[spmwheels]

under ground bunkers

I've been seeing alot of folks talking about the underground survival bunkers and it's started me to thinking are there handicap accessable bunkers or would thie be something i would have to design on my own? I've been kicking around the idea of building one of these things for a while now. I have plenty of land to do it on so that if tshtf my family and I would have a place to go but i've been looking at the designs of alot of the one's people are looking at getting and they dont seem to be workable for someone in my situation. Is there anyone out there that has the knowledge to help me out on this? any help would be greatly apreciated. Just to give you some idea of what I would need it would have to be something I could get around in with a wheelchair so hallways or entrances would need to be about 36-38 inches wide and it would need to have space enough to fit 4 people myself included thanks.

 

[jbpmidas]

Re: under ground bunkers

Do you have a good hillside on your land? That seems, to me, to be the easiest solution.

 

[spmwheels]

Re: under ground bunkers

yes that's actually what im wanting to do is put some type of bunker into a hill side on my property, that way it is hidden from sight. I'm actually thinking of maybe comming up with a way to get some netting or canvas of some sort to cover over the entrance but I have not yet figured out all of those details. i'm trying first to figure out a realisic way of getting in and out of the thing with my wheelchair.

 

[jbpmidas]

Re: under ground bunkers

That's why the hillside. There wouldn't necessarily need to be a ramp or stairs to get into it. If money was no object, you could build a bunker above ground, then build a hill on top of it.

 

[spmwheels]

Re: under ground bunkers

I was just looking around online and came up with an idea but need openions on weather it would work. I just saw a conex storage container online if i got a couple of those and cut one side off of each and put them side by side and welded them together would this work? i mean i know i would have to figure out a way to modify the doors so they would close after cutting the one side off of each box but i'm not seeing any other reason's this idea wouldnt work? openions? ideas?.

 

[jbpmidas]

Re: under ground bunkers

What's your intended purpose?

 

[spmwheels]

Re: under ground bunkers

it's basically just a itshtf type thing just somewhere i can put supplies incase of emergenies and for natural disaster type situations incase my family and i need a place to go if we are unable to stay in our home plus may be used as storm shelter if needed.

 

[jbpmidas]

Re: under ground bunkers

The containers would need more than just their walls. Are you going to bury them?

 

[SubGunFan]

Re: under ground bunkers

Yes, cutting a wall off would GREATLY reduce their structural strength. If you are talking about those big shipping containers you see on ships and trains, they are designed to be loaded (stacked) with the loads transferred to the corners. I don't think they will perform well if a few feet of dirt is piled on. Also with those metal containers, being steel and buried, you might have a RUST problem after a few years......

Although more $$$, I suggest a metal culvert like used under roads. They come in many sizes (widths) and can be made as long as you want. They are designed to be buried under dirt. You would have to pour a concrete floor with anchor points along the edge, but the culvert comes in sections that are bolted together which means minimal equipment needed. You would have to learn to live with curved roof..... For the open ends of the culvert, I suggest concrete masonry unit (CMU) (cinder blocks) walls filled with concrete.

Google "metal culvert bridge" and see what you get............

As you know, the hill would have to be dug out first, the structure installed and the dirt backfilled.

Hope this helps you along your path to a fallout shelter............

.

 

[1985 4runner]

Re: under ground bunkers

yes that's actually what im wanting to do is put some type of bunker into a hill side on my property, that way it is hidden from sight. I'm actually thinking of maybe comming up with a way to get some netting or canvas of some sort to cover over the entrance but I have not yet figured out all of those details. i'm trying first to figure out a realisic way of getting in and out of the thing with my wheelchair.

You'll need to register & join the site, (it's free) to see the pics, but this thread should answer a lot of your questions:

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=63219

 

[spmwheels]

Re: under ground bunkers

ok thanks folks that helps alot the culvert idea sounds really good I think I may look into it. I know some folks around my area with dozers and things that might help me out for a smaller fee than to hire a contractor to do the dirt work so that sounds like it might be my best option. all the info is greatly aprieciated thanks.

 

[spmwheels]

Re: under ground bunkers

I have done a little more looking around online and came up with some ideas that I'd like to run past you folks. I've been looking into the culverts as SubGunFan had mentioned previously and came across some concrete versions. I just wanted to know your openions on these vs. the metal ones? pros/cons and such. thanks for any info you may be able to provide it is greatly apreciated.

 

[jbpmidas]

Re: under ground bunkers

Probably better protection against fallout, and would probably be stronger. Seems like they would be more expensive and much more difficult to move.

 

[SubGunFan]

Re: under ground bunkers

I am guessing that with a size of concrete culvert that would give you enough room is going to be large sections. Large sections means heavy lifting, and heavy lifting means much larger crane needed (= more $$$$).

Large precast concrete culverts are round or flat-bottom. The D-shaped flat-bottom culverts don't have a truely flat bottom. Then there are cast-in-place box culverts that can be made as big as a small house. But cast-in-place construction is BIG BIG $$$$$$.

Remember, there is a BIG difference between a storm shelter and SHTF shelter. Storm is short term and can be small. SHTF is much longer term and much more room is needed.

As for radiation fallout..... just burying almost anything under a few feet of dirt will not help much. To protect against fallout would require MUCH MUCH deeper burying, thicker walls & door, possibly lead plates, life support equipment for air and water and waste, etc. Something only Uncle Sam can afford to do....... with our tax dollars.

.

 

[Brutus]

Re: under ground bunkers

spm,

Here's a good place to start:

www.ki4u.com

The guy that runs this site has compiled tons of info about radiation shielding, shelters, etc. and also sells nuclear war/accident survival stuff like Potassium Iodide, radiation meters, etc. He's extremely legit and very well-known in his field - i.e., When the gov't needs KI, they usually call him first.

His name is Shane Connor and he's a good guy to deal with. If you decide to contact him tell him Brutus from TimeBomb 2000 sent you.

****************************************************

I have much the same ideas as you on building a shelter from a shipping container. To put it underground it needs heavy duty waterproofing and shoring on the inside to support the weight of the covering dirt. My idea is tar mastic and French drains for the outside and timber for the inside - like 4x4 posts and 4x6 headers about every 2-4 feet of the length of the container.

Large diameter culverts in relatively long lengths have gotten enormously expensive over the last ten years or so. Old shipping containers are pretty cheap and for the price difference up front, you could afford to cash flow a lot of improvements to a container to make it suitable.