hmmm reading through this thread I'm reconsidering an in the garage floor shelter... and just considering an outdoor concrete in the ground one.. I'm pretty sure concrete doesn't rust ;-) but what do I know 
That's soil side corrosion, and you are screwed, like a house cat.
If the shelter is made from carbon steel, and isn't blasted to an SSPC SP10, and then a coating that is resistant to cathodic disbondment isn't properly applied, the corrosion rate will be exponentially faster than what you would see take place in "atmospheric" exposure.
If they bury the steel in concrete, not only will that keep it from floating out of the hole, the high pH of the concrete will passiviate the steel, and it will corrode at a much, much slower rate.
jakeman - NACE #7455 (National Association of Corrosion Engineers)
Sorry about your luck.
Here's the good news, unless or until the shelter becomes unusable because of the corrosion, it will still protect you in the event of a horrible wind storm. I wouldn't jerk it out of the ground unless or until it becomes unusable.
Man that sucks , only 10 years.
Id just get some of that roll on from one of the do it yourself store to keep it sealed for now ....agree , save for a new one>
Id just get some of that roll on from one of the do it yourself store to keep it sealed for now ....agree , save for a new one>
hmmm reading through this thread I'm reconsidering an in the garage floor shelter... and just considering an outdoor concrete in the ground one.. I'm pretty sure concrete doesn't rust ;-) but what do I know
The vendors I've seen warranty their in-ground concrete shelters for 10 years. Most of them are septic companies who have been in business for 20+yrs.
Now I haven't looked at hundreds of them but I have not seen one offer more than 10 years.
You can get them a lot bigger, but yard access can be a problem. You need a very wide path all the way to where the shelter will be placed. This can be a problem if you think you'll put it in your backyard, but you live in a cramped neighborhood. Some in OKC place them in their front yard or in their driveway.
hmmm reading through this thread I'm reconsidering an in the garage floor shelter... and just considering an outdoor concrete in the ground one.. I'm pretty sure concrete doesn't rust ;-) but what do I know
Concrete doesn't rust, but it can corrode.
Corrosion is the deterioration of a material, usually, but not always, a metal, because of a reaction with it's environment. Materials other than metals, such as concrete, wood and plastic deteriorate or corrode.
When I buy an inground shelter, it will be made of concrete, which is not to say that there aren't carbon steel (or other material) shelters made that are high in quality, because there are.
You just need to do your research, find out a little about their manufacturing process, and make an informed decision. Just like you'd make any other purchase, including lunch.
Thanks for the tips guys. So if these things are so susceptible to rust and corrosion why are they not coated with something to prevent it all together? Besides the financial aspect, is there another reason? Which leads me to another weird question Don't they drop in concrete enclosures in graves and then set the casket in? Are all of these just corroding in the ground slowly?
I'm sure many of the in ground shelters that are steel have been coated with something to help prevent rust. They are likely scratched up while being transported or had a low quality coating application. I spent several years doing coatings for oil and gas companies. If the surface prep isn't good the coating will fail faster.
