Container switch and control rooms are prefabricated ISO shipping containers converted into dust-tight, climate-controlled enclosures.
These shipping container modifications combine the structural muscle of Corten steel with engineered linings, fire barriers and cable management to create a mobile plant nerve-centre.
Inside them are inclusions such as switchboards, PLCs, SCADA racks, VSDs and other mission-critical electrical or automation equipment.
They are built off-site and delivered as turnkey solutions to locations all around Australia.
Why Container Switch & Control Rooms?
Container switch and control rooms keep power, pumps and conveyors running. Heat, dust, salt spray or cyclonic winds would otherwise lead to serious and expensive downtime at the infrastructure projects of civil contractors, mining and energy operators, water authorities, quarries, and defence bases.
From Basic to Bulletproof
Gatehouse containerised switchrooms start from lean 20-foot units with single HVAC and IP-55 boards for small pump stations.
More sophisticated switchrooms include 40-foot triple-door rooms featuring dual-redundant air-conditioning, IP-56 ingress protection, VESDA fire detection, positive-pressure dust systems and Region-D cyclone tie-downs.
SCADA integration and remote monitoring elevate these rooms into substations.
We ensure that every client can find a made-to-measure shield for their critical gear.
Downtime costs a fortune
Mining site stoppages have been known to burn throughput to the tune of $50 k in 30 minutes. Dust, heat and cyclones wreak havoc on electrical gear.
In this scenario — anywhere from Pilbara pits to Bass Strait wind farms — a prefab switch-room dedicated to keeping PLCs and VSDs clean, cool and safe will be an invaluable asset.
Getting into specifics
Tie-rods anchor to 4 × Footing pads with M24 chemical bolts, certified by RPEQ.
Environmental controls
- 7 kW split-ducted HVAC with redundant condenser.
- Positive-pressure fan keeps dust out at 0.2 kPa.
- Fire/smoke monitoring, 4-zone VESDA.
Cable management
Raised false floor (150 mm) hides 630 mm² tails; ceiling tray rated to 50 kg/m. Gland plates at both ends simplify field wiring.
Container Switch & Control Rooms: Fit-out Timeline
Compare the table below to average 90-day block-build sheds!
Costs in 2025 for Container Switch & Control Rooms
When transport, cranage, and speed-to-site are factored in, a 40-ft tri-door container switch-room with IP-56, dual HVAC, fire panel and 10 kPa floor, will cost around $118 k ex-works — 40% cheaper than the concrete box alternative.
Conclusion
Container switch and control rooms deliver plug-and-play resilience in Australia’s harshest zones. Gatehouse Container Modifications offers turnkey builds, FAT video records, and state engineer stamps, so your gear can stay live when Mother Nature plays rough.
