10 Cargo contaner bunker prep with muli tots!

[JTNieman]

Can I ask how high the budget is for such a project?

Ten container cost about $35000 already.
The digging and the concrete work cost even more.

For this price it's almost cheaper to build an underground bunker out of steel reinforced concrete alone.

Considering the containers were bought, and the hole dug, before they even really had any kind of design... something tells me that somehow money isn't the issue. /shrug

[LBB]

Can I ask how high the budget is for such a project?

Ten container cost about $35000 already.
The digging and the concrete work cost even more.

For this price it's almost cheaper to build an underground bunker out of steel reinforced concrete alone.

Considering the containers were bought, and the hole dug, before they even really had any kind of design... something tells me that somehow money isn't the issue. /shrug

If money isn't the issue, build a bunker, this is way easier than putting these containers underground.
Just sell these containers this is cheaper.

[mommyoftriplets]

Can I ask how high the budget is for such a project?

Ten container cost about $35000 already.
The digging and the concrete work cost even more.

For this price it's almost cheaper to build an underground bunker out of steel reinforced concrete alone.

THE BUDGET LOL ! we pay as we go a little at a time as far as the concrete we have a friend that works for southwest conncrete so his is bringing the left overs when we are ready for it they usaly just dump the left overs so bonus for us !!! we also know a man that colects stell so we can get the rebar and any thing steal cheap the welding my hubby is doing that andmy dad is doing the eletric!

[mommyoftriplets]

Can I ask how high the budget is for such a project?

Ten container cost about $35000 already.
The digging and the concrete work cost even more.

For this price it's almost cheaper to build an underground bunker out of steel reinforced concrete alone.

Considering the containers were bought, and the hole dug, before they even really had any kind of design... something tells me that somehow money isn't the issue. /shrug

LOL Money is a big thing !! We grow most our own vegs Thank god it is almost hunting season and we don't waist any thing !
The cargo containers have be got over 2 years and we got a discount on a few that people got and didn't want any more we got those for 1000 each for 4 of them got to love crageslist lol ! we also barow eqipment from a friend that has a ranch and do the digging when we can, we are stugling with the little store we opened been robbed 2 times in 8 months. and we foster childreen when we can but have not been able to sence the mighty trio came. So every penny counts!

[Razor]

Hmmm this thread has taken a very interesting few turns. Either way I don't care the topic at hand is very interesting to me. My question is if you can get the concrete for free (More or less I know how it goes with these things) but why don't you frame out the whole of the conex with concrete and then bury from there or as already suggested used 55 gallon barrels full of concrete to reenforce things. Also keep in mind that a more circular shape will be stronger then a straight wall.

[dustytomes]

If money is an issue you could build your (above ground) Home out of half your containers.
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/photos/8-eye-catching-shipping-container-homes/a-new-kind-of-living

[ineffableone]

Thanks I would like any ideas you have for the drainage !!
We are renforcing them with stell and welding we have a well for water and a coustom set up for sewage and we are checking into an air fillteation system! but we got the cargo containers for 4000 to 6000 a contaner oh and we are also repainting them with marine gread paint ! and Ill post so pics as soon as i can !

LOL Money is a big thing !! We grow most our own vegs Thank god it is almost hunting season and we don't waist any thing !
The cargo containers have be got over 2 years and we got a discount on a few that people got and didn't want any more we got those for 1000 each for 4 of them got to love crageslist lol ! we also barow eqipment from a friend that has a ranch and do the digging when we can, we are stugling with the little store we opened been robbed 2 times in 8 months. and we foster childreen when we can but have not been able to sence the mighty trio came. So every penny counts!

[MacAttack]

You can NOT use concrete leftovers to pour your work.

Every time the concrete hardens up it becomes a separate piece from the next one poured. All your creating is a pile of loose concrete rocks. Every joint will be porous and leak ground water in.
As one corner settles it will come apart from the walls connected to it.

Think of it as a lose stone wall construction. Like the kind around English farm lands. You can knock it down just by pushing on it.


And your cement friend would know this and if he was a real friend he would tell you.



Once a pour begins it can NOT end until the complete job is finished. We have poured a few basements and always had a backup cement truck ready at the cement plant just in case of an emergency during the work. Truck breaks down or we need a little extra at the end.


And please at least use spell check.

[maldon007]

Cold pour joints do not necessarily = structural weakness, certainly not to a point of failure (if done right, continuing/extending rebar, epoxy if needed)... But it is another complication, one more thing that can easily go wrong, if not paid attention to.

Epoxying cold joints should stop leaks too BUT I personally would just count on the crete leaking (no matter what yo do) & act accordingly... Even perfectly done basement walls may sweat if there is enough wetness outside... Thats what the drainage is for. A sealer on the outside, put on after the pour, is the only way to really stop water migration totally.

I would look at the crete as a structural support only, and not as a sealer... So whatever you need to do to keep the metal from rusting, do it... Drainage is #1 imo... paint/coating will help too, I assume, but not much can stop eventual rust if the metal is constantly wet.


Disclaimer- these opinions are mostly from stuff I have read/heard/seen & extrapolated from pours I have done, never personally poured a basement... Again, I live in florida

[mommyoftriplets]

Cold pour joints do not necessarily = structural weakness, certainly not to a point of failure (if done right, continuing/extending rebar, epoxy if needed)... But it is another complication, one more thing that can easily go wrong, if not paid attention to.

Epoxying cold joints should stop leaks too BUT I personally would just count on the crete leaking (no matter what yo do) & act accordingly... Even perfectly done basement walls may sweat if there is enough wetness outside... Thats what the drainage is for. A sealer on the outside, put on after the pour, is the only way to really stop water migration totally.

I would look at the crete as a structural support only, and not as a sealer... So whatever you need to do to keep the metal from rusting, do it... Drainage is #1 imo... paint/coating will help too, I assume, but not much can stop eventual rust if the metal is constantly wet.


Disclaimer- these opinions are mostly from stuff I have read/heard/seen & extrapolated from pours I have done, never personally poured a basement... Again, I live in florida

Thanks That is what we were thinking (suport Only) and we took your advice on the drainage already we are also going to use boat paint which is made for salt water so that should help extend the life of the steal we hope but it is $$$ so a little at a time !
Oh and sorry about the spelling i dont have spell check and I have to type in a hurry with 3 tots at my side LOL!

[LBB]

Ok, if I see it right, or maybe wrong, you got the containers for a great price.
So I would just sell them, as you are destroying wealth by just letting them stand around.

Right now these containers go for a great price, so you could have made money, and with money you can make more money.
And I would just have build a bunker for this amount of money, as this is cheaper and better instead of using ten containers. They are just not as flexible as needed for bigger space requirements.

As I said, you are just destroying wealth, and for disaster preparedness, you should know basic accounting, and economic skills at the least.

[ineffableone]

other Shipping container threads here on ZS

Jack's in the Box: Shipping Container BOL Construction http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53485

Cargo Container = Bunker? http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=12371

Check out my Shipping Container Compound/BOL http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=54010

shipping Container Home http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=70697

Shipping container house construction http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=88176

Conex Box for Living In? http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=87966

Shipping container buildings http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8027

woman in a shipping container http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=89767

Underground building threads

Underground construction http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=85321&p=1894546

tunneling/underground structures http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=87231&p=1936709

[mommyoftriplets]

Ok, if I see it right, or maybe wrong, you got the containers for a great price.
So I would just sell them, as you are destroying wealth by just letting them stand around.

Right now these containers go for a great price, so you could have made money, and with money you can make more money.
And I would just have build a bunker for this amount of money, as this is cheaper and better instead of using ten containers. They are just not as flexible as needed for bigger space requirements.

As I said, you are just destroying wealth, and for disaster preparedness, you should know basic accounting, and economic skills at the least.

True Very True That dose give me some thing to think about and talk over with hubby !

[maldon007]

Building a bunker may or may not be cheaper than reinforcing containers... You will need more concrete to equal the same strength as metal + crete... You will need more forms/braces... You will need doors... Bolting things to the walls will be tricky-er... Squaring everythig up may be tougher, without the "frame" of the trailer... And you already have them.

Maybe sell some, as 10 seems like a LOT... use the money to fix up a few, even better... But sure, selling them all & building a bunker is an option. But it depends on your experience whether you can build a free standing bunker on your own... At my skill level, I might attempt the reinforced container build... But not the other, just a bit over my head.

[LBB]

Building a bunker may or may not be cheaper than reinforcing containers... You will need more concrete to equal the same strength as metal + crete... You will need more forms/braces... You will need doors... Bolting things to the walls will be tricky-er... Squaring everythig up may be tougher, without the "frame" of the trailer... And you already have them.

Maybe sell some, as 10 seems like a LOT... use the money to fix up a few, even better... But sure, selling them all & building a bunker is an option. But it depends on your experience whether you can build a free standing bunker on your own... At my skill level, I might attempt the reinforced container build... But not the other, just a bit over my head.

Think about the amount of ten containers they are 8 foot wide so you need a hole 80 by 40 or something like this.
To make this all stable, you need a lot of concrete. You probably need to get ground anchors at least 40 feet deep. You need everything leveled and you need some concrete on top so that you actually can drive over it.
If you want to place two containers deep it still would be 40 by 40 feet.
To get them in you need special equipment, and you still need ground anchors.
Besides now you need a hole that is at least 16 feet deep.

You need to get sumps that collect the rain water, and pumps that pump it out. You might need to get concrete walls so that the side walls don't give in.

ten containers underground is just a logistic nightmare, and is not cost efficient at all.

By the way, how many people do you want to have there? 200?

If I bring this on the point, you actually need construction plans for this, and probably need permission by the county you are in to build such an underground construction, and you might need to get permission by your water district as well as this is such a large installation.

[yossarian]

I've followed this since page one and my first thoughts haven't changed throughout the course of the thread.

First off, this isn't the kind of project where you come to ZS and say "what should I do?". It's the kind of project where you come to ZS and say "Look what I've done, after consulting with local professionals to meet my specific engineering and zoning needs. Now do I stock it with Ak's or AR's?" As you can see by the variety of responses, this is far above our pay grade and beyond internet advice in general. You need hands on, qualified advice from people who do this for a living and have the liability insurance to back up their advice. Anything less risks the loss of your investment at best and the safety of your family at worst.

That said, if your living as hand to mouth as you say, relying on your vegetable garden and hunting season to fill your bellies then you have much higher priorities than an underground bunker, no matter the size. The "zombies" that we prepare for are much more likely to rear their ugly heads as ordinary, boring emergencies. Things like a blown transmission, a trip to the ER for stitches or a broken bone, a new furnace or central AC unit are far more likely than a cataclysmic event that requires prolonged isolation in an underground fortress. It's good that you have the skills to grow and hunt your own food and preserve it but, until you can practice frugality as a sport, not a necessity, you have other priorities to focus on.

[LBB]

And I checked the New Mexico codes, you will get yourself into jail for building such a large underground fortress.

I have to question your common sense for this kind of a project.

[ineffableone]

And I checked the New Mexico codes, you will get yourself into jail for building such a large underground fortress.

I have to question your common sense for this kind of a project.

Well others have questioned the OPs actual credibility already. There has been multiple accounts of posting stock photos that has been caught and brought up, I posted the two quotes where the prices for the containers changed. The idea that this person is legitimately putting together a bunker with 10 shipping containers is a very low probability. Sadly there are people who for some reason or another think it is fun to put up weird hoaxes like this on forums. There is a high likelihood this is another one.

You are right yossarian, that such a big project is a lot more than an Internet forum discussion. That someone would come to a forum to figure out how to do such a project does question common sense. It is such a large project that you would expect hands on in the field help and a lot more knowledge than what the OP came here with.

To me this all spells someone hoaxing.

And while some people just don't care if she is legit or not and are enjoying the mental exercise of trying to figure out the job, it should be said for anyone who stumbles on this thread at a later date that most likely this is all just imaginary. Since this forum can be found by anyone searching the Internet, unwary folks might end up reading this thread and with out the members of ZS here calling BS on hoax threads then the information is left for the unwary to stumble upon and think is real.

[ZombieGranny]

Look guys - if you think the OP is messing with you and you want the thread locked, I suggest one of you notify a mod to have it looked into.

[maldon007]

I think the detractors have been clear, a bunker would be cheaper (not sure I agree)... It may be a hoax (no idea)... I may not work (or it may)... So it seems like at this point, either stick to the op or report for locking.

If you think it is a hoax, ignore or report.

If you think she shouldn't continue, that point has been made.

If you think a bunker is better, that point has been made.

If you think it is an interesting concept, comment & suggest.

Or, continue beating dead horses, just my .02

[JTNieman]

As you can see by the variety of responses, this is far above our pay grade and beyond internet advice in general.

...and those of us who do handle this type of stuff for a living probably won't touch this with a ten foot pole. Just saying. It's a nightmare, and begun bass ackwards.

This leaves the thread filled with people guessing out of their butts, an OP who has no experience or credibility to lend to the topic, and people posing questions that go unanswered or filled in by people without a clue. There are a couple people offering up some niche advice, and some people proposing things that aren't necessary at all.

All in all, it nets a resultant thread of bullshit that devalues the forum. That's why I protested.

[LBB]

I actually work with people that build housing out of these kind of containers, and they said it will be way more expensive to build this than any other structure.
You need way more support than you think.

They buried some containers and have a lot of support beams in them as they build something on top.



As you can see in this picture, it has a lot of support beams so that they were able to build something on top.
If you build a house on top, you probably need the same amount of beams, so there is not so much space left.

mommyoftriplets, you said you have the containers already for about two years. Does this mean you have them in your front yard for about two years or at a certain location for the last two years?

[JTNieman]

Yea, the reason I abandoned the my thread about cargo container homes was because it was not economically viable for situations I was looking into, and I wasn't even burying them - though I was looking into 2-3 story situations. Holes/portals were expensive, and I'm not keen on living in a prison box.

[Regular Guy]

Shipping containers to live in would suck. I've spent my fair share 'living' in them while guarding tools from theft while over seas. It's sucks. They're always too hot, too cold, too wet, too dark or too noisy. They are always dusty which will mess with your allergies.

That stated, I believe a block structure with concrete reinforcement would be easier, cheaper and way more adaptable to living. We built these types of structures all over the world and they with stood every weather event and more than a little bit of gunfire. We built some that were completely submerged in mud and we dug them out. Apart from replacing the dry wall and electrical wiring they were unharmed.

With all that in mind, the large majority of modern homes are very well built, if you find a good contractor and speak with them they can add extra reinforcing. This would probably be the most cost effective.