# Seeking Bunker Construction Advice



## familyman (Dec 2, 2015)

Good evening, everyone. My name is Doug and I am new to the site, as well as this style of messaging. I am relatively new to the prepper community but recognize the very real advantages preparedness affords and have committed to building a bunker for myself and family in 2016. I got into prepping purely by accident. I ordered a book on fatherhood best practices a few months back and Amazon accidentally shipped me a book called One Second After. They let me keep it because the mix up was theirs and I found it to be very compelling.

I am an army veteran; work as a software project manager; and have a wife of eight years and three children (and counting). We rent in Newcastle, WA now but will make a move east to the Snoqualmie area to settle on a home (at the base of the Cascade Mountain range) with a few acres in the next six months.

I have a bunker budget of $150k and have had many conversations with a highly regarded concrete contractor who has quoted me $75k (minus excavation) for a 20'x60' reinforced concrete bunker with 8' ceilings, 8" walls, and the roof at 5' below ground (entryway included). I have included as attachments here a footprint and rough schematic of the power, water, ventilation, and drainage infrastructure.

*Power* - In the event of an EMP/solar storm the wiring and solar panels will be stored in one of the bunker's bedrooms. The physical hookups will be put on my roof right away, oriented in such a way as to maximize sun exposure. When needed, the panels and wiring will be brought out, hooked up, and will feed into the bunker's battery system, feeding the LED lights, water heater, and ventilation fans (NBC filtration system). Does anyone have any guidance on lessons learned or advice on what the "best" solar panel/battery system might be for my needs? No refrigeration or anything substantial. The bunker will not be fed by any power system besides this solar panel and battery setup.

*Ventilation* - There will be steel ventilation pipes every 10' (so 14 total, standing about 8' tall on the surface, each with holes drilled throughout the sides of the top) along the sides that serve the dual purposes of concealed ventilation inlets and chain link fence posts (probably supplemented by smaller posts in the middle, every 5'). The fence would encircle a garden and fruit trees, and the enclosure would further be surrounded by orchard. These will feed along the ceiling of the bunker into a central pipe that feeds into an NBC filtration system with capacity for up to 17 or so people. As with the power section above, any guidance in this area will be especially appreciated.

*Water* - I am thinking of burying an adjacent 20,000 gallon fiberglass potable water storage tank, gravity-fed into bunker kitchen and restroom. Roof runoff (hopefully I can get a metal or clay roof) could be fairly easily channeled into a buried receiver pipe that would store the plentiful water we get in the Pacific Northwest. This would be buried just under the service for both ease of accessibility to the top and to take advantage of gravity to feed into the kitchen and restroom. What are your thoughts on this idea and its potential for safe, long-term storage? A water heater would be one of the few draws on the solar panels/batteries, so water would have to go through this system for the kitchen sink and shower. Would anything need to be added to the water to increase its longer term viability? Drainage options also need to be considered. Any advice is most welcome.

*Drainage* - For grey water I am thinking of a pipe that would ideally (again) gravity feed into vegetation of some sort. And as far as septic, I was (perhaps naively) hoping to avoid that altogether with a very nice compost toilet. I just worry about the maintenance involved with a septic system - am I wrong? I might well be. The thinking is that the composted waste would be recycled above in the garden and orchard. The only requirement would be a vent pipe leading to the surface.

At the end of the day, I just want this to be concealed entirely (entrance under a carpet in a well-locked inconspicuous garden shed). So if anyone walked in my back yard they'd just see a garden with a bunch of fruit trees. And even if SHTF, the only change from normal would be the presence of solar panels atop the roof with a well-hidden/buried cable leading to the shed and the rain gutter pipe feeding into a pipe in the ground. The storage room would of course be stocked with 2,000 or so 50 oz. cans of Ma Collis (Keystone) beef and chicken, with enough rice, lentils, salt, beans, and wheat to feed a small army.

I feel in good company with you all and have to say it is nice to be able to talk about this stuff without getting sideways looks. I just can't stand the thought of my little ones facing the sort of conditions one might expect if the grid goes down even for a month or two.

Thanks for your insight and recommendations on where I should go to procure these items or what I should be considering as I move forward with this investment. I look forward to many years with you all. I will also pose the same questions to the electricity and other chats in this community.

Best,

Doug


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Welcome Doug, thanks Amazon, for the mistake.

That's plan is sweet! I can't offer much in advice, but I do have a few comments.

Learn the art of injecting, so that when your roof cracks and starts to leak, you can use injection to fix the leaks. Ask your concrete man about it. If he has poured these before, he'll know how.

I love the concealed ventilation using the fence posts. If I did that around here, bees and mud dobbers would fill the posts with nests in a matter of months. Can some kind of screen be put around them? Or maybe this; Yesterday, I installed some black iron pipe in a mechanics shop to transfer used oil from the shop to a holding tank. I installed a 3' gutterbrush in a first section of pipe to filter the oil a bit, to keep crap out of the pump. This is similar to what I bought. It was close to $11 for a 3' piece. http://www.gutterbrush.com/. I don't know if it would keep bees out, but it seems like you'll need something.

I also love gravity. Anything that can be gravity fed, is a great idea. Are you building on a hill so that your grey water drainage can "daylight" somewhere? I don't know about composting toilets. Septic systems, installed properly, really only has maintenance about once every 7 years. The tank needs to be pumped out about every 7 years. I think it would be gross, but you could use buckets, and dip in to clean out the tank when needed.

I have wanted to build an underground shelter ever since I was a little boy. My dad had a little 10 page fallout shelter pamphlet from the DOD laying on his desk and it caught my eye. I took it and read it. I was 8. It scared the heck out of me, but at the same time inspired me to draw a bunker that could house our entire family. I'm 51 and still haven't built one. Good for you!


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

familyman, you have the same post in at least three spots. Most of us go to Todays Posts or New Posts rather than scanning each and every forum. Just an FYI. You might find that the moderators combine all these posts into one. You have a great project.

What a great mistake to be given "One Second After".


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## redwood90 (Sep 4, 2014)

*Bunker Suggestions*

I also have a solar set up that I use for everyday at the "camp". It powers all electric including freezer and refrigerator. I use an AC converter for all the usage.( I have spares for all pieces in case of emp stored in a protected room.) I use Propane for hot water and cooking. I have been scavenging for 30 years-construction sites-as I am a General Contractor. I obtained 10-100 lb propane cylinder from roofers by just asking. They are full and under cover, use about 1 every 6 months for water and cooking with a set of ventless propane logs. All of this can be converted to wood with a heat jacket on a wood heater. My place is about 60% back in a hill. I did major water proofing with french drains and so far no problem. I did not use poured concrete. I built with 12" concrete blocks, filled and coated on the outside then water proofed. I used a suspended metal crate type form for a poured roof. Then water proofed and used a multi ply roof coat! As for "gray water" I built a septic system out of the block and drain lines. I also have a spring fed water system off of the rear hill about 200 feet away. There is a way to use a 12 volt pump from the solar system to pump water from a shallow weel.!


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Great plan. Good water proofing was going to be my comment but redwood covered it. Hope it turns out well. Don't forget exercise and entertainment on the back end.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I'm assuming you've already covered problems with the water table seeping into your concrete bunker?


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

The op was only active for about 3 day's and has not been back since December.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

jnrdesertrats said:


> The op was only active for about 3 day's and has not been back since December.


I called it in one of the OP's other threads... Troll.

http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/articles/18-types-of-internet-trolls

The OP appears to be #16. (same with PB)


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

redwood90 said:


> I also have a solar set up that I use for everyday at the "camp". It powers all electric including freezer and refrigerator. I use an AC converter for all the usage.( I have spares for all pieces in case of emp stored in a protected room.) I use Propane for hot water and cooking. I have been scavenging for 30 years-construction sites-as I am a General Contractor. I obtained 10-100 lb propane cylinder from roofers by just asking. They are full and under cover, use about 1 every 6 months for water and cooking with a set of ventless propane logs. All of this can be converted to wood with a heat jacket on a wood heater. My place is about 60% back in a hill. I did major water proofing with french drains and so far no problem. I did not use poured concrete. I built with 12" concrete blocks, filled and coated on the outside then water proofed. *I used a suspended metal crate type form for a poured roof. * Then water proofed and used a multi ply roof coat! As for "gray water" I built a septic system out of the block and drain lines. I also have a spring fed water system off of the rear hill about 200 feet away. There is a way to use a 12 volt pump from the solar system to pump water from a shallow weel.!


That's awesome! I get everything you did except the "suspended metal crate type form" for the roof. Can you elaborate a bit on this?


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## redwood90 (Sep 4, 2014)

*Metal Roof Supports*

Jeff, I went inside the structure and built a grid system with adjustable metal poles and in the center of the house had a block wall. On these I put a ridged metal plate used in porch cement pourings. I then poured 2 " of concrete without gravel and used Zonolite(kitty liter) filler. Then metal wire(1/8 welded wire). Then 2 more inches of concrete. After this hardened I removed the temp poles and still I have the center wall and all is supported with several of the metal poles in paneled walls in room divided space. Then I did a basic "parking lot" sealer, then a 9 ply build up roof-no gravel. The rear of the house has a latex water based sealer on block, then a layer of 30 lb. roof paper, then painted with a tar sealer, then a 1" sheet of foam board and another layer of tar base sealer. Also below the rear and side walls are french drains with drain lines piped off below the from of the house about 30 feet.


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