Construction and equipment of a bunker with your own hands. How to build a survival bunker with your own hands How to make a secret shelter on the street

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.

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At the height of the Cold War during the nuclear arms race, the topic of building bomb shelters was very relevant. Nowadays, passions have subsided, but the desire to build a bunker is still relevant. Your personal shelter will help save lives and wait out the consequences of adverse disasters. Of particular danger at the moment are man-made accidents and natural disasters, which are becoming more and more frequent. Before you start building a shelter, you should decide its purpose and the period for which it will become your second home.

Types of bunkers and bomb shelters

There are several conditions for bunkers:
— the bunker must protect people from adverse factors
- must be located in an area that will not be flooded
— the bunker must have several entrances and exits
- an air purification system is required
— the bunker must provide sanitary and hygienic conditions for the inhabitants

Bunkers are classified according to several properties:
- according to protective properties
- by location, built-in or free-standing
- according to the filter and ventilation system
- according to construction time
- by time spent inside the shelter

A bunker for a short stay can be built quite easily and quickly. Compared to a shelter for a long stay, the savings in effort and materials are significantly reduced. The bottom can be lined with natural materials, stones and boards. To ensure hygienic conditions, you can use an inexpensive, impact-resistant plastic septic tank.
You can also save on heating costs, because the shelter does not provide for a long stay. You can use a natural ventilation system.

Preparing to build a bunker

Building a shelter is quite an expensive undertaking. But if you have a free plot of land and enough time, you can build a bunker with your own hands, which will save you a lot of money. But you shouldn’t skimp on the quality of building materials, because your life may depend on it. When starting construction, draw up an estimate; this will help you find out the costs and decide on controversial areas.

Make a plan for the shelter and choose the location where it will be located. Pay special attention to the following factors:
— It is very important to choose the right location for the shelter. Make sure that nothing can block the exit from the shelter.
— If you are building a free-standing shelter, make sure it is as close to the house as possible for easy access.
- Be sure to make sure that your shelter will not be flooded. It is necessary to find out the groundwater level. The depth of the bunker should be half a meter above the groundwater level.
— Decide on the number of people who will be in the bunker and choose the right area of the room.
- Under no circumstances build a shelter near gas and water supply lines.

Taking into account the above factors, you can build a reliable bunker.

Long-term shelter

A bunker for long-term stays is usually built underground. In this case, the most expensive part is the concrete box. To build it, it is better to trust professionals; all other work can be done yourself. The box will require a huge amount of concrete. For better strength, use reinforcement. Reinforce the bottom with crushed stone or sand.

Stages of building a shelter with your own hands

The construction of a bunker can be divided into several stages:
— Prepare the pit. Its depth varies depending on your needs. A depth of 4 m is quite suitable. Drill several wells.
— The sewerage must be below the level of the pit.
— There must be an emergency exit in case the main one is blocked. Make a trench from the pit, lay the pipe and fill it with concrete.
— After pouring the foundation with concrete, it takes time for it to harden. After 2 weeks, you can begin building the walls. At the same time, do not forget about laying communications.
- The next step is to arrange the bunker. Ensure power supply and ventilation of the room.
— Build a roof from floor slabs. Do waterproofing. The bunker can be covered with earth.

Minimum requirements for a long stay bunker:
— for one person the area should reach 12 m2
- wall thickness at least 25 cm
— foundation thickness at least 23 cm
— wall height 2.2 m
A bunker with such parameters can help survive even a nuclear war.

Bunker Supplies

Food supplies for the bunker can vary depending on your wishes. Be sure to stock up on drinking water. Have at least 200-300 liters of water in reserve. Don't forget about the power source. Buy a generator and fuel for it. Stock up on food with a long shelf life. Cereals are ideal. You can store honey. Prepare a first aid kit with medications and necessary materials.

Building a bunker is a long and expensive process, but in case of danger it can save the lives of you and your loved ones. Having drawn up a project and engaged in construction in stages, you can build a bunker with your own hands.

Today, building a bunker is not as relevant as it was 30 years ago, but, nevertheless, if you have the desire and need to hide in the event of some kind of natural disaster, then this is a very good idea. Construction of a bunker is very important if you live in an area where, for example, there is a chemical plant or other facility that contains potential danger. This way, in the event of an accident, you can hide in a bunker and wait until the situation returns to normal.

When building a bunker, you need to consider 2 factors: for what purpose it is needed and how long you plan to stay in it. The more serious the potential danger and the longer you stay in it, the deeper and more thoroughly you need to make the bunker so that you can be reliably protected and comfortable in it. Let's look at how to build an underground bunker with your own hands.

When you have determined for what purposes you need a bunker, you can approximately estimate its dimensions, the depth at which it will be located and the height of the ceiling. A fairly simple bunker can be built from metal. As for a reliable and strong bunker, it is best to build it from concrete.

How to build a simple bunker

A simple bunker is mounted from thick sheets of metal, it is best to use sheets 5mm thick. In order to build a simple bunker you need to dig a pit for it. This pit should be 50 centimeters larger than the bunker itself. Also dig a hole for the entrance to the bunker. We recommend making it separate from the main structure. The choice of bunker depth again depends on the hazard present. It is best to make a bunker at a depth of 5 meters from ground level.

The entrance to the bunker can be made in the form of a hatch, with a hermetically sealed lid. Separately, it is worth mentioning the tightness of the entire structure. As you understand, the bunker must be completely sealed, so all seams must be thoroughly welded and additionally treated with a layer of insulation. But more on that later. To build the bunker itself, you need to weld the bottom, then the walls, and then the roof. We recommend welding the corners of the structure on both sides with metal corners for strength. If the bunker is large enough, then make supports at a certain distance so that the roof does not sag under the weight of the earth. When the frame is welded, it is necessary to autogenously cut out the hatch for the entrance, as well as holes for supplying various communications: electricity, water, antenna, etc. We'll talk about communications a little later. Also make hooks with which you can lower the hopper with a crane. Then treat the surface of the bunker with mastic in order to create reliable waterproofing and prevent metal destruction; in addition, you can cover the bottom of the bunker with a layer of mastic.

Next you need to prepare the base for the bunker. It can be made from either sand or concrete. If the area is swampy, then, of course, you need to make a concrete base; in general, it is more reliable. If you have a dry area, you can limit yourself to a sand cushion. We will talk about how to make a concrete base below, and now let’s say a few words about the sand base. Sand is poured onto a previously leveled surface. The sand layer should be about 20 centimeters. The sand also needs to be compacted well. After this, we lower the bunker to the bottom of the pit. Then we weld the entrance hatch and connect the communications.

It is best to cover the edges of the bunker with clay, as it will provide good protection for the structure. We fill the rest of the hole with earth and compact it. Next, we set up the communications and check the ventilation.

How to build a reliable bunker

To build a reliable bunker, we need concrete, and a lot of concrete. We are digging a pit for our future construction. Then we level its bottom, lay a waterproofing film and fill it with 20 centimeters of sand, which we compact well. Then we construct the formwork and lay a two-level mesh of reinforcement. After this, we fill the structure with concrete. In general, we do everything as described in the article about.

While the concrete has not hardened, we insert reinforcing rods into it; they will be the basis of the walls. We insert rods both around the perimeter and in the center, where partitions will be built. When the foundation has hardened, we proceed to the walls. To fill them, also use formwork. Don't forget to leave openings for passage through the bunker and an opening for entry. As for the roof, we construct it from floor slabs, laying it on concrete mortar.

After constructing the bunker, we build an entrance to it from concrete rings or from a metal tunnel. Then we cover it on the outside with mastic for waterproofing.

As for communications, water, electricity, Internet and television can be installed in the bunker. Also install a radio antenna to receive radio signals on long and short waves. Install a dry closet and also install an electric generator. At this point, the construction of the bunker is completed, and now it can be equipped.

Bomb shelter

To increase the safety of your loved ones and relatives, you can install armored sheets at the entrance to your house, alarms on the windows, hire security and take many other measures. But in the event of a nuclear war, only a bomb shelter designed like a bunker can protect. This could be a bomb shelter at the dacha, in which you can hide from natural disasters, fires or hurricanes, and also wait out any danger in cases where evacuation by other means is impossible.

Do-it-yourself shelters and underground bunkers on a summer cottage are quite legal, since there are no clear prohibitions. It is more difficult to make a bomb shelter with your own hands within the city, since the land plots are owned by the administration or other people. Let's take a closer look at how to build a bomb shelter with your own hands, where and how to find a place for it in the city, photos of typical shelters and bunkers in the house.

Your own bunker on the site can be used by private individuals as a place for a long stay or short-term stay. You can wait out some time in a simple cellar, although the bomb shelter does not contain complex schemes and resembles a cellar with a low earthen floor, walls made of boards or logs and a wooden roof.

There are also no drawings of a long-term bomb shelter, but there are some structural differences - it is necessary to drill wells, purchase and install a septic tank at the base of the pit. And only after this can a layer of concrete be poured as a foundation.

Each owner of the site found many advantages and disadvantages of both options, but they build bomb shelters in the country no deeper than half a meter to groundwater. It is recommended to have a thicker earthen lintel under your feet to prevent waterlogging of the base of the structure. Knowing his property, a person can clearly focus on the depth of groundwater, or check this point with neighbors with a drinking water well.

How to make a short-stay bomb shelter?

The most important thing when arranging bomb shelters is to choose the right place. The shelters made should not be placed under the house or near buildings, high landings or massive structures. The construction of a bomb shelter is carried out exclusively in places where there will be no rubble from destruction during disasters. A fence, a tree, a house - these buildings can collapse due to a shock wave or extreme elements, and the entrance will be blocked. Experts have found a way out - you need to make an emergency exit in case the main one collapses.

By simple calculations you can find out the amount of work in the ground that needs to be done. To hide from the elements for a short time, it is enough to dig three square meters. meters per person. With a building depth of 2 meters, a two-person bomb shelter will be 12 cubic meters. You can do this work yourself within a couple of weeks, maximum, a month.

The optimal location would be on a slope so that the sides of the entrance are covered with natural landscape. From the side, the entrance area is masked by technical buildings, a toilet or shed, large trees or powerful bushes.

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Interior arrangement
The floors in the pit are covered with sand and crushed stone, on top of which timber and deck boards are placed. Drainage must be sufficient to remove water from precipitation or melted snow. The walls made of earth need to be sheathed with logs (thin) or boards, and the ceiling should be finished with them. The cross members on the ceiling must be fastened especially carefully so that during a bombardment or from the action of a shock wave the soil does not destroy the roof when shaken.
The slope on top is covered with 20 centimeters of soil. An entrance is built on the side of the structure; it is better to make it a tunnel with a well made of earth and a lid. To minimize labor costs, you can bury a plastic septic tank, container or metal tank in the pit.
It is very important to make a ventilation system equipped with a pair of pipes. The longest one should be placed with an exit near the floor, and the second should be 20 cm near the ceiling. The exits are covered with deflectors, and they should rise no more than 40 centimeters. A dust filter is placed in each pipe; flax fiber or gauze is suitable for this. The bathrooms in the bomb shelter are fenced off and located near the hood so that the smell does not interfere with being inside. If you install a bio-toilet, the waste will be processed chemically.

A bunker or shelter in which people will stay for a long time, the pit must be dug 4 meters deep. The foundation is poured monolithic from 23 centimeters of concrete. The same work is performed during the construction of cottages or country houses. The concrete mixture needs to be strengthened with bundles of metal rods for reinforcement; basalt fiber rods can be used. You cannot do such work efficiently yourself, because the grant tends to sag and the foundation may become covered with cracks.

The area of the bomb shelter is determined based on the total area of the residential sectors of 12 square meters, but a toilet, shower and technical sector are equipped separately. One room can be made into a warehouse for food and things. You can also store drinking water in your food pantry. The walls must be 2.2 meters and at least 0.25 meters thick. The connection to the base must be monolithic, without cracks or seams. The optimal material would be concrete.
The ceiling is made of slabs filled with a cap and a layer of soil. Channels can be used to strengthen the floors; the main exit is arranged like a pipe in a trench. It is installed on slopes, making the shelter more protected. The exit can serve as ventilation, especially if it is reinforced with a half-meter corrugated pipe. A special booth is made on the surface into which the end of the corrugated sleeve is inserted.
Bunker house project
Much attention is paid to the entrance - it is hidden from prying eyes and has a hermetically sealed closure. Water and electricity are supplied to the building, and wastewater is discharged. It is necessary to prepare in advance a supply of medicines and food, water and other necessary things, without which the owner will feel uncomfortable.
An air-raid shelter is built according to a person’s individual plans, but there are also ready-made drawings in which you can make changes and add rooms. Experts recommend studying additional information and reading literature on arranging shelters in order to, if necessary, equip a library or recreation area, gym and other sections inside.

Home, according to the saying, is a fortress, but there are misfortunes from which it is better to hide not in this fortress, but somewhere further away or, more precisely, deeper - for example, in your own family bunker. Especially for those who are afraid of natural disasters and generally take the issue of their own safety seriously, the RIA Real Estate website decided to prepare material on how to build a shelter on their own in a suburban area.

No bureaucracy required

First of all, experts note that to build a small shelter on your own site, you do not need to draw up special documents. However, this only works if there are no centralized communications running under the site, which could be damaged during the construction of the bunker. It is advisable to find out this before starting construction.

We measure the groundwater level

To prevent the construction of an underground bunker from turning into a pool of water, you need to know the depth of the groundwater. This, according to the chief architect, project manager of the company "Main Bureau of Architectural Solutions" Nikolai Matveev, can, in principle, be done on your own: just pay attention to the water level in nearby wells or pay attention to reservoirs or rivers that are nearby. The difference between the surface of the water, for example, in a well, and the surface level of the land plot will be an approximate indicator of the depth of groundwater.

You can also seek advice from neighbors who have their own water wells on their property, since when drilling them, the depth of groundwater is determined more accurately.

Of course, you need to build a bunker at least 50 centimeters above the groundwater level. For example, if groundwater in a site flows at a depth of 4 meters, then the depth of the pit should be no more than 3.5 meters, says Matveev. But the expert emphasizes that the ideal depth of a bunker is 4 meters, so in the case of closer groundwater, it is unlikely that it will be possible to build a good shelter, otherwise it will be uncomfortable, and therefore non-functional.

Location

It is important to choose the right place to build a bunker. Some homeowners prefer to install a bunker directly under the house, almost in the basement. But experts do not agree with this location. It is better to set up such a shelter at some distance from the house, since in the event of, for example, a strong hurricane or earthquake, the main building may be destroyed and its debris will block the exit from the bunker, notes Sergei Kudryavtsev, managing partner of PRIDEX.

Locating a shelter under a house is only possible if there are separate exits from it within a radius of 15 meters from the house structure, Matveev adds. In addition, communication systems must be autonomous and not connected in any way to home systems, he emphasizes.

Moreover, according to the expert, it is better to veil the entrance to the shelter. “For example, it can be placed on the side of a wooden outdoor toilet or tool shed. Typically, such structures are located in the garden among plants and trees, which makes penetration into the bunker most invisible to surrounding eyes,” says Matveev.

Taking measurements

Before you start building a bunker, you need to calculate its area. Considering that a shelter bunker in case of a hurricane or earthquake is not designed for long-term stay of people, you can limit yourself to 3 square meters per person, which will provide quite adequate conditions in case of danger. For an average family, the area of such a room will be 9-12 “squares,” says Kudryavtsev.

Short term bunker

If a bunker is being built exclusively for short-term stays, in case of natural disasters, then the most rational solution is to use a septic tank made of impact-resistant plastic dug into the ground, says Kudryavtsev. Such a solution will be quite sufficient to wait out a hurricane, but on the other hand, it is a durable structure that will not require significant funds to maintain it in proper condition, the expert argues.

Moreover, such a design does not require any complex engineering solutions, be it ventilation or heating. For a small shelter, natural ventilation is enough: essentially, these are two pipes leading to the surface, Kudryavtsev assures. Specialized air purification systems are also not needed for such a shelter. You can limit yourself to a standard dust-proof ventilation filter, which you can make yourself from gauze or fiberglass, notes the agency’s interlocutor.
Electricity supply, he said, may include connecting the facility to central networks and creating a reserve of batteries and accumulators for emergencies.

According to Kudryavtsev, it makes no sense to implement a serious heating system: the ground rarely freezes to a depth of more than 1 meter, while the shelter concept itself does not provide for long-term stay. “I think that in this case it makes sense to limit ourselves to a supply of warm clothes, thermal underwear and other hiking accessories,” the expert says.

“On average, a high-quality septic tank with a capacity of 18 cubic meters will cost about 300 thousand rubles. Whereas land work does not require special preparation, and it is quite possible to carry it out independently. If hired force is used, the cost of such work is unlikely to exceed 50 thousand rubles,” says PRIDEX Managing Partner.

Long stay bunker

For those homeowners who are serious about security issues and want to build a bunker in which they can hide for a long time not only from bad weather, but also from a chemical attack, Matveev advises building a bunker with an area of 12 square meters with a separate technical room of 2-3 square meters, where the energy generator and dry closet will be located.

The construction of a shelter begins with a pit, and when digging it, you need to take into account the thickness of the walls and the height of the foundation of the future bunker and, accordingly, make “allowances” for them. So, for example, the thickness of brick walls will be 25 centimeters, and the thickness of the foundation slab will be 23 centimeters. During the construction period, the walls of the pit must be reinforced with logs and boards in order to avoid collapse of the soil or soil.

Before pouring the foundation slab, it is necessary to prepare the foundation by leveling and strengthening the bottom of the pit with 20-30 centimeters of crushed stone or sand, Matveev instructs. To enhance the strength of the foundation, it is better to reinforce the foundation floor with reinforcement and binding wire. After pouring concrete, it is advisable to wait 10-15 days for it to harden and become durable, the expert emphasizes.

After the foundation has completely dried, you can begin building the walls. Matveev recommends using white solid brick with reinforcement of the masonry every 3 rows with metal mesh or wire. The thickness of the masonry can be half a brick. The height of the masonry must be at least 2.2 meters.

The next stage is the construction of the roof. The architect proposes to make the roof covering from a metal I-beam, covering it on top with boards 4 centimeters thick and sheets of metal 2 centimeters thick. For waterproofing the roof, according to Matveev, 2 layers of dense polyethylene are suitable. After this, the bunker is filled with earth. The entrance to the bunker is equipped with a tightly closing hermetic hatch door and a wooden ladder for descent. You can make a pressure door yourself by laying, for example, strips of insulation from a rubber tube. In addition to the main entrance, the bunker structure must also have an emergency exit in case the main manhole is blocked, the expert notes.
To waterproof the shelter from the inside, before finishing it is necessary to coat the walls and floor with waterproofing.

At the end, internal half-brick partitions are erected to create an engine room with a separate door.
The estimated cost of such a bunker, built with your own hands, will range from 75 to 130 thousand rubles, Matveev notes.

Engineering and household equipment

In order to survive in a bunker from 12 hours to several days, it is necessary to provide a source of autonomous power supply and an external ventilation duct with air filters to prevent toxic substances and dust from entering there. However, it is also possible to equip the bunker with an internal purification air conditioning system with air regeneration, but this will cost much more than conventional “external” ventilation, Matveev notes. The cost of such a system starts from 100 thousand rubles. However, this will be the only significant cost line for the construction of a shelter.

According to the architect, a generator running on gasoline or diesel fuel is suitable as an autonomous energy source system. Accordingly, the bunker should always have a canister with a supply of fuel for it, say, 10 liters.
To save space, the sleeping places in the bunker are arranged in the form of bunk beds.

Strategic reserve

The main strategic reserve in the bunker, according to Matveev, is water; it needs to be stored as much as possible - 200-300 liters. Food should be canned, and it’s also a good idea to stock up on various cereals - they are nutritious and have a long shelf life.

The first aid kit should include septic tanks, bandages, cotton wool, adhesive plasters, a thermometer, scissors, a rubber heating pad and gauze masks. Each family, in principle, can determine the set of medications independently, focusing on the health status of each member of the household, but it is better to include in the list heart medications, painkillers and drugs to normalize intestinal function.

Finally, in addition to warehouses with food and medicine, the bunker should have everything necessary to conduct “reconnaissance” forays to the surface. Such items include gas masks, protective clothing and a flashlight, Matveev adds.