Tornado Shelter

[kenmac]

Would a septic tank work? They are common and probably not very expensive.

We have a local septic tank co that builds storm shelters out of septic tanks

 

[Soundguy]

i've seen metal and metal / fg ones that you can bury.

alternatively.. I know a guy that made a bunch of Y2K shelters and storage units out of septic tanks.. ( new ones! )

 

[EddieWalker]

How are you going to dig the hole?

I've seen large culverts used for underground bunkers that had concrete on the back and a metal door on the front. It was put in on the side of a hill and if I remember correctly, it wasn't quite tall enough to stand up in, but there was bench seats on the sides with some shelves full of stuff.

Eddie

 

[Pettrix]

If you are going to dig, check you zoning, because that sometimes requires a permit if you are building an underground shelter. They don't want people building underground buildings that can collapse on top of them from poor engineering.

 

[Western]

I've thought about using one of those metal shipping containers, a short one if they make a 10-20'er. Buried 3/4's or flush with the ground then a 3-4" concrete "cap". I've seen some of those containers sell for 3k and less for a 40' one.

 

[RoyJackson]

I've thought about using one of those metal shipping containers, a short one if they make a 10-20'er. Buried 3/4's or flush with the ground then a 3-4" concrete "cap". I've seen some of those containers sell for 3k and less for a 40' one.

That sounds like it would work. How would you enter? Cut a door on top?

Back in the old days, folks used to use root cellars...anything dug into the ground. It saved them...

 

[Depmandog]

Hi All,

I've been living in a manufactured home for over ten years now. We have no basement and no safe place to take shelter during a storm here in central Illinois. I want to build a cheap effective tornado shelter. I have a bunch of large fence posts left over from a fence project along with a tractor and post hole digger. I'm thinking about sinking a bunch of fence posts in the ground and making a small building out of them and then burying the whole thing. I need to figure out how to keep water out and vent it. Do you think my idea could work?

Kevin

When I read your post, I immediately thought of the traditional root cellar, which has been constructed from necessity since the beginning of time until recently.

Growing up with a root cellar (without a doubt the scariest place on earth for a kid),
Anytime the storms would roll in, we would head to the root cellar. Of course I wasn't worried about a tornado, I was more concerned with the spiders and the supposed 8' long snake my older sister swore lived there. Probably the worst was if ma told me - the 6 year old kid to go to the root cellar for something, by myself. YIKES. Oh the memories.

So I thought it would be an interesting topic to research. People have built cellars from whatever natural resources they had available. Do a google image search, and you will see what I mean. Quite fascinating.

You could use wood, although I don't think it would last long, if it held at all. One interesting thought, we have a concrete products plant a few miles from here. Their yard is FULL of reject boxes. Some of appropriate size for a storm shelter. One of the articles I read, this is what they used and basically got it for free, just had to pay to have it transported.

Here is an image that I found showing wood construction. Obviously it's not a root caller (or storm shelter). I wanted you to see this to show how the wood you have could be used to construct your shelter.





Good luck with your project.

 

[blueriver]

Would a septic tank work? They are common and probably not very expensive.

Two fold ... protect you as well when you shlt yourself ... well?

 

[rebb]

i've been looking into this myself. so far, rectangular concrete culverts and septic tanks are all i've found that's suitable. if i'm going to put the time and effort into digging a hole, i may as well put something solid in it that'll last 20+ years is the way i'm thinking.

no prices so far, though. maybe do a search for 'concrete culverts' and look at the industrial end of things. this is where i found the rectangular items-i've got several emails out to manufacturers for info.

 

[sweettractors]

Hi All,

I've been living in a manufactured home for over ten years now. We have no basement and no safe place to take shelter during a storm here in central Illinois. I want to build a cheap effective tornado shelter. I have a bunch of large fence posts left over from a fence project along with a tractor and post hole digger. I'm thinking about sinking a bunch of fence posts in the ground and making a small building out of them and then burying the whole thing. I need to figure out how to keep water out and vent it. Do you think my idea could work?

Kevin

I built 1 from a piece of corrugated road tile 6 ft long and 5 ft in diameter. I found a ground slope close to the rental houses and took my backhoe and dug back into the slope. dropped in the road tile, Put a piece of 1 inch thick treated on the back end next the dirt and a heavy wire mesh hinged door on the front. Cost less my labor $300. Ken Sweet