelters attach to what's underneath.
Do you weld to my containers?
Usually, yes. A welded connection is significantly stronger than the alternative, so it is our default and what we will recommend where the containers allow it.
If they don't — rented containers that have to go back as they came, insulated units, or simply your preference — we mount to the corner castings with twistlock beams instead. Nothing is welded and nothing is drilled, and the container is left exactly as it was.
What groundwork is involved?
Container mounting and ballast replace piles and concrete footings — they don't replace site preparation. Expect the topsoil to be stripped and compacted metal hardfill laid across the footprint, built up to the bearing capacity the engineering specifies.
On an established yard with existing hardstand or concrete, much of that may already be done. The exact specification depends on your ground and your shelter, so it's confirmed as part of the design rather than quoted as a standard figure.
Do I need to own the containers?
No. Plenty of customers hire or lease containers, and we can supply them if you'd rather buy. Where the containers are hired or leased we use the twistlock option, so they go back in the same condition they arrived in.
What if my containers are different heights?
Standard containers are about 2.59m and Hi-Cubes about 2.89m. Mixing heights isn't ideal, but it can be worked around. Tell us what you have and we'll confirm the arrangement when quoting — the apex heights published on each product page are given for both container types.
Can I mount on posts and containers at the same time?
Yes. Combination mounting is common where a site is uneven, where access is needed on one side only, or where there's an existing wall or building on one flank. It's engineered per site.
Can I have one with no containers, walls or posts at all?
Yes. We can adapt shelters in the standard range to a freestanding, direct ground fix by extending the side legs down to ground level. Footings and hold-downs are specified to your ground conditions and wind zone, so tell us where it's going and what needs to fit underneath.
How much clearance will I actually have?
That depends on the mounting method and the shelter width. Every product page lists the rise above mounting height and the overall apex height on both standard and Hi-Cube containers, so you can check it against your machinery before enquiring.
Can it be moved later?
Yes. Every method can be dismantled and re-erected. Where the shelter has been welded to containers the connections are cut and made good on reinstallation, which is routine work.
What about hold-downs and ballast?
That's a subject in its own right — internal ballast, poured concrete, plate and bolt, and screw piles all have their place depending on ground conditions and wind zone. We cover it properly on the Ballast & Hold-Downs page.
NOT SURE WHICH?
Tell us what's on site.
Containers, block walls, racking, bare ground or something in between — send us a photo and the dimensions and we'll tell you which mounting method makes most sense.
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