Can You Bury a Shipping Container for a Bunker?
Complete Expert Breakdown
CRITICAL WARNING
The idea of burying a shipping container to create a cheap, fast backyard bunker is one of the most common—and most dangerous—DIY survival myths on the internet.
A shipping container is NOT strong enough to be buried as-is.
Doing so can cause structural collapse, severe injury, or even death.
It's easy to see why this became popular: shipping containers are affordable, easy to find in Missouri, and look tough enough to survive underground. In this guide, we'll explain why shipping containers fail underground, what engineering principles are involved, and what actually needs to be done if someone wants to turn a container into a safe, long-term doomsday or storm bunker.
1. Why People Think Shipping Containers Make Good Bunkers
Many homeowners are attracted to containers because:
Cheap
$2,500–$6,000 in Missouri
Solid Steel
Appears durable and strong
Fully Enclosed
Ready-made structure
Quick Delivery
Available immediately
⚠️ The Problem:
On the surface, a shipping container looks like an underground bunker. But the design purpose of a container is very different from what an underground structure requires.
2. The Critical Structural Flaw: Containers Are Designed for Vertical Loads Only
How Shipping Containers Are Actually Designed:
Shipping containers are engineered to handle vertical loads at the corner posts—that's how they stack 9–10 containers high on ships.
However, they are NOT designed for:
In Missouri, clay-heavy soils exert massive pressure when wet. This lateral load can cause:
💥 Walls to cave inward
🏚️ Roofs to bow or collapse
⚠️ Container sides to buckle
🚪 Doors and vents to warp shut
⚠️ A burial collapse is usually sudden and catastrophic.
3. Underground Conditions Destroy Shipping Containers
Missouri soil has specific characteristics that make burying containers even more dangerous:
AExpansive Clay Soils
These swell when saturated, creating hydrostatic pressure that crushes unreinforced steel.
💀 Result: Lateral wall collapse
BHigh Water Tables
In many areas of Missouri, groundwater sits just a few feet below the surface.
This creates:
CFreeze–Thaw Cycles
This expands and contracts the surrounding soil, causing additional stress on thin steel walls.
❄️ Result: Structural fatigue and cracking
DLong-Term Moisture Exposure
Corrugated walls on shipping containers are thin—often only 14-gauge steel. Even with paint, underground moisture will deteriorate the metal over time, weakening the structure.
🏚️ Result: Rust holes and structural failure
4. Ventilation and Air Safety Are Often Ignored
☠️ A buried shipping container without proper ventilation becomes a death trap.
Risks Include:
- Oxygen depletion
- Carbon dioxide build-up
- Mold and humidity
- Contaminants in stagnant air
True Bunkers Require:
- Fresh air intakes
- Exhaust vents
- NBC filtration (optional)
- Backup air systems
- Moisture control
⚠️ Containers have ZERO of these built in.
5. Waterproofing Is Nearly Impossible on a Bare Container
Waterproofing a container underground requires:
⚠️ Even with coatings, moisture will find weak points and cause:
6. Backfilling a Container Will Crush It
💀 Most DIY bunker failures happen during the backfilling stage.
When dirt is placed around a container:
1️⃣ Pressure becomes uneven
2️⃣ Thin walls start bending inward
3️⃣ The roof caves in under compacted soil
4️⃣ Doors jam shut or twist
5️⃣ The entire structure collapses
⚠️ A general contractor would NEVER bury an unreinforced container.
Considering a Shipping Container Bunker?
Talk to licensed bunker construction experts before making a dangerous mistake.
📞 Call (417) 895-87337. How Professionals Reinforce a Shipping Container
If someone insists on using a shipping container, it must be completely re-engineered before burial. This includes:
Full Structural Shell
External Concrete Encasement
(Common in Missouri bunker builds)
Many proper bunker builds involve:
- Setting the container inside a poured concrete "vault"
- Adding steel reinforcement
- Installing waterproof membranes
- Using gravel and drainage systems
- Creating a reinforced concrete roof
Dedicated Entrance Shaft
⚠️ Containers are NOT meant to be an entry point.
A safe bunker requires:
Interior Framing & Finishing
Once reinforced, the inside still needs:
💡 At this point, the cost difference between a proper reinforced bunker shell and a shipping container conversion becomes very small.
8. Total Cost to Convert a Container into a Safe Bunker
Here is the typical cost range in Missouri:
Total Investment Required:
$75,000 – $250,000+
Depending on size and doomsday features
CRITICAL FACT:
This is the same or higher than many purpose-built bunkers—with far greater risks.
9. Why General Contractors Are Required for Any Bunker Build
A bunker—especially a doomsday bunker—is NOT a DIY project.
General Contractors Handle:
Engineering
Structural calculations & design
Excavation
Safe digging & soil management
Structural Reinforcement
I-beams, bracing, concrete
Safety Systems
Life support & monitoring
Waterproofing
7-layer protection system
Ventilation
Fresh air & NBC filtration
Plumbing/Electrical
Complete systems installation
Interior Build-Out
Living spaces & finishes
Backfill
Safe soil replacement
Code Compliance
Permits & inspections
✅ A GC ensures the bunker won't collapse, flood, or fail in an emergency.
10. The Final Verdict: Should You Bury a Shipping Container?
NO
You should NEVER bury a shipping container as-is.
If reinforced and engineered correctly, a shipping container CAN be part of a bunker system, but ONLY when:
For most homeowners, it's safer and more cost-effective to build a purpose-built bunker instead.
Conclusion
Shipping containers are tough above ground—but weak and dangerous underground without major modifications. Missouri soils, moisture levels, and weather make the risks even higher.
A doomsday bunker should be:
If a bunker is meant to protect your family,
it's worth doing right the first time.
About Bunker Up Buttercup
Bunker Up Buttercup is a veteran-owned, licensed general contractor specializing in turnkey underground shelter and doomsday bunker construction throughout Springfield, Missouri and surrounding areas. We understand the structural engineering required to build safe, long-term survival bunkers—whether starting from scratch or properly reinforcing shipping containers. With 15+ years of engineering and construction experience, we provide honest assessments and complete design-to-commissioning services with long-term warranty protection. Don't risk your family's safety on DIY myths.