Shipping Container forum discussions

Self Service Science – ABC Science Online Forum

Well what materials and designs would be best
for building a fire storm resistant house?

Would a cellar or underground room need to be part of the plan.

How can people build houses to have the best type of fire plans built in to their situation?

Self Service Science – ABC Science Online Forum

The wombat hole story.. shows that all that really is required is a couple of bolt holes with good doors and sound enough structure to remain ready for use at any given instant over at least two decades.. With that extra bolt hole most of the dead could have been alive now.

also

Why build bunkers?
Why not be a hobbit if one wants to live in the forest shire?
Build the whole house underground and keep the top well greened with fire retarding species.

Underground fireproof bunkers – Aussie Stock Forums

With what has happened in Vic, this thread might be relevant.

I personally own a remote rural block, surrounded by State forest.

I only have minimal structures at present, partially due to bushfire risk!

Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions about underground fireproof bunkers?

My idea would be to excavate a pit, waterproof and concrete surround, with a fairly thick earth roof ( at ground level), with a small fireproof trapdoor.

Ventilation would be by above ground steel flue pipe.

I am fairly sure that heat would not be a problem, but air quality may be.

I am almost certain that survive-abilty would be much higher than any other option, if you are trapped from escaping by fire.

When I build a permanent house, it will be rendered concrete block, steel, and gal roof, but I know gal roofs cannot withstand a really serious blaze,
( as evidenced by the footage from Vic).

I intend to do some research on the topic, so any tips would be good.

I believe many lives could have been saved if they had such an escape.

does anyone know what happened to persons in Dresden etc during firestorms, as they seemed to retreat to underground bunkers during bombing

Underground fireproof bunkers – Aussie Stock Forums

A lot of people just put a shipping container underground

Underground fireproof bunkers – Aussie Stock Forums

The bunker, dug into an earth embankment with 15-centimetre concrete walls and a $1000 fireproof door, saved their lives and that of their son, Raphael, 14 months. “It was like a firestorm, it was like a raging inferno. It’s a cliche, but that is what it was like,” Ms Berry said.

When flames engulfed their home they wrapped themselves in wet towels and sprinted to the bunker. “We couldn’t shut the door of the bunker, it was that buckled and warped,” Mr Berry said. “The embers were coming through the gap, it was like the fire was coming to get us.”

Underground fireproof bunkers – Aussie Stock Forums

I reckon fire bunkers will start to become mandatory in certain areas.
Somebody might start up a business and make fire bunker kits.
They might start making them under water tanks too!

Life saver | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog

Keith Crews is a professor of structural engineering at the school of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Technology in Sydney. Professor Crews … says that underground bunkers could be the answer to protecting people from fires like those Victoria has just witnessed.

“You would need something that is essentially underground because of the insulating quality of the earth,” he said. “Obviously you would need something over the top of that that’s quite well protected.

“The next issue that I think you would have to consider is oxygen or air because when you get a fire storm like that it’s got a tendency to suck up all the air that’s there… The earth is a great insulator. Obviously you would have to give consideration to groundwater and all those issues, but I would assume that something like two to 2.5 metres, so essentially it was like a basement,” he said…

Professor Ross also believes the design of underground car parks could be enhanced to offer communities a safe place to wait out bushfires in larger groups. He says building fire bunkers could be something that becomes mandatory in parts of Australia.