If you plan on digging an underground storm shelter outside of your home then you will need to pay for a ground analysis.
How to build underground bunker roofs.
You can use the existing basement slab floor assuming that it is reinforced and meets fema requirements.
Pour concrete stairs leading down to the bunker.
The easiest and cheapest way to build your own storm shelter underground is to put it in your existing basement.
Pour concrete stairs leading down to the bunker.
While doing research on building an underground bunker you might come across the idea of using a shipping container as the structure of your bunker.
Dig a hole a least 2 feet deeper than the height of the shipping container.
Place corrugated steel across the top of the container as a base for the concrete roof.
Once you re sure that your location will work and won t flood dig a hole 2 feet deeper than your bunker s height.
The idea is pretty straightforward dig a massive hole bury the container and then install all of the necessities.
I don t want to have to worry about monitoring two doors for smoke.
So my new bunker is a different design using concrete for the roof with a much deeper underground structure.
The entry would be no good as an exit if there s lots of debris from collapsing the house structure.
Plus we d be stuck in there for the full duration of the house burning.
These pipes will be the shelter s ventilation system.
If you want to build an underground bunker choose a dry location with gravel soil and dig a hole up to 4 feet deep to check the water table level.
Each pipe should extend 3 feet over the roof of the shelter after it has been covered and at least 3 feet from the roof into the shelter.
Use i beams to support the entryway roof.
Use i beams to support the entryway roof.