High-efficiency and cost-effective folding containers for emergency command

What are the conditions for the success of foldable containers?

Konings and Thijs summarized clearly the conditions for the success of foldable containers in the market: (1) low costs for folding and unfolding the containers; (2) low manufacturing costs; (3) compatibility with existing equipment for intermodal transport; and (4) structural robustness.

How can a foldable container reduce the cost of storage?

The satisfaction of such conditions and the eventual adoption of the foldable container by the market would reduce the operation costs by 50% to 60% , the storage space in yard and depot by 80% and CO 2 emissions by 20% [8, 12].

Are foldable containers effective in repositioning empty containers?

Foldable containers are considered an effective solution to deal with the endemic imbalance in the repositioning of empty containers. Several foldable containers were commercialized without clear breakthrough in the market and most current researches are still limited to small pilot projects.

What are the benefits of a foldable container?

Using the newly developed foldable container can not only significantly reduce logistics costs, but also bring positive environmental impacts such as reducing greenhouse gas that may have arisen from transporting bulky empty containers. Also the foldable container influences social aspects such as noise pollution, local development and employment.