Basement Bunker

Standard poured concrete basements for single family homes have eight inch thick walls, eight feet tall, resting on footings eight inches thick and 16 inches wide. Wood floor joists or trusses then rest on top of the basement walls. An alternative approach is to pour a concrete slab on top of the basement walls. The advantage of an elavated concrete slab is that it forms a solid diaphram arcoss the opening of the basement. Think of a cardboard box without the flaps closed versus closed and taped. When the box is closed and taped it holds its shape and can support more weight than if open. Elevated concrete slabs need to be designed by a liscenced engineer. However, even with the added cost of the engineering, a concrete floor can be cost competitive with a wood floor system.

	Here we see a row of electrical conduit being attached to in the inside of the basement forms.