Bunker design questions..

[BunkN’Cover]

I’m not exactly sure where this topic needs to be, “General Prepping” seemed like a catch-all. Some introductions first I guess. I’m no one special, just a father of one (two soon-ish), and a husband. I wouldn’t call myself a “prepper” per se, I’m just a guy with a family that has a desire to protect his family and prepare for a potential disaster including nukes.
That being said, I’m in the process of designing a bunker to protect my family from such threats. I have some issues, problems, questions, and I would like some input from you lot as it pertains to bunker designing and functionality. What I’m really after is people who have experience and knowledge in said bunker designing and functionality, though any input and advice will be throughly read and considered. I will be happy to post a picture, if I can do that, and show what I have so far, if it’s appropriate. I’d rather not give personal details (Name, location, etc.) but general questions about the bunker are welcome.

 

[Helen Back]

Mmmmm, how do you vote?

 

[EastenerWesterner]

I would dig deep, very, very deep.

 

[M0del_31]

I’m not exactly sure where this topic needs to be, “General Prepping” seemed like a catch-all. Some introductions first I guess. I’m no one special, just a father of one (two soon-ish), and a husband. I wouldn’t call myself a “prepper” per se, I’m just a guy with a family that has a desire to protect his family and prepare for a potential disaster including nukes.
That being said, I’m in the process of designing a bunker to protect my family from such threats. I have some issues, problems, questions, and I would like some input from you lot as it pertains to bunker designing and functionality. What I’m really after is people who have experience and knowledge in said bunker designing and functionality, though any input and advice will be throughly read and considered. I will be happy to post a picture, if I can do that, and show what I have so far, if it’s appropriate. I’d rather not give personal details (Name, location, etc.) but general questions about the bunker are welcome.

I might would move to a place that is less likely to need a bunker for survival. I know, easier said than done perhaps. The best plan is to get away from the people you'd need protection from and once you're there, never vote like the people you needed protection from always seem to vote.

 

[BunkN’Cover]

Mmmmm, how do you vote?

ummm I'm not entirely sure what you mean?

 

[BunkN’Cover]

I might would move to a place that is less likely to need a bunker for survival. I know, easier said than done perhaps. The best plan is to get away from the people you'd need protection from and once you're there, never vote like the people you needed protection from always seem to vote.

So here's the hitch. My wife is pretty adamant about living in Golden Oak, she's a huge Disney fanatic, like if I didn't know any better, I might assume her name is Minnie (It's not). So with Florida being the place I'm going to be living, I've found a nice 6 acre parcel of land that's almost perfectly square. As anyone that's been an any kind of emergency or disaster knows, the roads are crowded, people panic, chaos ensues. So we've plans to purchase a couple of Skyrunner ATV's to get us from home to bunker location. If you don't know what a Skyrunner is, it's an ATV that functions as a powered parachute, meaning a flying ATV.

Also, I don't want to be rude to anyone, but if at all possible, I'd like to keep the conversation simply on bunker design and not stray toward politics. I realize it's a very hot topic and people have very strong beliefs one way or the other. My main concern is protecting my family from a disaster, all disasters really, but focusing more on a nuclear fallout shelter because it seems to me that if you can withstand a nuclear disaster you should be able to withstand most anything. Also, any nuclear capable country can loose a nuke, and it doesn't necessarily take nukes to detonate in the United States to affect the United States.

 

[BunkN’Cover]

I would dig deep, very, very deep.

I'll post pictures as soon as I can of the design I have so far. But essentially the bunker is 10ft below the surface of the earth. The bunker made completely out of reinforced concrete and is 8ft tall, most places, and all outside walls/ceiling are 2'6" thick, all interior walls are 6in thick, (except where sound proofing is needed, those walls are 12" thick) and the floor/base is 12" thick. I can't realistically go much deeper than that, without hitting the water table. Also it wouldn't make much sense unless I'm trying to avoid artillery, I'm not, i'm just trying to survive a nuclear blast 1/4 mile away. I'm pretty certain that you can't put a bunker deep enough to survive a direct hit from a nuke anyway.

 

[BunkN’Cover]

I've attached a rough floor plan with rooms numbered. The following list of rooms corresponds to the numbers on the floor plan.

1. Living room
2. Half bath w/ access from living room
3. Kitchen
4. Pantry/Food Storage
5. Dining Room
6. Communications/Security room w/ 2 EMP vaults to protect vital electronics
7. Guest Suite bedroom
8. Guest Suite closet
9. Guest Suite bathroom
10. Spare bedroom 1
11. Spare bedroom 2
12. Common use bathroom
13. Child bedroom 1
14. Child bedroom 2
15. Owner Suite bedroom
16. Owner Suite bathroom
17. Owner Suite closet
18. Laundry room
19. Gym
20. Bathroom w/ access from gym
21. Pump room/well room
22. Hallway from gym to pump room and pool room
23. Hot tub room
24. Pool room
25. Pool bathrooms w/ showers
26. Grow rooms for food, center room for compost and vermiculture (worm farm)
27. Stairway that leads down to garage (garage is 8ft lower than main bunker. garage is 16 ft tall)
28. Extra storage room above garage w/ access to hallway
29. Garage*


*Garage will have opening protected by two doors, one nuclear shielding door (inner) and a bunker door (outer) both manufactured by Sophia High Tech company.

 

[BunkN’Cover]

The rooms I'm missing are the power room (houses batteries), the generator room (houses...the generator), and the gun range/armory. My questions with the whole design have to do with mainly the generator room and overall how to provide power to the bunker and the safest way to go about it.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I think you need a bigger grow room and food storage room.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Are you using hydroponics? Something simple like grow boxes? Food Rising Grow Box assembly instructions - FoodRising.org

 

[tmttactical]

A bunker is an expensive hole in the ground to bury the owner in. No bunker will protect the occupants once the above ground home has been over run. An escape tunnel and a second BOL would serve better. JM2C.

 

[Digout]

I've attached a rough floor plan with rooms numbered. The following list of rooms corresponds to the numbers on the floor plan.

I'm glad you have a few million Dollars to spare

 

[dirtdiva]

I am going to be the voice of doom here. As an EX Disney employee and an ex 20 year Central Florida resident I am very familiar with the land and the area. You are going to build an underground bunker in the land of sinkholes.
Remember the sinkhole in Winterpark (early 80's) that swallowed an entire car dealership one night. It's now a lake I believe. There is a reason people do not have basements in Florida. First hurricane it becomes an indoor pool.

Second point.....You have to have a permit in Central Florida to fart. You either will never get one or you will have to put out massive $$$$$$$ to pass any inspection and you better have great engineers and the drawings to support that kind of build.

JMHO take it for what it's worth.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Dirt Diva is right. The ground in Florida is not a place for a secure bunker. Your chances of the place going to pieces if bombs started flying are very high! Further north into Georgia would work.

 

[Brent S]

I agree with Florida not being a great place for basements or bunkers. Storms are just getting bigger, stronger and wetter with the already high water table. The only thing I would have considered there would be an above ground poured structure that is covered with a mound of dirt afterwards. The dirt can come from the property giving a new pond as well. I did a thread with pictures here several years ago of a root cellar I built in the side of a hill. Much less grand than your concept but I did learn a few things. The number one thing I believe in any design to consider first is ventilation. Although earth insulated structures are great for many things the moisture buildup is the most common problem.

 

[M0del_31]

So here's the hitch. My wife is pretty adamant about living in Golden Oak, she's a huge Disney fanatic, like if I didn't know any better, I might assume her name is Minnie (It's not). So with Florida being the place I'm going to be living, I've found a nice 6 acre parcel of land that's almost perfectly square. As anyone that's been an any kind of emergency or disaster knows, the roads are crowded, people panic, chaos ensues. So we've plans to purchase a couple of Skyrunner ATV's to get us from home to bunker location. If you don't know what a Skyrunner is, it's an ATV that functions as a powered parachute, meaning a flying ATV.

Also, I don't want to be rude to anyone, but if at all possible, I'd like to keep the conversation simply on bunker design and not stray toward politics. I realize it's a very hot topic and people have very strong beliefs one way or the other. My main concern is protecting my family from a disaster, all disasters really, but focusing more on a nuclear fallout shelter because it seems to me that if you can withstand a nuclear disaster you should be able to withstand most anything. Also, any nuclear capable country can loose a nuke, and it doesn't necessarily take nukes to detonate in the United States to affect the United States.

I wouldn’t plan on hiding underground in Florida. Most of it is way too close to sea level and they get lots of hurricanes.

 

[Illini Warrior]

if your posting is on the up & up >> no mention of any current prep supplies or any interest in it - better find a ground level building and start spending some of that sock wad of $$$$ toward filling that building and equipping this bunker of yours ...

time is short !!!!!!!!

 

[Illini Warrior]

I wouldn’t plan on hiding underground in Florida. Most of it is way too close to sea level and they get lots of hurricanes.

back in the early 1960s - JFK prez days - the Kennedys spent plenty of time in the family FL compound (AKA Prez Trump) >>> the SS and military needed an immediate prez bunker - nothing possible below ground - grabbed a little deserted spit of island and buried a modified Quanset hut - temp protection while the Navy sent in a helicopter or sub - it was still there last I heard ....

been wondering what they did for Prez Trump's FL protection >>>

 

[lonewolf]

the only time I'd want a bunker is in case of nuclear armageddon, otherwise I like to be above ground so I can see what is going on and who is doing what to who.

 

[DrHenley]

So here's the hitch. My wife is pretty adamant about living in Golden Oak, she's a huge Disney fanatic, like if I didn't know any better, I might assume her name is Minnie (It's not). So with Florida being the place I'm going to be living, I've found a nice 6 acre parcel of land that's almost perfectly square. As anyone that's been an any kind of emergency or disaster knows, the roads are crowded, people panic, chaos ensues. So we've plans to purchase a couple of Skyrunner ATV's to get us from home to bunker location. If you don't know what a Skyrunner is, it's an ATV that functions as a powered parachute, meaning a flying ATV.

There is so much wrong with that paragraph.
With the many millions of dollars your plan will require, you could do Oh So much better than living in Disneyland.
Do you know how much attention you will draw in that Skyrunner? People will hear you coming from the next county over. There is no cover in the sky, and you don't have altitude or speed like you would with a conventional aircraft.

 

[M0del_31]

been wondering what they did for Prez Trump's FL protection >>>

My guess would be not much

 

[Helen Back]

Let's see...

Lives in California
Doesn't understand my question about how he votes (anyone who knows America is in trouble would understand that question completely)
Wants to move to Florida so his wife can be near Disneyland, where he is going to build a giant underground nuke bunker with material shortages around the world, no mention of food
Buying flying ATVs






I have no doubts about how you vote.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Let's see...

Lives in California
Doesn't understand my question about how he votes (anyone who knows America is in trouble would understand that question completely)
Wants to move to Florida so his wife can be near Disneyland, where he is going to build a giant underground nuke bunker with material shortages around the world, no mention of food
Buying flying ATVs






I have no doubts about how you vote.

his posting smelled to me also - I'm guessing 15 years old or 32 with a Mommy complex .....

interesting enough talking about FL bunkers - Disney World is one huge complex of "underground tunnels" - built on the surface and then covered over to raise that entire area .....

 

[Wiredog8]

Disney sucks.


That is all.

 

[Nam-hunt]

I made my bunker in rural Namibia...farm with water, cattle and solar.

 

[andrewOz]

I've attached a rough floor plan with rooms numbered. The following list of rooms corresponds to the numbers on the floor plan.
<snip>
*Garage will have opening protected by two doors, one nuclear shielding door (inner) and a bunker door (outer) both manufactured by Sophia High Tech company.

What the !?

Even IF you will get advanced warning of a nuclear engagement . . . which I doubt . . . you will last only as long as your food does.
I guess you can argue this might be good in the event of a hurricane, but even in this situation, you need to be adequately prepared for failed (food and energy) supply chains.
So, if you want long-term survival, I suggest spending more attention on food and energy production than a big hole in the ground.

Just my humble opinion.

But, the bigger issue is YOUR WIFE.
Your likelihood of survival will be very low if that is where you will live.
If you sincerely believe you need to take steps to better survival a potential "prepping situation" OF ANY KIND, you need to start by educating your wife that living in Disney fairyland is not the best survival option. If you do not do that first, you are wasting a lot of time and effort . . . unless you can find a family member who lives in a more secure location where you can establish a refuge with them and HOPE to be able to get there in times of need.

 

[Jayson]

I wouldn’t plan on hiding underground in Florida. Most of it is way too close to sea level and they get lots of hurricanes.

 

[ShadowWolf 13]

I'd like to echo the comments of some of my fellow DPF associates in that FL specifically the area around Disney totally sucks way to many people present at any given time.
In my honest opinion your time, money and resources would be better spent to equip the six acres of land you referenced to serve your needs to protect your family personally I'd focus on turning the property into the best survival compound that your finances will allow such as focusing on storm proofing / fortification of the primary residence, perimeter security and reduced reliance on the grid ( power, water, grocery store etc. ).

 

[Proud Prepper]

I would not choose Florida. I'd choose a few acres in a rural area, 600' above sea level, that has 2 growing seasons a year.