under ground bunkers

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............

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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.

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