Either pure tar or an asphalt roof coating should work well. A roofing company would have to apply the tar since it has to be about 400 degrees. You could do the roof coating yourself since it goes on cold.

 

I have heard from several reliable sources in the past, that shipping containers should NOT be buried. Metal is much more succeptible to corrosion when buried, esp. if the soil tends to retain moisture. There also is some question about them bearing the weight of the soil if buried too deep. Personally, I would not do it. But here's a link that might offer some hope:

http://www.zetatalk.com/SHELTER/tshlt17j.htm

 

I know it wouldn't be cheap, but I've thought that one of those Rhino or Dura Liner type places, where they spray on bedcoating, ought to provide a long term solution to that problem. that, and making sure you had good drainage so that moisture didn't collect. But that stuff is pricey...

 

Tars do several things (on vertical surfaces like foundation walls) that most people are completely unaware of. They slowly "Run" toward the bottom of the wall due to gravity. They cannot deal with shifts or cracking in the substrate, in other words, they will not bridge even a small crack once they dry out. The biggest thing is that they disappear. That's right, it sounds nutty, but they get consumed by soil microbes. I have excavated several foundations that were obviously coated with a tar based foundation coating. If it's been more than a few years, there will be little bit of discoloration on the wall and a faint line at the top, where the coating stopped. IMHO, they are a waste of time. I would see if anybody in your area does the spray on rubberized foundation coatings. They stick well and do a much better job on masonary walls that tar does. That said, personally, I would never bury a shipping container. I know they are strong enough, but standard carbon steet is a pretty poor product to be using in any type of direct burial appliacation.

 

I wonder if a large dumpster like the kind they use at construction sites might be a another choice?

 

Under ground petrolium tanks use a rubber coating but also have sacrificial Zinc anodes. There was a topic on Self Reliance about buried colverts being used as storm/survival shelters. Another consideration is your wet ground will "float" your buried box up eventually, given enough moisture.

 

This is what I am planning to do---I will set the 40ft shipping container(SC) above ground with a wall on two sides and back made with telephone poles and I will saw some of the poles into 2 1/2" boards/planks to cover the walls. The walls--I figure need to be about 6ft tall to take most of the hurricane winds(live on the East Coast) off the 8ft tall SC. These walls will be about 3ft away from the SC so you can walk between the SC and the wall. I will pile dirt against the walls on the outside at about a 45 degree angle---plant a ground cover on this to stop erosion, then plant a line of red-tips a few feet away that will grow to hide the whole deal. How does this sound?? Randy

I would like to bury a large metal shipping container in the ground. My soil is clay and slightly acidic and stays damp for several days at a time. What would be a fairly cheap and effictive way to coat this metal to prevent rust?

 

I have some good links on burying shipping containers.

Headed out of town for the weekend but will try to find them early next week for you. People are linking several together and making homes out of them , so it is being done.

 

This is what I am planning to do---I will set the 40ft shipping container(SC) above ground with a wall on two sides and back made with telephone poles and I will saw some of the poles into 2 1/2" boards/planks to cover the walls. The walls--I figure need to be about 6ft tall to take most of the hurricane winds(live on the East Coast) off the 8ft tall SC. These walls will be about 3ft away from the SC so you can walk between the SC and the wall. I will pile dirt against the walls on the outside at about a 45 degree angle---plant a ground cover on this to stop erosion, then plant a line of red-tips a few feet away that will grow to hide the whole deal. How does this sound?? Randy

I sure wouldn't want to be the sawmller sawing those creosote poles into planks; I'm getting nausous thinking about it. Definitely a hazardous condition. Not to mentioned buried metal object.

You may want to consider using the telephone poles as your upright supports and utlizing whole railroad ties as your retaing wall--no cutting, less mess, easier, and ties can be found for $10 or so each.

Other than it sounds decent for storm and blast protection (other than direct overhead).

Wouldn't provide the optimized tempatures for food storage that a completely buried structure would but if that is not your intention than that really doesn't matter.

I'd say go for it.

 

I will be the sawer for the post, I wear alot of protection and collect the saw dust. I can not bury a Container where I live because of water--a few feet down-you hit water. I guess I could sit it on the dirt and cover it with ALOT of dirt. My main usage would to be a Hurricane shelter, not for food storage. I have my Solar panels mounted on a trailer. I need a safe place to put them inside during a Hurricane without having to break the solar system down. I figured---just back the solar trailer into the shipping container, get a few supplies and get inside till its over. I was thinking about getting one of the big water tanks from Tractor Supply that has a big hole on top that you could craw down into it----bury it for food storage---just a thought. I was thinking---dig a hole----sit it into the hole---fill it with water---cover it with dirt----give the dirt a few weeks to settle------pump the water out of it--------clean it---put in a vent---make shelves etc---------Should work. Randy

I sure wouldn't want to be the sawmller sawing those creosote poles into planks; I'm getting nausous thinking about it. Definitely a hazardous condition. Not to mentioned buried metal object.

You may want to consider using the telephone poles as your upright supports and utlizing whole railroad ties as your retaing wall--no cutting, less mess, easier, and ties can be found for $10 or so each.

Other than it sounds decent for storm and blast protection (other than direct overhead).

Wouldn't provide the optimized tempatures for food storage that a completely buried structure would but if that is not your intention than that really doesn't matter.

I'd say go for it.

 

I live in MN with frost & heavy wet clay soil, so the plastic tank, and even the metal container, would likely not hold up. Lots of gravel & drainage might allow the container to survive......

If you are concerned about the metal container not surviving in the wet ground, the plastic container will _surely_ float to the surface in time. It's a boat, it wants to float. It will, or crush itself trying.

Was the strangest thing seeing 3 empty 10,000 gal metal tanks 'popped' out of the ground one spring. Laying there in the dirt, where a gravel parking lot had been. Sure musta ruined that operation's day. They never did go back into business.

--->Paul

 

if you are worried about storm, wouldn't there also be water? I'm thinking of the storm surge hit, when it comes you might be in a mess of trouble. Just a quick thought.

 

I was thinking something like POR 15?

 

How deep are you setting those posts? There's going to be a LOT of weight from your dirt berm. Clay soil will allow the base of the posts to move over time with the lateral stress above ground level. Won't they wind up leaning on your shipping container?

The expense and time and iffy aspects of your project.....hmmmm..... buy a regular storm shelter or build one of those concrete safe rooms.

 

I am planning to set the pole's then then run a cross timber from the pole on one side of the container to the pole on the other side--across the top-------Don't think the poles will lean into the container this way. Thanks Randy

How deep are you setting those posts? There's going to be a LOT of weight from your dirt berm. Clay soil will allow the base of the posts to move over time with the lateral stress above ground level. Won't they wind up leaning on your shipping container?

The expense and time and iffy aspects of your project.....hmmmm..... buy a regular storm shelter or build one of those concrete safe rooms.

 

Where I live, I am going to sit the container in a area that I know in 40 years has never flooded or even close. I was looking at a article that some one posted on here about burying a school bus. I have a older buss in good shape that is already set-up as a camper/motor home, beds, bath room--- that I don't use--------I might do something different for the solar panel storage and use the bus between the poles as described above. Its something to think about. Thanks Randy

if you are worried about storm, wouldn't there also be water? I'm thinking of the storm surge hit, when it comes you might be in a mess of trouble. Just a quick thought.

 

Some great structures made from them.Used about 1800-2800 dollars for a 40 footer.
China makes about 1 million of them a year,current use lifespans as little as 2-3 years before retired.We import 9 million per year,send back 6 million with our goods.
Costs companys 800-1000 to send an empty back to Asia,therefore lots of them available for purchase here.

Yup,just looking this up a few days ago,wife saw some on TV that were amazing and NICE houses,incredibly strong needless to say.

BooBoo

 

Dd Lives On A River About 10 Feet Above Sealevel. Her Dh Has Two Metal Rust Colored/covered Containers About 25 Feet Long. Sitting Directly On The Ground. They Survived Hurricanes Of 04 And 05 Of S.w. Fla. Without A Scratch. They Contain Some Tools, But Are Nowhere Near Full. Two Years Ago He Paid $1200.00 For Them And Moved Them From The East Coast Himself.

Sound Pricey. But There They Sit. Ugly As All Get Out.

 

You can bury them. Some folks are making underground homes with them.
Initially you dig out your area to set of concrete, 6"w x 6" tall by however long wide your run of boxes are side by side. Make sure to run pipe through at the bottom to create drainholes.
Then layer gravel and sand til its about 3" from the top of the concrete. Set containers i place with the doors facinrg the exposed side so that they aren't covered in soil. Form and pour a 4" reinforced concrete slab over the top of them, then backfill around the boxes with gravel. THen cover in soil.
The boxes will handle up to 3 or 4' of soil on top that way. Only one caveat, you should cut escape hatches. I would build a tube using culvert pipe at the back of the box, cut a doorway in the back, and cut the culvert pipe to fit the doorway and weld into place. The culvert would stand on end. Put ladder inside, and a cap on top.

 

I was thinking something like POR 15?

1 gallon of POR15 is a couple of hundred dollars but that stuff is bullet proof. I use it on all my rusty car parts.