
A portable, demountable or transportable building is a building designed and built to be movable rather than permanently located.
Smaller version of portable buildings are also known as portable cabins. Portable cabins are prefabricated structures manufactured for uses such as site office, security cabin, accommodation, storage, toilets etc. Portable cabins are an affordable alternative to traditional buildings and are useful when accommodation is required for an uncertain period of time. From formal office accommodation to comfortable eating and relaxation areas, toilet and shower facilities to site security units portable cabins are fast to manufacture and easy to deliver.
A common modern design is sometimes called a
modular building but portable buildings can be different in that they are more often used temporarily and taken away later. Portable buildings (e.g.
yurts) have been used since prehistoric times.
Many modern types of portable buildings are designed so that they can be carried to or from the site on a large
lorry and slung on and off by a
crane
Crane or cranes may refer to:
Common meanings
* Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird
* Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting
** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads
People and fictional characters
* Crane (surname) ...
.
Modern usage
The first portable building under the trade name Portakabin was developed in 1961 in York (UK) by
Donald Shepherd.
Portable modular buildings have various uses. They are often seen, alone or in groups, as temporary site offices on
building site
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and come ...
s (where they are often stacked two high with metal stairs to reach the upper level; see also ''
Construction trailer''). Other uses for these and other types of portable buildings are as
guard shacks, in-plant offices (these are typically portable steel buildings), rural offices, on-site
changing rooms, etc. Some portable buildings can be made very complex by joining units and forming large office blocks over several floors. These are often disguised as a normal building with brick style cladding and a traditional pitched roof. Tara Park, developed by Liverpool City Council, have even used portable buildings to create temporary/permanent domestic housing for communities. Still complying with UK building regulations and disabled access.
Due to population increases in many areas, portable buildings are sometimes brought in to schools to provide relief from overcrowding.
Portable classroom
A portable classroom (also known as a demountable or relocatable classroom, portables, bungalows), is a type of portable building installed at a school to temporarily and quickly provide additional classroom space where there is a shortage of ...
buildings often include two
classrooms separated by a partition wall and a
toilet
A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and Human feces, feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry toilet, dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for ...
. Portable buildings can also serve as a portable car garage or a storage unit for larger items. Businesses will often utilize portable buildings for bulk storage or construction equipment.
Alternative names

In
Australia, small portable accommodation buildings are often called dongas. In Australia the word "demountable" in particular refers to
portable classroom
A portable classroom (also known as a demountable or relocatable classroom, portables, bungalows), is a type of portable building installed at a school to temporarily and quickly provide additional classroom space where there is a shortage of ...
s.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
the words "Portakabin", "Portacabin", "Bunkabin" and "terrapin" are commonly used to describe these buildings. The use of these words as generic descriptions of portable buildings has caused contention amongst some manufacturers.
The "Portakabin" spelling with a 'k' is a
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from oth ...
owned by
Shepherd Building Group's Portakabin Ltd to identify its range of relocatable and modular buildings but is often used as a
generic trademark to mean any portable building of that general pattern. The spelling with a 'c' normally refers to similar temporary buildings made by other companies; Portakabin Ltd argues that the spelling "portacabin" is a misspelling.
"Terrapin" like Portakabin, is a portable building manufacturer, although the term "terrapin building" is often used to describe any modular or prefabricated building. The use of “terrapin” dates back further than “Portakabin or “Portacabin” as the company has been trading for over 60 years. The phrase “terrapin classroom”
arose from the sudden need for additional classroom space following the
post-World War II baby boom era, and is now common usage for any
portable classroom
A portable classroom (also known as a demountable or relocatable classroom, portables, bungalows), is a type of portable building installed at a school to temporarily and quickly provide additional classroom space where there is a shortage of ...
.
In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
, Australia, and elsewhere, portable buildings are sometimes referred to as "
ATCO huts," after the Canadian energy company that manufactures a line of them in one of its business units.
See also
*
Alternative housing
*
Construction trailer
*
Modular building
*
Portable classroom
A portable classroom (also known as a demountable or relocatable classroom, portables, bungalows), is a type of portable building installed at a school to temporarily and quickly provide additional classroom space where there is a shortage of ...
*
Prefabricated building
*
Quonset hut
A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War ...
*
Tiny home movement
References
External links
*
* {{Commons category-inline , used portacabin in uae
Building