I would agree. Used containers are easy to find, they provide excellent secure storage and they can be used to add height.

Also not that, as you mentioned, Spantech offers the "leg profile" units which are more compatible with applications requiring additonal height.
http://www.span-techbuildings.com/index ... n=dspalbum

Even so, a look at their website shows lots of installations with sidewalls for additional height.

While alot of these companies offer standard catalog offerings don't be afraid to ask them about modified or custom shelters, for instance if you wanted taller side walls (within reason) as they could very likely do that.

I live just over a mile from one of these places and bought a shelter "factory direct", I saved quite a bit with no middle person/through catolog order and no shipping since I picked it up right there.

A structure of this (or similar) type has been used by the San Pedro Waterfront Red Car heritage trolley operation in the Port of Los Angeles for nine years now. They had been hoping to get a permanent "carbarn" in an historic warehouse building but last time I looked were still in the "tent".

Regarding the lower overhead clearance of the side areas of this kind of structure--this space could be used for storage, workbenches and machine tools that don't need a high ceiling. And using cargo containers for sidewalls--very clever! What railway preservation group doesn't need what George Carlin called "A Place for My Stuff."

Hold on, what's the side-load on the building at the base of the structure as-provided? Does the force go straight down, or is there outward side load on the base of the walls?

Put it another way, imagine if every vertical beam came down and sat on a roller skate, aimed outward. Would the building be independently stable, or would the walls go outward and the roof sag? If the latter, a sidewall is a considerable affair.

In our community, any "tent" larger than 100 square feet requires a building permit... (this includes a 10x20' pop up tent as used at a swap meet) and lighted exit lights, and other requirement, likely up to fire sprinklers.

Traditional pole barns are not allowed... they are included in the Agricultural section of the building code, and our community didn't adopt that chapter...

A local community used one for a fire house while rebuilding their existing fire house... We looked into relocating it to our site, but it got complicated.

Randy