Water Tanker Bunker Idea

[Bill B]

The strength of a conex is in the floor and the frame, if you are going to bury one for a bunker (with more that a foot or two of dirt on top) bury it upside-down.
A tanker trailer does not have the strength to support all the dirt, it will eventually collapse. If you think about the designs of both, all the weight carrying capacity is at the bottom; the floor of the container and the frame of the trailer. The container has the advantage that it is designed to support the weight of 8 other containers stacked on top of it. The tank of the trailer is designed to hold the fluid in, not support weight.
Oh, a tanker trailer has internal bulkheads that create compartments within it. If you cut out the bulkheads you lose most of the structural strength of the trailer. Make a cylinder out of a sheet of paper, you can easily crush it.

 

[strahd71]

would corrugated pipe be more expensive?

jakd

 

[woowoo2]

I am doing reaserch on a small storm shelter for a home in the burbs.
So far my first choice is a concrete one.
Bigger / Cheaper / May leak
U.S. Storm Shelters and Safe Rooms

Second choice is a six person fiberglass unit.
Smaller/ More money/ Waterproof
Underground Fiberglass Shelter Models from Integrity Storm Shelters • 812.677.0010

Does anyone know of any installs of these units?
I am concerned with water intrusion and how the materials last over time.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I had a coworker that had someone put in a bridge across a creek for his driveway when his house was under construction. The builder used an old rail road tank car. It held up to all of his construction traffic including bulldozers, triaxles full of gravel, and loaded concrete trucks, and that was with the ends cut out. I would think that one of those, left intact, would hold up well.

 

[Lead Head]

This is just my on a subject that is not something I plan on doing but I have thought about it. So........let me talk out of my butt for a few minutes.

It might be easier to look into a commercial/industrial grade fiberglass or synthetic type liquid container. Some have sealed liners for water and some have a seal coat or it could be virgin.

A 5000 gallon unit would be about the smallest for two people or you could use several 1000 gallon tanks and connect them for multiple rooms, etc. Think like a submarine design with hatches. At least two exits would be advised. One room or the largest space should allow for standing height. This room could also be slightly exposed to the surface for natural light. Some type of steel rebar could be used to protect the skylight for security reason. Silicone sealant could be used for moisture proofing and epoxy could be used for crawl tube connection to each compartment. Also think like a hamster fun dome kind of thing.

NOTE 1: Unless trained, most people can't live like a ground mole in near darkness for more than a few months without going.................KOO KOO...............................

NOTE 2: What am I saying...most people can't even live above ground without all sorts of problems. Were all DOOOMED !!!!

Anyway, if you burn something for lighting, you have introduced carbon monoxide unless you have a solar setup or tons of batteries. Cooking is also an issue.

Ventilation is where any design will make or break survival.

As for hatches, I thought it would be a good idea to be able to use a ballistic charge of some type to "blow the hatch" in the event of it getting covered. You decide what would cover it but a nuclear winter or heavy ash and debris could block an escape.

BTW: The above tanks are used in agriculture, chemical storage and industrial uses and are much lighter in weight, etc. They could be delivered on a double axle flatbed or tractor/trailer flatbed. Man made materials often give off fumes so this would be a concern and proper aging would be a must for the overall installation.

Used tanks of any sort must be verified not to have contained chemicals. You may not smell anything but that doesn't mean it is free of HAZMAT.

A stainless water or milk tanker could be purchased but metal sweats. It would take a small crane to place it in a really big hole too. The top access on a 5000 gallon Polar tanker for example is not big enough for an average adult to enter. Cutting this type of stainless steel would take a serious cutting torch, etc.

You could also connect PVC for fresh air exchange and body fluid storage compartments for synthetic tanks. Filtration and concealed fresh air back up would be good if sabotage ever took place while inside. A bilge pump like in a boat (12 VDC) might make sense if a higher water table is present or if a rupture would occur during heavy rains or snow melt off.

I'm sure there are people wayyyyyyy ahead of many of us on these designs but we should look to the materials native to our geographic location if time was of the essence. There are books on this stuff but I prefer just to think about what is local.

All that said, I'll take my chances above ground.

p.s. A concrete bunker (six sided/top bottom) would be easier and you could say it was a storm shelter and no one would question it after all the tornado's the USA has experienced.

 

[JoshuaW]

I have spent my fair share of time unloading shipping containers, and you also have to remember that anything you build is going to get stuffy and hot. I would imagine it would take being buried several feet to be "blocked" from the surface temperature in the summer time. Even still, poor circulation is going to make it extremely stuffy. You may need some sort of pump or powered ventilation system to make it comfortable for long term use, which of course poises the question of how you will power it.

Personally, if I were to build an underground structure, I would build it using concrete blocks surrounding a 40 foot container, using tar or something similar to seal it. I would cut a hole in the side opposite entry and build a tunnel system that would go 10-20ft away from the structure, then straight up to the surface, preferably to a small structure. If you are trying to fortify yourself, putting two exits right next to each other wont do you much good, someone could easily tamper with both exits. Im not sure how effective or practical my tunnel system would be though.