Large archival boxes

At the Canadian Centre for Architecture we use large boxes made of
acid-free corrugated cardboard (Interior dimensions 49" x 37" x 3")
to store certain collections of flat oversize archival documents on
open shelves.  These boxes are custom made and are very expensive
(about $85 Canadian each, with tax and transport.)  Since we will
soon be needing to purchase them in large quantities (100 to 200 at
a time, instead of 20 at a time) we hope to find a cheaper type of
rigid archival quality large box.  We received an estimate for a
corrugated plastic (coroplast) box of these dimensions, and were
pleased that the price was only about one third of that of the
corrugated cardboard box (after a one-time cost for the die).
Unfortunately the company who was engineering the box for us then
reported that it just didn't work with the coroplast--the box was
too flimsy and floppy.  Instead, they gave us a price for boxes made
out of 60 pt. folder stock using metal corners, but the cost of
these is not much less than the cost of the corrugated cardboard
boxes.

Can anyone suggest another material which can be used to make these
large boxes affordable.  Can anyone suggest a method of engineering
a large corrugated plastic box to make it sturdy?  And does anyone
have comments on the use of corrugated plastic for housings for
artworks.  (Are there problems with dust?  Sharp edges? The
pronounced corrugated texture, compared to that of the paper
product?  Some awful thing I haven't even thought of?)

Karen Potje
Head, Conservation/Preservation
Canadian Centre for Architecture
1920, rue Baile
Montreal, Quebec H3H 2S6, Canada
514-939-7000
Fax: 514-939-7020


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:1
                   Distributed: Monday, June 19, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-1-029
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