underground container?

[BoFuller]

Does anyone know if it would be feasible to put a 20 foot steel cargo container underground?
I am thinking of something like a fruit/root cellar for storage of food. Would it be cheaper and faster than building the root cellar out of concrete block?
Would rusting be an issue? If so, could you attach a anode bag like you do with an underground propane tank?
Whether steel or concrete I assume a drain will have to be supplied.

 

[arsenix2001]

Does anyone know if it would be feasible to put a 20 foot steel cargo container underground?
I am thinking of something like a fruit/root cellar for storage of food. Would it be cheaper and faster than building the root cellar out of concrete block?
Would rusting be an issue? If so, could you attach a anode bag like you do with an underground propane tank?
Whether steel or concrete I assume a drain will have to be supplied.

I would probably say a few roof reinforcments would be nice and you could probably powerwash it and spray the outside with that rhinoliner stuff for corrosion protection, paint the inside. May want to install a closable vent and fan if needed. Sounds neat.

 

[BeezFun]

There would be a fair bit of pressure on the walls and roof, could also be hydraulic pressure if you have much moisture in the soil. I don't think the walls would support that load without reinforcement.

Building on your idea, maybe a piece of large diameter steel or concrete culvert would be better, it's got much better structural strength. We have a tornado shelter at work built out of a piece of concrete culvert about 10' in diameter, they built up a floor a few feet off the ground for people to stand on.

 

[johnrex62]

Mythbusters tried to use a 20' shipping container to test ******'s bunker explosions and discovered it collapsed when buried 5' underground without shoring up the ceiling.

 

[Dargo]

Mythbusters tried to use a 20' shipping container to test ******'s bunker explosions and discovered it collapsed when buried 5' underground without shoring up the ceiling.

That could have some drawbacks. I'd love to have in a poured wall concrete bunker accessable from both my basement and an outside hatch. Maybe it's just the kid in me, but I even checked on getting some 'irregular' box culvert to take it on so it comes out under the floor of one of my barns too. Since I have the equipment, I'd probably actually do it if concrete, rebar etc. wasn't so expensive.

 

[General Lee]

That could have some drawbacks. I'd love to have in a poured wall concrete bunker accessable from both my basement and an outside hatch. Maybe it's just the kid in me, but I even checked on getting some 'irregular' box culvert to take it on so it comes out under the floor of one of my barns too. Since I have the equipment, I'd probably actually do it if concrete, rebar etc. wasn't so expensive.

Its not the kid you, in my opinion its very logical thinking. Its all about prepping WSHTF.

 

[Duffster]

This is done all the time with school busses. They are probably cheaper too.

 

[BoFuller]

This is done all the time with school busses. They are probably cheaper too.

School buses?? They would not be near as strong as a steel container. And all those windows???

 

[BoFuller]

Mythbusters tried to use a 20' shipping container to test ******'s bunker explosions and discovered it collapsed when buried 5' underground without shoring up the ceiling.

I have a little trouble digesting that. They stack those things 10 or more high on ships and they get all tweaked around. I would think you could put it 4 or 5 feet under and drive a tank over it.

 

[woody]

if someone has a 20 foot container we could try it I'll dig the hole in my back yard and put your shipping container in it. :laughing:

 

[heitjer]

I was reading up on this before as well, here is a good video:

YouTube - Shipping Container As An Underground Shelter

I must admit I prefer the wine over roots...

 

[Duffster]

School buses?? They would not be near as strong as a steel container. And all those windows???

School bus is a lot stronger than you think. I am assuming the widows have to be plated or boarded over.

Think about the roof shape alone would be a lot more conducive to being buried.

I have a little trouble digesting that. They stack those things 10 or more high on ships and they get all tweaked around. I would think you could put it 4 or 5 feet under and drive a tank over it.

When they are stacked all the weight is resting at the corners, nothing is on the roof or pushing in on the side walls.

I am not saying that they won't work but just throwing out some ideas for you. The dad of a friend of mine has three busses buried. I haven't seen them yet but it is on my short list of stuff to do.

 

[BoFuller]

School bus is a lot stronger than you think. I am assuming the widows have to be plated or boarded over.

Think about the roof shape alone would be a lot more conducive to being buried.



When they are stacked all the weight is resting at the corners, nothing is on the roof or pushing in on the side walls.

I am not saying that they won't work but just throwing out some ideas for you. The dad of a friend of mine has three busses buried. I haven't seen them yet but it is on my short list of stuff to do.

Okay, I'm open to whatever works, and whatever is available. Thanks!

 

[BoFuller]

I was reading up on this before as well, here is a good video:

YouTube - Shipping Container As An Underground Shelter

I must admit I prefer the wine over roots...

That's what I'm talking about! :thumbsup:

 

[Ford tractor]

The "savings" may be all eaten up when you factor in the cost of rust proofing it and prepping the hole for proper support and water drainage. Yeah, you could just bury it and have a good couple years until it rots, leaks and ruins everything inside, but that could suck bad depending on what's in there!

 

[bcp]

The corners of a container are very strong. Sides and roof not so much. Some don't even have sides or roof, just floor and corner posts.

Bruce

 

[JB4310]

I was reading up on this before as well, here is a good video:

YouTube - Shipping Container As An Underground Shelter

I must admit I prefer the wine over roots...

I've seen that before, with all the work that went into that to make it work, for a little more money they could make the whole thing out of reinforced concrete and have a lifetime structure.
The drainage is going to be the most critical, a daylight drain would be best otherwise a sump pump would be needed.

Believe me I have thought of burying my 20 footer myself, I figured if my neighbor ever complained about me having a shipping container on my property I would bury it.
Have a walk down ramp, but that would require 8 foot retaining wall. Mine is in an area with no possibility of gravity drain so I would need a sump pump. that ramp alone would collect alot of water by itself.

I can't believe these things would crush under 5 feet of fill either, this corrugated design is similar to sheet piling/ shoring, engineered specifically to hold soil back.

JB

 

[johnrex62]

I haven't personally looked at how these containers are made, but the one in the Mythbusters episode was plywood ceiling and walls with a thin metal shell on the outside. It was not even completely covered when the top caved in.

The video posted earlier showed the container being buried only two feet below the surface and the comments included a statement than serious reinforcement was required for even that depth because the sides and top were flexing inward due to the weight of the soil on top.

Let's just say I am convinced that an unaltered container is not a good underground medium. I also saw what happened to the coffin Jaime was in when a bucket of dirt was slowly pour on it and how the corners sprung apart with only three feet of dirt on top. Dirt is HEAVY. Don't believe me, grab a shovel and prove it to yourself.

 

[LanceH]

I have a little trouble digesting that. They stack those things 10 or more high on ships and they get all tweaked around. I would think you could put it 4 or 5 feet under and drive a tank over it.

Next time you see a train or semi moving containers, take a look at how they fasten them to the trailer-only one connection in each of the for bottom corners. The corners stick up past the corrugated top and sides and looks like their made of 6x6 tube steel. The container ships stack these so that the corners bear the weight.

We use these at work (construction) to keep material and tools in and sometimes stack them if we're working on a water plant in more of the urban areas with less space. We just stack them and tack weld these tubes for temp securing. As soon as you put a heavy skid or tool you dont want to 'walk away', the roof dents in so I wouldnt trust soil over it unless you beefed it up a lot.

 

[Duffster]

YouTube - Shipping Container As An Underground Shelter

Seems like a waste of container. If you are going to stucco the earth walls and build all the temporary structure to pour over any how you could just skip the container.