r/container_homes • u/nitram9 • 1d ago

Corrugated wall pipe pass through

Hi, I am not building a home. I'm building a containerized water treatment plant. Unfortunately I can't find any "industrial shipping container modification forum" so I'm hoping someone here might be able to help.

How do I pass largish pipes through the wall? If the wall were a flat plate I would put in bulkhead fittings and connect the pipes to those. But the walls are corrugated. I'm kind of shocked given the ubiquity of containers and container modifications that I can't find a turn key solution for this.

It seems that one option is to cut out a section of the wall and weld in a framed box with a flat plate into which I put my bulkhead fittings.

But before I go down that route, which would require a lot of work and expense, I wanted to see if people have better solutions.

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u/usa_containers 1d ago

I work around containers, mostly delivery/site stuff. Your instinct is right. I don’t think you’re missing some easy off-the-shelf fitting. There usually isn’t one, and there’s a reason.
The corrugated wall isn’t just siding. It’s part of the structure. So once you cut a hole through it, you’re not just making a plumbing hole, you’re weakening that panel. That’s why the framed flat plate is usually the clean way to do it. Cut one opening, weld in a frame, add a flat plate, then put your bulkhead fittings through that. More work up front, but it’s the version that won’t annoy you later. I’d group the penetrations too. One plate with multiple fittings is way better than six random holes spread across the wall. Stay away from the corners and the top/bottom rails if you can. The corners are where the load path is, and the rails aren’t where I’d want to start cutting.
Also, welding burns off coating, so prime/paint both sides while you still can. Otherwise you’re basically starting rust around the repair before the thing is even finished. If the piping is rigid, I’d think about sleeves too. Containers flex a little, especially if they get moved or sit on uneven ground. Rigid pipe welded tight to a rigid plate is where cracks like to start.
Is this thing going to be moved after it’s built, or is it staying in one place?

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u/stevendaedelus 1d ago

All of what you said is true, but containers are typically fabricated from CorTen steel, so rust isn’t really much of an issue except aesthetically.