# Shipping containers as bunker



## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

Has anyone had any experience building with shipping containers. I'm trying to come up with ideas for a bunker/BOL. I won't be able to do this for a few years (once I've bought enough land) My plan is to use shipping containers...one or two underground as the bunker and one above that poses as a shed or retreat space. I've seen a bunch of pinterest pictures of containers that were converted to homes. Has anyone here actually done this? If so...how difficult is the conversion? Pros & cons. You can get shipping containers for less than 3K each. I thought this would be a great way to get space without bankrupting the family. 
Sorry if this has been asked before. :beercheer:


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Here is a linkt to a build.http://www.permies.com/t/5752/green-building/shipping-container-cabin-shelter

shipping containers need to be reinforced if you are planning to bury them


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

For less than $3000 you can get a nice camp trailer that has everything built in already. You can move the trailer yourself ( the container usually require a semi to move). Plus you can use the trailer for camping!


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Shipping containers have been covered in a previous thread. Just do some digging and you will find it. They are quite an interesting BOL concept though.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> Here is a linkt to a build.http://www.permies.com/t/5752/green-building/shipping-container-cabin-shelter


That was really cool. I did not read the text, just looked at the pictures. His was obviously some kind of home or vacation cabin as the security of his unit was very poor. But it was awesome to see the potential in one of those shipping containers.


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone!


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## ONEOLDCHIEF (Jan 5, 2012)

Try this youtube vid... The best I have found... If you put one underground you have to shore up the walls, they will buckle... 




Good luck...


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

That's a great video! Thankfully I have some very handy folks in my family with construction backgrounds. This is all just an idea right now but, hopefully I can do something like this a few years down the road.


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## purehavoc (Nov 7, 2012)

Shipping containers around here are going from $3500-$4500 a piece


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

I just did a blind search on craigslist & found a few for $1500-$2000. I'm sure it would cost more to have it hauled to wherever it needs to go.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I'd love to get one, but I think my landlord would freak! :eyebulge: vract:


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Thats why you bury it outta site outta mind


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

maybe... her husband was in the Corps too, maybe I could get him onboard that it's my "OP" and then he'd talk her into it


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

Be careful buying containers. Look any container over a bunch before buying it. If there is a lot of rust you really need to look for areas where roof and walls may be leaking and or weakened by the rust. Most of the containers I have seen have lead in the paint and floors are heavily treated wood with lot of chemicals. 

Your best bet is to go to dealer with lots of containers. They are set up to move them to your site and set up. You will need concrete pilings to set your container on if it is above ground. If you do plan to bury it then your work is really cut out for you. Plan on coating inside and out to seal and cover the unit. Inside the roof and walls need to be reinforced with wood. The earth compacting can collapse the container if not reinforced. 

Floor may need to be replaced and drainage accounted for under and around the unit. Doorways, airways, water in and out need to be included. You really need to read as much on the net as you can. A used unit from a dealer will run $3,000 up not including transport to your site and set up. 

Be ready to do lots of work but the end result can be really nice. GB


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## bluestocking (Jan 10, 2013)

No personal experience, but on Doomsday Preppers a few families had gone this route. Apparently they are rather bulletproof (one family actually fired several types of rounds at theirs to test). As already mentioned, if you plan to bury them, you do need to reinforce them structurally.


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## purehavoc (Nov 7, 2012)

bluestocking said:


> No personal experience, but on Doomsday Preppers a few families had gone this route. Apparently they are rather bulletproof (one family actually fired several types of rounds at theirs to test). As already mentioned, if you plan to bury them, you do need to reinforce them structurally.


Im not sure what they shot it with but I know for a fact 9mm fmj will penetrate one, maybe not all of them as they are all made differently and with different thickness's of materials so take that into effect also


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

purehavoc said:


> Im not sure what they shot it with but I know for a fact 9mm fmj will penetrate one, maybe not all of them as they are all made differently and with different thickness's of materials so take that into effect also


They shot a .22 LR at it. And they were shooting at the corner of the house. Where the metal would be the thickest. Really they should think about taking their house and actually making it bullet resistant because the way their house is right now it barely stopped the .22 LR


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## purehavoc (Nov 7, 2012)

Cabowabo said:


> They shot a .22 LR at it. And they were shooting at the corner of the house. Where the metal would be the thickest. Really they should think about taking their house and actually making it bullet resistant because the way their house is right now it barely stopped the .22 LR


Thats kinda what I figured was a small lower powered caliber . They are good for bunkers if they are buried or covered and putting a thick steel plate on the doors would help for small arms protection


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Burying a Shipping Container or CONEX, by Danny Papa
Monday, Mar 9, 2009

http://www.survivalblog.com/2009/03/burying_a_shipping_container_o.html

Back during the first Gulf War we used excess shipping containers for underground storage and protection. Out first few attempts to make use of these containers met with disaster. Although they will support a huge amount of weight, in the range of 400,000 pounds directly on top, It must be place directly over the load-bearing corners. The sides and top are vulnerable to flexing, if they flex they can and will collapse. With all of this in mind let's go through how to bury one the right way, so that it will be ready and usable when the time comes.

First let us start with container preparation. Most of these containers have spent years at sea covered with salt water. This means rust. Very simply the rust needs to be removed as best as possible. A drill with a wire brush does this well.

This is a time consuming job but it will add years of life to your container. Grind off all of the rust and then paint everything [with specially-formulated rust-resistant paint], and I mean everything. Don't forget underneath. For safety, I have rolled these containers over on their sides to do this step, it would creep me out to jack it up and crawl underneath one. A little grinding and paint will help protect your investment. Once the container is ready be sure to let the paint dry for a couple of days before burial.

The hole needs to be 16 feet wide 55 feet long and 8 feet deep.
Think about this if you dig a hole it will eventually fill up with water.
So we either need to build a sump in the bottom or trench it out to day light. I prefer the latter, since it requires no electricity or manual labor to pump it dry.
Let's presume we have trenched it to daylight and go from there.
Line the bottom of the hole with foundation plastic, heavy duty black plastic. At least two feet up the sides. Place French drain pipe with silt shield in bottom of hole and out to daylight. Stake it in place where it will not be directly under the edges or corners of the container. Drive a t-post every 8 feet around the edge of the hole through the plastics within 6 inches of the sides. Place 6 inches of gravel in bottom of hole.

Now comes the hard part, getting the container in the hole. .
You want the container centered to the back of the hole within 42 inches of the back wall. A big track hoe can move these containers but make sure with the owner when renting one that it can pick up at least 8,000 pounds if not you may need a small crane. I could go into many different ways to get it into the hole but the key is to get it onto the gravel with out it digging in, where it needs to be and level.

Next, we will discuss Gabions or HESCO baskets. This is basically a wire basket with a liner to hold rocks and sand that will bear the load for the sides of the container. This wire basket wall will be built completely around the containers to support the sides from both lateral pressure and water. To save time and explanation, see the Wikipedia pages on gabions and HESCO bastions.

Here is a shopping list for "do it yourself" basket materials. Please realize that this is that this is the Army way which means expensive. I will go over alternatives later.

24 - Hog panels. These are welded wire 34 inches tall by 16 feet long.
34 - Cattle panels these are welded wire 52 inches tall by 16 feet long
20 - 8 foot long T-posts which are used in the bottom of the hole
Hog ring pliers and a large sack of heavy gauge hog rings (these are to hold the baskets together).
2,240 square feet of chicken wire with 1/2" size mesh
56 - 3 ft. pieces of 3/8 rebar, with one inch bent down on each end.
28 - 3 ft. pieces of 3/8 rebar, with one end bent into hooks

The hog panels are the bottom middle and top support for the baskets the cattle panels. Place hog panels over t-post and let them to ground where panel is flat on the ground. Line them up end to end with one across the back of the hole.

Place the cattle panels in between the T-post and the wall of the hole. Use the hog rings to tie the bottom together at least one every 6 inches. Take the hooked rebar and drive into the ground every four foot between t post. Now place a cattle panel on the other side of the hog panel and tie them together along the bottom.

Do this all the way around the container. Here is where a little experience is helpful. Build the one in the back first. Put the bottom and the sides and cut a hog panel to the right length for the ends of the basket. Nest do the long side this will be 48 feet long. Now do the other side but we will do it a little different. Once you are four feet past the end of the container cut off the cattle panels and hog panels and build end for the basket. Then build another small basket that goes at a 90 degree angle to the middle of the hole forming an "L" for the doorway.

Now you have the baskets. Cover the outside cattle panel with landscape fabric to keep silt from filling between the rocks then line the entire inside of the basket with chicken wire--use the 1/2" inch mesh variety. Make sure the basket walls are straight up and down. Use the rebar with the bent ends to tie the sides together. Now fill the baskets with rocks any rocks will do as long as they are packed in and do not leave a bunch of gaps I like rocks about the size of a baseball, the key is that they have to be big enough to not go though the wire mesh. Now put the top on the basket which will be the bottom of the next row. And then build the next layer of baskets. Once the wall of baskets is built then use what ever you have to reach from one wall of baskets to the other. In Saudi we use these wood floor pieces that they made for our tents which were a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood on a 2x4 frame it took two of them to get across but once we put them in place and covered them with plastic we would pile a layer of sand bags on top of them at least three sand bags deep. Then cover the whole thing with another sheet of plastic and top it off with a layer of sand.

On the end where the door is I had you build an L shape this is a basic entrance for any bunker over this end you need to use heavy timbers to support the sand bag covering we used old cross ties from one basket to the other not sure if this is a good idea considering the creosote on the ties.

Now this would take a squad about two days to build but once completed right they will last for decades. Before rotating out of the country, we had a bull dozer drive across one, just to see what would happen. Other than crushing the wooden panels supporting the sand bags there was no damage to the container. Now, to do this the way a civilian could do it...

For the Gabion/HESCO baskets there are many alternatives, such as:

55 gallon drums filled with sand and anchored together with metal strips.
Old tires stacked and filled with sand but keep these at least 8 inches away from the side of the container.
Sandbags

Sandbags are very labor intensive and again need to make sure there is a gap between them and the container they have a "slide" effect that is hard to overcome without experience. You can even just use packed sand in the basket if you line it completely with landscape material or fabric that will keep the sand in the basket.

Another point of experience: I have had people ask why not use bailing wire or concrete ties to hold the baskets together the simple answer is that rust will eventually destroy this light-gauge wire. You can use this but I would advise that paint the wire after it was twisted it together and don't expect it to last as long as the hog rings.

Also remember that many things can happen when you are underground, so always keep equipment in the container that can be used to break your way out. Ax, saws, a pick ax, and a hydraulic jack.

To sum it all up you just have to remember three key things. Rust removal and prevention, keep it dry, and alleviate any lateral pressure.

Copyright 2005-2012 James Wesley, Rawles - SurvivalBlog.com All Rights Reserved


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

Is their anyway to stop a heat signature from showing whats in a cargo box that is buried underground? If you can see the heat signature then it won't do much good as a bunker.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Cabowabo said:


> Is their anyway to stop a heat signature from showing whats in a cargo box that is buried underground?


I would say lots of dirt on the outside, and spray foam insulation sprayed on the inside.

But SERIOUSLY... if you are trying to evade someone with the equipment and capability of processing heat sensor imaging, you have a lot bigger problems on your hands. That scenario is far, far worse than your typical SHTF goings-on.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

mike_dippert said:


> Spray-on truck bed liner on the outside? That stuff is tough as nails


How many gallons would be needed? How much does it cost per gallon?


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Or just buy a white rubber roof coating. Seals almost anything rain-tight. It covers about 25 sq. ft per gallon.


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