Building Code Glossary
Container: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define container, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Container is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions. The code's own words are: “A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials. Pipes, piping systems, engines and engine fuel tanks are not considered to be containers.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 48 chapters of this corpus, most often in Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009), Cryogenic Fluids (IFC 2009), Compressed Gases (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Container — IFC 2009, Hazardous Materials-general Provisions:
A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials. Pipes, piping systems, engines and engine fuel tanks are not considered to be containers.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Container is defined once in this corpus, in the Hazardous Materials-general Provisions chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials. Pipes, piping systems, engines and engine fuel tanks are not considered to be containers.
Where container is used in the code
The term appears in 48 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Flammable and Combustible Liquids | IFC 2009 | 310 |
| Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 274 |
| Compressed Gases | IFC 2009 | 163 |
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | IFC 2009 | 133 |
| Motor Fuel-dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages | IFC 2009 | 111 |
| Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | IFC 2009 | 110 |
| Oxidizers, Oxidizing Gases and Oxidizing Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 94 |
| Flammable Gases and Flammable Cryogenic Fluids | IFC 2009 | 63 |
| Explosives and Fireworks | IFC 2009 | 51 |
| General Requirements | IFC 2009 | 45 |
| Building Services and Systems | IFC 2009 | 42 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 40 |
36 further chapters mention the term.
The term in use
How the code actually writes about container, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
The minimum horizontal separation between an LP-gas container and a Class I, II or IlIA liquid storage tank shall be 20 feet (6096 mm) except in the case of Class I, II or IlIA liquid tanks operating at pressures exceeding 2.5 psig (17.2 kPa) or equipped with emergency venting allowing pressures to exceed 2.5 psig (1 7.2 kPa), in which …
Foundations for horizontal containers shall be constructed to accommodate expansion and contraction of the container.
Pressure relief devices shall be sized in accordance with the specifications to which the container was fabricated and to material specific requirements as applicable.
The terms container is built out of
The definition above leans on 3 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what container covers:
- Hazardous Materials — IBC 2009: Those chemicals or substances that are physical hazards or health hazards as defined and classified in this section and the International Fire Code, whether the materials are in usable or waste condition.
- Piping — IRC 2009: Where used in this code, “piping” refers to either pipe or tubing, or both.
- Vessel — IFC 2009: A motorized watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation.
Container: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Hazardous Materials-general Provisions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Flammable and Combustible Liquids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Cryogenic Fluids (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Compressed Gases (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Liquefied Petroleum Gases (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Hazardous Materials | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Piping | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Vessel | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Hazardous Materials: Building Code Definition
- Vessel: Building Code Definition
- Piping: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of container?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions as: “A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials. Pipes, piping systems, engines and engine fuel tanks are not considered to be containers.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on container?
In this corpus the term is used across 48 chapters, led by Flammable and Combustible Liquids in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is a container in code?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Hazardous Materials-general Provisions: “A vessel of 60 gallons (227 L) or less in capacity used for transporting or storing hazardous materials. Pipes, piping systems, engines and engine fuel tanks are not considered to be containers.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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