Storing syrup underground

[markct]

For years I have wanted to have a secure place to keep my syrup cool, underground seemed the best option, yet its pricey to build underground buildings. I lucked out and got these elliptical concrete pipes for free after they were taken out of a road job. they are a little over 5ft by 8ft inside and 8 inch thick with a lot of steel reinforcing so they weigh in at about 7 tons each. Even my large gradall excavator would only lift one end of them so it took a lot of sliding tugging and rolling to get them in and lined up but they went together well. Heres a few picture links as the photo upload option seems to not be working lately.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152007157308582&l=34780a611c

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152007275498582&l=d7831b87bb

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152009456223582&l=633d2b970f

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152013479288582&l=fc775633ef

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152015769593582&l=031469e25c

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152031638318582&l=f7a1cd7d94

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152051664708582&l=f637aaf2fa

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152052035053582&l=3806a8ebc8

[Maplewalnut]

Very cool

Mark, do you have some sort of vent? I would be worried about condensation , no? Good luck with it, looks great.

Mike

[markct]

There is a 6 inch vent pipe in the upper part of the back wall that goes up to the surface a few ft above and has a wirly round ventilator thing on it and there is "floor drains" in the floor that allow air in, that way the air has to go thru about 60ft of pipe underground which will cool the intake air in the summer and warm it in winter. They are separate pipe than the footing drains so that the air will not pick up any extra moisture on the way in. The pipe joints are sealer with 3ft wide waterproofing membrane and then the whole thing is covered with 2 layers of heavy plastic as well as insulation at the top and around the front wall to keep the temp underground more steady. Also the door is 2 layers of plywood with 2 inch foam in the center for insulation.

[maple flats]

Looks real nice. I have plans drawn to make a cellar, off set to my sugarhouse kitchen that goes in next summer. Mine will have cold cellar type ventilation (as seen in Mother Earth News many years ago). That cellar won't go in until 2015. It will be foam insulated wall and ceiling and the ceiling will have at least R50.
But it still won't be as well cooled as yours, but if I need better cooling I'll run a CoolBot control on an air conditioner. I'm thinking I want to be able to hold 40-45 degrees in the heat of summer. As I understand it, the ground temp around here is between 52-55 at 5' down year round.

[K.I. Joe]

Very Nice!!

[markct]

Yea I don't know what temp it will hold, they say the ground temp stays in the mid 50s as you say, I am hoping it will hold around there with the well insulated door and the intake vents running underground to help cool the incoming air. As I mentioned there is a good bit of foam insulation in the ground above the shelter, as well as from 2ft to 3ft of dirt covering it at the top of the arch, either way it has to stay cooler than my sugarhouse and basement in the house where the syrup barrels used to end up! And I don't have to lower the barrels down the basement stairs with a strap hanging from the backhoe!

[maple flats]

You can even use it as a bomb shelter if necessary.

[markct]

Very true! A friend told me if the world ends he is moving into there with a big box of waffles!