What the IICL is
The Institute of International Container Lessors is the body whose technical bulletins set the maintenance and repair standards container lessors and depots work to. Its flooring bulletin, TB-001, is the reference container manufacturers and CSC repairers use when they specify or replace a container floor.
What TB-001 covers
The bulletin defines the properties a board must have to serve as a container floor:
| Property | Typical TB-001 requirement |
|---|---|
| Thickness | ~28 mm (±0.5 mm tolerance) |
| Panel size | 2440 × 1220 mm; 2400 × 1160 mm |
| Construction | Full hardwood plywood (keruing/apitong) or approved bamboo |
| Density | 700–800 kg/m³ |
| Glue line | Phenol-formaldehyde, 100% waterproof (WBP) |
| Surface | Anti-slip mesh/wire pattern; phenolic film both faces |
| Performance | Defined bending strength (MOR/MOE), screw-holding and forklift load resistance |
Why 28 mm hardwood
A container floor is the one surface that takes the entire payload and a 7-tonne forklift moving across it. It needs high stiffness, low deflection and excellent screw-holding to fix down to the steel cross-members — which is why a dense, full-hardwood 28 mm board is the norm, not a softwood or veneer-core panel.
New build vs repair
The same spec applies whether you are flooring new containers on a production line or replacing damaged boards in a repair depot. Repairers usually need boards cut, grooved and drilled to the container model's pattern — which is why TB-001 boards are quoted to drawing.
See our container flooring plywood page for sizes, machining and FOB-Cochin export terms.