Comments on: Underground construction is basically unknown except for nuclear bunkers

By: Light

Light — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 01:53:59 +0000

Tell that to the Vietnamese.

By: Michael van der Riet

Michael van der Riet — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 08:10:16 +0000

On the other hand there are a lot of burrowing animals. Most plants prefer to dig under the surface. Microbes are fairly evenly split between those that like the outdoors and those that are happiest underground in a host. Perhaps we’re not looking at this the right way.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 01:23:21 +0000

“Indeed, on Earth, underground construction is basically unknown except for nuclear bunkers.”

It’s true that underground construction is basically unknown, but on the other hand, underground construction is basically unknown.

By: Roy in Nipomo

Roy in Nipomo — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 23:36:33 +0000

Another reason other than price that prevents underground homes (at least in the US) is building codes. Most jurisdictions that I’m aware of demand windows in rooms used for living purposes (e.g. bedrooms, kitchen, etc) big enough for egress for safety reasons (e.g. fire exits, etc). Financial institutions probably go along. I’m sure that exceptions exist, but not enough to justify much research/innovation in lowering the cost.

On the other hand, on Mars, the Moon, etc, one can always build a slightly below grade structure and then just pile surface material on top until the level of protection is achieved.