Water Tanker Bunker Idea

[guns_up]

I was doing some research on how to make a water tight bunker and came up with the idea of using a water tanker off a semi or triaxle. Anybody heard of that or got any input?

 

[indytechnerd]

Is this going to be a buried 'fallout' shelter, or a 'hide my arse' kind of thing? Might be a decent idea if you can do the fab work to make the inside a livable area.

 

[guns_up]

Don't think it will work too well as a fall out shelter. My boss was a balistic missle maintenance officer so I asked him what he would do if ICBMs were in the air. He said grab a pack of hot dogs and sit outside. so i am gonna say a hide me shelter

 

[Sylvain]

Hum ... who's after you?

 

[grimor]

I'd go the buried school bus route myself.

 

[Hkindiana]

My Uncle bought an old buried gas tank from a gas station. He buried it, and made the inside quite livable. I think he bought it for scrap steel price, which was about $500.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Connex shipping containers usually have pretty good water sealing properties.

 

[muncie1]

How would you ensure you wouldn't suffocate?

 

[dagibson1507]

Connex shipping containers usually have pretty good water sealing properties.

Would be the best option but i havent seem them for under 1500-2000$.

 

[Ogre]

Im not sure of their structural properties. While they certainly are stable enough to hold liquid in and not burst out the sides, I'm not certain whether they will be strong enough to keep the earth from caving in through it...

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I would be very careful about burying and climbing in something that is not structurally supported to withstand being buried.

Shipping containers might support tremendous weights so long as the weight is applied at it's corners, but might crush if weight is applied on the center of its flat top and sides. I would have the same concerns regarding tankers.

I like the idea regarding re purposing an Underground Storage Tank of some type.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Agreed. The ribbed construction of shipping containers makes them much stronger than a regular old wood and aluminum semi trailer, but dirt gets pretty heavy pretty fast. Especially when it gets wet.

I definitely wouldn't bury them very deep, and If I did bury them, it wouldn't be a bad idea to encase it in re-bar concrete. Just remember to leave room for a door!

The concrete "walls" around the outside of the container would support the weight of the conrete "roof" and however much dirt you wanted to pile on top of it, similar to a foundation. It would also help to water proof it. If you wanted to get really fancy, you'd lay a concrete floor prior to lowering the container in the hole.

 

[Scutter01]

How would you ensure you wouldn't suffocate?

Have a 6-pack of these handy:

 

[ATOMonkey]

 

[longbow]

Without bracing, not strong enough! With bracing for side and top loads it might work, but......

If you don't anchor it down, it will float to the surface in heavy rains or a high water table!

 

[Scutter01]

I'm not fancy enough for that French stuff. I'll stick with good ol' Hornady canned air.

 

[longbow]

I'm not fancy enough for that French stuff. I'll stick with good ol' Hornady canned air.

.............spaceballs??????

 

[M88A1]

I seen plenty of 20 and 40 foot Connex shipping containers (MILVANS) built in the ground as bunkers in Iraq. They were built into hills so you could walk in/out the right side door.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Yep, spaceballs.

 

[Scutter01]

.............spaceballs??????

Er...no? Just regular balls. That seems like an odd thing to ask another man.