This tropical rainforest retreat, first featured in ReNew 95, has since survived two Category 5 cyclones. Owner builder Paul Michna explains why the structure holds up so well.
In 2006 we introduced ReNew readers to our Shipping Container Retreat in Far North Queensland (A shipping container retreat in the wettest place in Australia, ReNew 95). In the original article I wrote that we needed “a facility suitable for accommodation and rainforest research in a challenging environment.” Well, the challenges came early, with the eye of Cyclone Larry passing over our retreat the month that article was published. And in 2011 the northern side of Cyclone Yasi paid a visit. Here’s what happened and the reasons why the retreat survived so well.
The retreat consists of two 3m by 6m shipping containers set three metres apart, elevated and bolted on posts. The posts are 200mm PVC pipes, strengthened with a filling of concrete and steel. The two containers are joined at both floor and roof level with C-section and timber decking. Each of the containers has a door cut in the interior large wall, and a sliding picture window with external screens cut into the exterior large wall. A length of steel is bolted above each window to provide additional roof support.
Ready for Larry
Before Cyclone Larry and its winds in excess of 200km/h, we erected three light-duty single car steel and vinyl carports. The carports hung out a short distance over the sides of the containers to reduce the amount of rain blowing in the windows and we collected water from them into a 2000L plastic rainwater tank. The steel corner posts of the carports were screwed into structural timber which in turn was chained to the corner lifting assemblies of the shipping containers.
After Cyclone Larry the rainforest resembled a war scene, with trees up to about 1.5m diameter snapped off metres above the ground. The carports were totally destroyed but they helped to protect the main structure. The overhanging carport sides prevented large branches from taking out the windows and the external insect screens also had a role in deflecting flying debris. About three tonnes of vegetation, mostly very large branches, was removed from the tops of the containers. Some of these heavy branches came from trees over 100 metres away!
We replaced the vinyl carports with a double-car-sized steel Shadeshed, and connected the guttering from this structure to our rainwater tank. With an average of 4400mm of rain per year we only need to use half of the roof as a rainwater collector. Eyebolts, chain and turnbuckles secured the shed to the corners of the containers. The replacement roof was a bit narrower so we used timber recovered after Cyclone Larry and some secondhand vinyl tarps to protect the windows from rain.
Read the full article in ReNew 118This entry was posted on Monday, December 12th, 2011 at 10:58 am