What is necessary for any bunker. How to build an underground bunker with your own hands

People, as you know, love to be afraid. This weakness is successfully used in their business not only by filmmakers, but also by builders and real estate agents, whose new hit of sales has become comfortable bomb shelters. The range is wide - from minimalist structures, more like a cistern dug into the ground, to luxurious underground mansions.

In 1949, after the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear test, President Harry S. Truman created the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA), asking Congress for millions of dollars to build a nuclear defense system. At the end of the 50s, funding began for local civil protection departments, whose responsibilities included organizing and supplying air-raid shelters. However, the strongest impetus for their construction was given by the young President John Kennedy (John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy), who in 1961, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, called on his fellow citizens to show consciousness and take care of their own security. Citizens began to build private shelters from the Soviet nuclear bomb.

Funded by local and federal authorities, thousands of public shelters were set up across the country, providing shelter for two-thirds of the population. In Washington alone, about 1,300 public shelters have appeared with more than a million beds - enough to accommodate all the city's residents and even some of its guests. However, these were not specialized structures. As a rule, semi-basements of residential buildings, churches, schools and public buildings were used for these purposes, the walls of which were reinforced with concrete to protect against radiation, after which the necessary supplies of food and medicine were stored there.

In 1965, in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, an experiment was conducted in which 34 Navy officers spent four and a half days in such a basement, eating "shelter" food - cookies, tomato soup, peanut butter and jelly. The subjects lost an average of 2.36 pounds of weight, were in a bad mood and complained of constipation.

There were much fewer private bomb shelters built - according to some estimates, about 200 thousand of them appeared between 1945 and 1961. On the one hand, it was expensive: in 1961, it cost $2.5 thousand to build a shelter in the backyard of a family home. On the other hand — created the ground for friction with neighbors, since it posed a dilemma: to take them or not to take them into a close family shelter if something happened? The question is all the more difficult because digging a “hole” in the backyard most often became the subject of ridicule from these same neighbors.

A typical family bomb shelter in the garden, measuring three by four meters in area and accessed through a hatch, took two years to build. In 1961, 38-year-old Charleston, West Virginia resident Michael Preiser, inspired by President Kennedy's call, founded Shelters Inc., which became very successful. The secret of success was that the company sold standardized bomb shelters. It was essentially a set of corrugated metal parts that did not require professional construction skills to assemble. On average, such a shelter cost $685, broken down into monthly payments of $15.

Some enthusiasts created more powerful structures. A certain head of a family from Washington state built a four-level underground fortress with an area of 130 square meters under his three-story house. m, with several rooms, numerous passages and a three-ton door opened and closed by an electric motor. Life support systems ran on a generator that occupied a separate room. By the way, this house is now on sale for $259 thousand.

There were also special offers for the rich. In California, Hungarian-born architect Paul László, who built houses for such Hollywood stars as Gary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck, even developed the entire concept of Atomville USA ("Nuclear Village USA"), according to which it was possible to escape the consequences of a nuclear strike in special underground settlements, the structures in which would be connected by a cable car. While the idea was being considered at the Pentagon, the architect built a private bomb shelter in Woodland Hills. In keeping with the architect's signature style, with an emphasis on luxury and comfort, the air raid shelter was a spacious room with telephones and other amenities and could be used as additional living space. Another famous architect at the time, Robert Stacey-Judd, born in London, also designed bomb shelters to order, making them similar to the structures of the ancient Mayan tribe, whose culture he was interested in.

In the 70-80s, when the anti-nuclear movement tried to convey to everyone that the explosion of even one nuclear bomb would make salvation impossible, bomb shelters began to fall into disrepair. The authorities began to close public shelters, some of the supplies were thrown away, some were distributed to the poor. Their owners converted private bomb shelters into wine cellars and mushroom growing workshops. Local civil defense departments have finally merged with the federal Ministry of Emergency Situations. And if in the 50-60s, programs to protect the population were 90% designed to combat the nuclear threat and only 10% to deal with natural disasters, now the ratio is exactly the opposite, with 10% “reserved” for the nuclear threat. quickly reorient themselves to combating the consequences of terrorist attacks.

After September 11, there was renewed interest in bomb shelters. In the spring of 2002, the UC Santa Barbara Branch Museum of Art even organized an exhibition entitled “Nuclear Families: The California Nuclear Shelter Movement, 1950-1969.” It featured, among other things, shelter plans designed by Paul László and Robert Stacy-Judd.

Local branches of the Ministry of Emergency Situations have noted an increase in calls: people are interested in the addresses of bomb shelters and how to build them. Private entrepreneurs, unlike the state, instantly responded to the growing demand. Manufacturers of shelters in the US claim that their sales have increased by 500%. A typical mass-produced shelter resembles a buried tank and costs about $30,000. But you can choose something more fun that preserves your usual lifestyle as much as possible.

F-5 Storm & Fallout Shelters, based in Baskin, Louisiana, has been making vent units with filters sourced from Switzerland since the '50s and selling them nationwide. Without taking into account installation costs, they cost from $8 thousand to $20 thousand, depending on the configuration. Harden Structures of Virginia Beach, Virginia, sells "survival tents" that purport to protect against chemical, biological and nuclear threats and start at $7,500. For $66,000, Radius Engineering of New Hampshire offers a product called The P10 Disaster Shelter is a ten-person fiberglass structure that fits underground and has bulletproof hatches.

Kleen Air Technologies Inc. of Frisco, Colorado, works for even more demanding clients: the 18 shelters it has already sold have wood floors, a kitchen and even a laundry room, walls more than half a meter thick, and a minimum area of about 100 square meters. m, although orders mostly come for much larger premises. Mirrors create the effect of expanding space, false illuminated windows create the illusion of a sunny landscape outside the window, and a meditation library should help overcome depression.

In addition to luxurious baths, there are decontamination rooms and a state-of-the-art control room with a generator, internal surveillance cameras, radiation meters, shortwave transmitters, police wave scanners and much more. Starting price: $600 thousand.

20th Century Castles LLC, based in Dover, Kansas, converts closed underground missile bases into bomb shelters for luxury private homes. The former Atlas-F rocket launch base in Adirondack Park, New York, has been converted into a $1.7 million mountain retreat. m with a private landing strip there is a spacious accommodation with three bedrooms. The former Atlas-E rocket launch center in Wamego, Kansas, has been converted into a 1,400-square-foot underground fortress. m for ten people, with a sauna, kitchen and a massive 47-ton garage door (sold for $1.2 million).

Over the past decades, not only the appearance, but also the concept of shelters has changed. After the films “Panic Room” with Jodie Foster and “Dark Areas” with Bradley Cooper with special rooms, which are increasingly called “panic rooms”, their purpose is to hide a wealthy family from raiders or kidnappers and help them hold out until the police arrive. Such a room could simply be a closet with a reinforced door and a telephone inside.

However, a more typical option is a room separated from the rest of the house by reinforced walls and a hidden magnetic door. It is equipped with a ventilation system and telephone lines, as well as a toilet. For the most demanding clients, we offer Kevlar-armored bulletproof internal walls, indoor television surveillance systems for the house, a generator and other technical support. It is not known how many of these rooms have already been built, but it is known for sure that their owners live mainly in prestigious areas of Manhattan and Hollywood, and it is not surprising - a fully equipped room costs up to $500 thousand.

Shelters are also being built in Europe. In October last year, the home of well-known realtor Christian Pellerin was demolished for violating planning regulations on the Azur coast in France. In an estate worth $23 million (bought at one time for $100 thousand from an American woman), underground structures with an area of 743 square meters were discovered. m, the construction of which was carried out without permission. This was the reason for the demolition of the house. The underground facility, described by authorities as “a stunning combination of luxury and vulgarity,” included swimming pools, fountains, Jacuzzis, thermal saunas and a bomb shelter.

Programs for the construction of air-raid shelters exist in a number of countries, for example in Switzerland, as well as in Singapore, where a special law in 1998 made their construction mandatory in residential buildings. Since 1983, when the project began, 87 thousand have been built in municipal residential buildings and about 1 thousand in private ones. They can shelter 700 thousand people.

A bunker is a well-fortified structure that is designed to provide shelter from various types of dangers. It is usually built underground or semi-buried. The most expensive part of building a bunker is the pit and concrete box. The most difficult thing is ventilation. Everything else is done over time and with your own hands. In my case - with the hands of my husband.

We prepared a pit (take as an example the minimum size of 6x8 m). Depth 4 meters. We are drilling a well so that the shelter does not depend on central supply. On average it will cost 30,000 rubles. The well is either in the pit itself or right next to it. To always have access to the room where filters and other equipment for the well will be located.

Autonomous sewerage includes equipment designed for the removal and disposal of wastewater, ensuring its accumulation and purification. You can keep within the range of 30-50 thousand. Although, there are also ones that cost a hundred thousand.

There is all the information on the Internet about the installation of such systems. But just in case, you can buy a couple of bio-toilets:

The capacity of the receiving tank is 10 liters, with a waste filling indicator, and a two-way flush of the toilet bowl. The volume of the receiving tank allows the toilet to be used both individually and for families. Be sure to order sanitary liquid and shampoo. Two liters of liquid is enough for 3-6 months for a small family (info from the internet). The average cost is 4 thousand rubles.

There must be an emergency exit from the shelter (the main one is in the house). We dig a trench from the prepared pit. A pipe of the required diameter from 1 to 1.5 m is laid in the trench (such a pipe costs about 30 thousand rubles). The trench and pipe are filled with concrete from above and then covered with earth. The exit must be disguised as a sewer hatch with a double bottom. The walls of the hatch are concrete rings. One ring, on average, depending on the size, costs from 2000 rubles.

Then we start pouring the walls of the shelter. As an antiseptic, we pour liquid glass between the ground and concrete walls (although someone may suggest another means, better and more reliable). The thickness is approximately 10 cm. In my opinion, this thickness is sufficient. Then we pour the concrete. The wall thickness must be at least 1.5 m along the entire perimeter of the shelter, with the exception of internal walls. An average of 500 thousand rubles will be spent on the pit, large-panel formwork, concrete walls, floor and ceiling. (if you prepare the solution yourself and pour it yourself, and rent the formwork).

During pouring, you need to remember about the laying of communications, water flow and sewage drainage.

The shelter will be powered by solar panels. This makes it possible to equip the “bunker” with an electric stove and other necessary electrical appliances, including space heating. (There is a lot of information about solar batteries on the Internet. And there is an opinion that Chinese ones are cheaper and better quality). They won't be cheap, as they also require batteries, etc., but the prices are reasonable.

The shelter will have a refrigeration chamber, which is a quickly assembled, collapsible structure made of three-layer sandwich panels filled with polyurethane foam. The chamber is designed for storing chilled and frozen food, semi-finished products, fruits and vegetables at medium temperatures. The chamber is made from panels of different thicknesses. Overall dimensions can be selected from a standard matrix or ordered individually. The internal volume of the chamber is cooled by monoblock refrigeration machines or split systems.

The cost of a low-temperature chamber varies, but you can meet the minimum cost of 30 to 50 thousand rubles.

Entrance to the shelter is through a hidden access hatch located in the house. Floor hatches are made of aluminum profile and equipped with a seal. The manhole cover is a rectangular container with reinforcing mesh. The lid is filled with concrete flush with the floor, after which laminate, parquet, linoleum, etc. are laid on the lid and floor. floor coverings (information about them can be found on the website of Perspektiva LLC, etc.). The cost of the hatch also depends on its size. Price from 1550 rubles.

The DELUX BUNKER company (they generally estimate the construction of bunkers at least 20 million) offers the following homemade system: “You need to take a small pipe 9 and a half meters long. Then the first 6 meters are cut by welding into pieces, each of which is 25 centimeters. Next, you need to sharpen one side of the piece for a blade or screwdriver and place the sharpened end against the roof of the bunker. Having driven them into the roof of the bunker almost completely, weld a second piece to them. We drive and weld the third, then the fourth, and in this way we make 3 meters deep. We get rid of the soil inside the pipes (necessarily in the direction of the bunker -> surface). Then we make a second pipe of the same type and weld two more pipes, each 3 meters long, to both pipes. After this, we weld a metal box like an air purifier to the lower piece of the pipe (already in the bunker). We insert the air purifier itself into the box and seal the box. All that remains is to weld a plug to the box, which will completely cover the air cleaner at the outlet to the bunker. Thus, by slightly opening this lid, it will be possible to create draft in the shelter. Undoubtedly, the technical characteristics of a bunker in which air purification will be arranged in this way will be slightly inferior to current methods of air protection, but this method is also good enough to save life.”

I believe that ventilation installation should be left to a professional. I couldn't find prices on any of the sites. You need to call and find out.

Well, then there’s the interior decoration of the shelter.

That seems to be all.

Maybe someone really will find this shelter option useful.

A well-made, durable and well-insulated shelter from the outside environment can be useful not only in the event of a nuclear war. A bunker in a suburban area will also protect against natural disasters: unexpected hurricanes, flooding, and a fire that spreads over many kilometers. It is especially important to have such a shelter in cases where evacuation is impossible.

There are two main types of shelter: short-term and long-term. The first can be replaced by a regular cellar or serve as its functions: an earthen floor and plank or log walls with the same roof are allowed. The second is a concrete bunker with the obligatory drilling of a well and the burying of a septic tank on the foundation pit before pouring the foundation.

The depth of both types depends on the groundwater level, to which there should be at least 0.5 meters, but it is advisable to have a thicker lintel underfoot to avoid dampness. You can find out how many meters to the aquifer using a well, in which the water is always kept at the level of inflow from the ground. It is also quite easy to navigate if your neighbors have wells drilled into the sand.

One of the main conditions for the arrangement is the correct choice of place for shelter, which is extremely undesirable to do under the house or in the immediate vicinity of any buildings, structures and tall plantings. The fact is that a cataclysm can cause a building, fence or tree to collapse, causing the exit to be blocked and the bunker to become a trap. It is for this reason that, even with the correct location of the shelter, it is advisable to make another exit, a spare one.

What follows are simple calculations of how much excavation work needs to be done. In order to shelter from the elements for a short period of time without cramped conditions, 3 square meters for each family member is enough. The depth of the pit is 2 meters, which gives 12 cubic meters for a bunker for 2 people. One person can dig such a hole with an ordinary shovel in 3-4 weeks. It is best to locate the shelter on the slope of a hill, so that the entrance is covered on all sides by residential and outbuildings standing at a distance, as well as garden plantings.

The floor of the pit is covered with a thick layer of sand, with crushed stone on top, on which a shield made of timber or thick deck boards is laid. Such drainage is quite sufficient to remove moisture if it suddenly appears. The earthen walls are covered with boards or thin logs, and the ceiling is laid from them. Everything must be well secured with crossbars so that it does not collapse when the ground shakes. An earthen embankment exactly 20 centimeters thick is made on top of the ramp. The entrance is made from the side, in the form of a tunnel from an earthen well with a lid. To make the task easier, you can simply bury a thick plastic septic tank, metal tank or container in the hole.

Be sure to take care of ventilation, which can be easily done from two pipes. The longer one goes down almost to floor level, and the second one is 15-20 centimeters below the ceiling. Exits covered with deflectors should rise no more than 40-50 centimeters above the ground. Dust filters made of gauze or flax fiber are inserted inside. For a toilet in a shelter, it is advisable to fence off a corner near the hood, where to place a mobile bio-toilet with chemical waste processing.

Such a structure must have a high degree of strength, therefore, in a pit that is dug to a depth of 4 meters, a powerful monolithic foundation with a thickness of 23 centimeters is poured. Those who are familiar with building private houses and cottages with their own hands can easily perform high-quality reinforcement by knitting metal or basalt fiber rods. It is better not to undertake such a task without experienced assistants, since when the soil settles, a poor-quality base slab may crack. The area of the long-term bunker should be at least 12 square meters in total for residential premises; a small technical room should also be allocated for a generator and a toilet with a shower. Another room can become a warehouse for food and necessary items. The height of the walls is up to 2.2 meters, with a thickness of at least 25 centimeters; it is better to cast them from concrete, in a strong connection with the base.

The ceiling is also made of a slab, on top of which an additional cap is poured and an earthen embankment is made. For strength, it is better to strengthen the ceiling with channels. The main exit is made in the form of a vertical well with a side outlet, the spare one is a pipe laid horizontally in a trench, which should be in the middle of the slope of the hill, which will serve as additional protection for the bunker. Ventilation can be an additional solution if you lay a corrugated hose about half a meter wide to a specially equipped booth on the surface.

Video: DIY underground shelter

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Now the topic of building a bomb shelter is not as relevant as many years ago, but still, in order to protect yourself from disasters, it is worth thinking about building such a room. A DIY nuclear bunker will help save lives and give you the opportunity to sit out in a safe place until the situation improves. A man-made accident or natural disaster remains a pressing reason for construction, from which no one is immune. Before building a bomb shelter, it is necessary to determine its intended purpose and the period of stay in it.

Construction of a bunker will not require any special documents. However, if centralized communications pass under the site, then problems may arise, so you need to find out this in advance.

Types of bunkers and requirements for bomb shelters

Nuclear bunkers must meet certain safety requirements:

Protect people from damaging factors.
Situate in an area that is not flooded.
Have several entrances or exits, an emergency exit in case of failure of the main one.
Purify the air from all kinds of harmful additives using ventilation equipment.
Provide sanitary and hygienic conditions for people.

A bunker as a shelter for a family is classified according to:

Protective properties.
Location (built-in and free-standing).
Filtration and ventilation support (industrial and handicraft production).
Construction time (pre-built or pre-fabricated).
Duration of stay (short and long term).

A short-term nuclear bunker is easy and quick to build. When building a simple shelter, energy and construction costs are saved several times. The bottom of the room is strengthened with stones or boards. A rational solution is to use a septic tank made of impact-resistant plastic, dug into the ground.

A nuclear bunker of this type will not require a serious heating system, since the concept does not provide for long-term stay. This design does not require complex engineering solutions. For a small room, natural ventilation is sufficient.

A preliminary drawing of the bunker will help you correctly formulate an action plan. This option is a simple solution that can be carried out at minimal cost.

Preparation for the construction of a bunker-bomb shelter

Nowadays, the construction of bunkers is rarely done, because the cost of construction is quite high. Therefore, if you have a plot of land, you can cope with this task yourself. To make a bomb shelter with your own hands, you need to invest in construction, purchase high-quality materials and other systems and structures to ensure safety and comfort. Before starting construction, you need to draw up an estimate, calculate construction costs and the cost of all necessary equipment.

Before construction begins, a diagram of the bunker is made and a location is selected. There are also a few things you should know factors, which are taken into account when constructing the premises:

It is necessary to choose the right location for the bunker. There should be no pillars, bushes, trees or other structures nearby that could block the exit from the shelter in the event of a disaster.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that the entrance to the premises is located as close as possible to the house, so that in case of an emergency you can immediately hide.
Before starting construction of a bomb shelter, it is necessary to measure the groundwater level so that in the future it does not turn into a swimming pool. The depth of the pit should be half a meter above this level.
It is important to measure the area correctly. The bunker diagram will help you calculate both its size and the number of square meters per person: for a short-term option, 3 m² per person is enough.
It is strictly forbidden to build a bomb shelter with your own hands near gas and water supplies.

How to build a bunker? If you take into account the above factors, you can make your own bomb shelter that will last for many years.

How to build a long-stay bunker?

A family shelter is intended to provide shelter from various types of dangers and is most often located underground. The heaviest and most expensive thing is a foundation pit or concrete box. And the rest of the work can be done independently, but they must be done according to a certain sequence.

Construction will take much more time and effort. To build a reliable bunker with your own hands, you will need a huge amount of concrete. The most important thing is to well level the surface in the pit, and also strengthen its bottom with a 30 cm layer of crushed stone or sand. For better strength, you can use reinforcement and knitting wire.

It is important to foresee the location of the necessary communications, ventilation, emergency exit, and determine the power source. One thing is constant - the longer a person wants to stay in a bomb shelter, the more money will have to be invested in its construction and the purchase of the necessary elements.

Three main products for the construction of a long-stay bunker:

Step-by-step construction of a bunker with your own hands

A long-stay nuclear bunker is built according to the following stages:

First, a pit is prepared, approximately 4 m deep, then wells are drilled. This is necessary so that the room does not depend on central heating.
The sewage system of the bomb shelter is made at a level below the pit itself.
An emergency exit is being thought out. A trench is dug from the pit, a pipe is laid there and filled with concrete.
Two weeks after pouring concrete, when the foundation has hardened well, you can proceed to the construction of walls. During such work, it is worth remembering the laying of communications, water supply and sewage drainage.
The issue of bunker arrangement is being resolved, energy supply and ventilation are taken into account.
A roof is erected from floor slabs; dense polyethylene in two layers is used for waterproofing. If necessary, the bomb shelter is covered with earth.

area – 12 m²;
wall thickness – 25 cm;
foundation slab thickness – 23 cm;
Brick laying height is 2.2 m.

The long-term bunker type is suitable for those homeowners who take their safety more seriously. Here you can wait out not only bad weather, but also chemical attacks, and even a nuclear war.

The bunker drawing shapes the direction of the building. Next, the room is subject to a large amount of finishing work. Interior decoration, of course, is not so necessary and does not relate to safety. But before that, you should coat the floor and walls with waterproofing.

The saying “my home is my castle” is true only during a well-fed, measured life. There is no way to escape truly serious dangers in your home. Stray bullets during a shootout between marauding gangs, air bombs, rockets, mortar shells and shells will pierce the walls. Those flying during a confrontation between regular armies will get you inside your home no worse than on the street. Therefore, it is better to wait out such bright events, as well as attacks by the living dead during a zombie apocalypse or an attack by aliens, in a more reliable place. Two characteristics are important here: strength and inconspicuousness. A compact, cozy bomb shelter, camouflaged in the garden or near your home, dug and furnished with your own hands, fits these parameters.

The bunker is convenient only because you won’t have to run far to get to it and a limited circle of people will know about it. The latter guarantees that, while escaping from shelling, you will not have to deal with uninvited guests who have come to get free supplies from your shelter. After all, driving out such guys, especially if they are armed, will not be easy.

Relevance of the problem

The possibility of an attack by aliens or zombies can only be considered as a joke or a plot for the next blockbuster. But local conflicts and wars, man-made disasters and natural disasters are the reality of our world. The history of mankind is the history of wars. Among all living beings on the planet, only man has made intraspecific killings a systemic and socially encouraged action. Therefore, one cannot think that the 21st century is very different from the enlightened 20th and all previous ones.

People also, with pleasure or forcedly, participate in hybrid and declared wars, interethnic conflicts and other activities to kill their own kind. If you do not want to become an accidental victim of such a “carnival,” make sure in advance that you have a durable bomb shelter. Otherwise, later, when everything starts, you will only have to rely on luck. Under the whistle of mines, perhaps there is a chance to dig a trench. But there is no way to build and equip your own bomb shelter according to all the rules.

In addition to military operations, it will help survive the consequences of a leak of a “peaceful atom” from a nearby (or distant) nuclear power plant or the achievements of the chemical industry that suddenly disperse into the air due to an accident of worn-out factory equipment.

At least, if a catastrophe does not occur and the end of the world does not come, you will become the happy owners of a wine cellar, from which you will not be kicked out by your wife and mother-in-law, or even by a company of soldiers.

Project Basics

An element that determines the reliability of a bunker is strong doors. They must withstand the shock wave. Therefore, the entrance design is designed for load resistance that is at least 1.5-2 times greater than required for normal floors according to SNiP.

To reduce the intensity of the shock wave approaching the doors, an expansion chamber must be provided in front of the entrance. Perhaps few people will be able to build a bomb shelter with doors like in the famous Fallout series. But, as they say, “do what is best, but it will turn out bad on its own.” Therefore, the exit from the bunker room to the expansion chamber must have a damper with two shutters. The cleanliness of the environment inside during air pollution during a chemical, bacteriological or nuclear attack depends on how tightly they close.

Another important entry requirement: there must be at least two of them. In this case, if the shock wave damages the doors or covers them with rubble, the shelter will not become a grave dug for you by yourself. And the calculation here should be made only on one’s own strength. In case of serious problems, you should not count on large rescue teams with dogs to search for victims and equipment to clear debris. There is an option that the situation will be simple: every man for himself.

The emergency exit must be located at least 20 centimeters above the groundwater level. If these standards cannot be met, the exit must be a sealed shaft protected from water penetration. Otherwise, building your own bomb shelters can only be compared to digging wells to irrigate a site.

The ventilation ducts of the bomb shelter are equipped with filters, and uninterruptible power supplies and generators are installed there to provide electricity. It is better to select alkaline batteries for UPS. They are distinguished by a particularly long “life span”. The generator exhaust system should not interface with the air in the shelter; it requires a separate ventilation duct and, preferably, a room. Otherwise, carbon monoxide will kill the bunker's inhabitants faster than shells or radiation.

Bureaucratic formalities

When you decide to make a bomb shelter on your own site with your own hands, you don’t need to deal with obtaining permits and coordinating the project with the mayor’s office or, God forbid, the military registration and enlistment office. The only thing you need to take care of is the safety of underground communications that may pass through your territory. During the construction of the shelter, not a single cable, water or gas pipeline should be damaged. Therefore, try to make sure that they are absent before construction begins.

The lack of formalities is fraught with another problem: it will not be possible to officially register the bunker as a yard building. Therefore, when selling a dacha or a house with a plot, problems with BTI representatives are possible. In this case, camouflaging the shelter will be no less useful than during an invasion by hordes of zombies or marauders. For the same reason, try not to advertise your construction site to your neighbors. In peacetime, they will be happy to “surrender” you to the BTI, and in wartime - to those who will benefit from doing so.

Groundwater

A swimming pool in a garden area is certainly a pleasant and useful addition. But this is only if we are not talking about an underground pool, which can turn into a bunker due to groundwater. Therefore, it is worth measuring their level before you start designing a bomb shelter on your own site.

There is no need to order georeconnaissance services. Just look at the depth of nearby wells. The distance from the surface of the earth to the water level is the very desired level. It can be determined more accurately by paying attention to water wells. Just don’t need to measure artesian wells for this: the depth of the water is necessary in an ordinary well “in the sand.” Don't have your own well or well? Ask your neighbors. But you shouldn’t explain to them why you really need it. Refer to the desire to build your own source of drinking water. By the way, if you are really concerned about survival issues, it will be very useful. As practice shows, the central water supply in cities often disappears much earlier than enemy bombs and shells begin to explode on their territory.

The shelter must be built so that it is located at least 50 centimeters above groundwater.

Important: sufficient strength of the room can be ensured by deepening it by at least 4 meters. If this cannot be done due to groundwater, all that remains is to build a shallow basement. Still, this is much better than trying to escape in a country house or in a cellar with pickles and potatoes.

Localization

One of the best options for bunker location is directly under the house. In this case, its main entrance will be securely hidden from prying eyes, which will provide additional security. Another extremely important advantage of this arrangement is that it makes it possible to hide in a bomb shelter during shelling. Running out of the house to take refuge in a shelter located even 15 meters from your home is not just unreasonable. This is suicidal. The walls of the house provide excellent protection from mine fragments and shrapnel, which are filled with multiple launch rocket systems. Therefore, if the shelling finds you not in a shelter, you need to lie down in the folds of the terrain, and not risk making your way under a hail of shrapnel.

So, having a bunker under your house is very nice. But if a shell hits, during an earthquake or hurricane, the building may collapse and the entrance to the bunker will be blocked. Emergency tunnels leading to the surface will be useful for this. Their exits must be located at a distance of no closer than 15 meters from ground buildings. Whatever happens, the equipment of your bomb shelter must ensure complete autonomy and independence from the communications of a residential building.

At the stage of calculating the location of the bunker, the issue of masking inputs and outputs should be finally resolved. You can make them in the form of an outdoor toilet, a light tool shed, a garage or even a doghouse. The latter can only be used to disguise an emergency exit. You will not be able to enter through it without attracting the attention of your neighbors.

Hopper size

The area of the shelter depends on its purpose and the number of people. For a short stay during a hurricane, 3 m2 per person is enough (9-12 “squares” per family). If you plan to live in it for some time, you will have to build a much larger room. You can make a preliminary layout, drawing or diagram to determine the location of the equipment and other nuances.

Short-stay shelter

To protect against natural disasters (not flooding, of course), a bunker made from a plastic septic tank is suitable. Its impact-resistant material will feel great in the ground. A preliminary design for such a structure is not even required. The price of a container with a volume of 18 cubic meters (which will give an area of 9 m2) is approximately 300 thousand rubles. You can do the ground work yourself or hire equipment. In the second case, the estimate will increase by another 50 thousand. No special engineering structures will be required. It is enough to make a simple ventilation system from two pipes with a dust filter made of gauze or fiberglass. For lighting and power supply, battery-powered flashlights and an uninterruptible power supply are sufficient. You can store a small supply of batteries there, which will be used in lighting and electrical appliances. Lamps should only be LED, since their energy consumption is 10 times lower than that of devices with incandescent coils.

You won't need a heater - the ground doesn't freeze at a depth of more than a meter, and you won't have to stay in such a bunker for long. It is better to pack thermal underwear, warm clothes and camping supplies.

Long-term shelter

If you expect to escape not only from bad weather, but from more serious and long-lasting disasters, you will have to start building a spacious bunker. In it you can wait out days of shelling, the consequences of an accident at a chemical plant, or the short-lived triumph of the aliens until Bruce Willis deals with them.

The size of such a bomb shelter should be noticeably larger than the septic tank proposed in the previous section. It should consist of “residential” and “technical” premises. The first needs to be equipped as much as possible for existence, the second should accommodate a generator and a dry closet.

After completing the layout of the shelter, you can proceed to earthworks. The dimensions of the pit must take into account allowances for the walls and foundation of the underground building. Until the brick walls are erected, the pit is reinforced with strong boards so that it does not become covered with earth while you reveal your talent as a mason.

The base of the foundation slab must first be laid with boards, the surface leveled and reinforced with 20 centimeters of crushed stone, and then the reinforcement must be laid. After pouring the base, it should be left alone for 10-15 days until it hardens and gains sufficient strength.

The walls of the shelter should be laid from durable solid bricks. Taking into account the high requirements for structural strength, reinforcement or metal mesh must be laid every three rows. This will not save you from a direct hit from an atomic bomb, but you can be sure that the bunker will not collapse on your head on its own. The walls are erected no lower than 2.2 meters.

The best material for the ceiling is a metal I-beam covered with boards and sheet metal. According to standards, the thickness of wood must be at least 40 mm, and steel panels - 5 mm. To prevent the structure from rotting and collapsing without any war, and to prevent water from pouring through the ceiling of the bunker after heavy rain, it is necessary to waterproof it. To do this, just put a couple of layers of plastic film. Earth is poured on top of it. The walls of the shelter are treated with waterproofing.

All that remains is to install a sealed hatch door and a ladder along which you can go down to your monastery. And don’t forget about the emergency exit, otherwise the shelter may turn into a spacious crypt.

The compartment for the dry closet and the electric generator is separated from the “living” space by a “half-brick” wall. The estimated cost of such a structure, if you build it yourself, starts at 100 thousand rubles.

Equipment and communications

To survive underground even for several days, natural ventilation alone is not enough. It is worth providing at least a fan, and better yet, an air conditioning and air purification system. This is already a serious application for successful survival in the event of major man-made and military disasters. But such pleasure costs no less than the entire homemade bomb shelter.

To keep it light and not boring, you need electricity. Naturally, it makes no sense to pull wires from the outlet into the bunker. Install lighting fixtures, a diesel or gasoline electric generator and stock up on at least one can of fuel.

Sanitary standards and the needs of the body determine the installation of a dry closet.

It is worth taking care of your rest by equipping bunk beds. This will save space.

Strategic reserves

First of all, drinking water is necessary for survival. Its norm per person is 2-3 liters. in a day. A family needs to stock up at least 300 liters. Long-lasting canned goods and cereals are also useful. The latter must be kept so that rodents and insects do not get to them before you do. It is optimal if you have the skills of drying and curing meat, in order, for example, to make a product such as pemmican (a briquette consisting of chopped dried meat, lard, spices and dried fruits), which can be stored for 6 months.

Be sure to prepare a first aid kit, including:

antiseptics;
antipyretics;
painkillers;
broad spectrum antibiotics;
antidiarrhea medications;
antiemetics;
patch;
bandage;
gauze bandages;
heating pad;
scissors.

This list is expanding based on the health status of household members. It may include heart medications, insulin and other medications vital for chronic diseases.

In the bomb shelter you need to collect protective equipment for a reconnaissance sortie: a map, gas masks, OZK, flashlights. For the latter, you need to stock up on batteries.

Keeping ready

In order for the shelter to be “equipped to receive guests around the clock,” you will have to incur constant costs. It is necessary to monitor the expiration dates of food and water and replace expired ones with fresh products. You will have to do the same with medicines and batteries. It's not cheap, but keep in mind that any product, every pill or part will be worth its weight in gold if a serious problem occurs.