(9) Outer Burial Containers and the like

What is an outer burial container?

Any container which is designed for placement in the grave around the casket, including but not limited to, containers commonly known as burial vaults, grave boxes and grave liners

What was the historical purpose of OBC’s?

to protect from grave robbers

What is the modern purpose of OBC’s?

To support the earth’s load

Are OBC’s required by state or federal law?

There are no state or federal laws requiring the purchase and/or use of outer burial containers or vaults. Most cemeteries require such a purchase in the interest of maintainig the structure and integrity of the grave. One of the 6 mandatory disclosures on a GPL

Every vault is considered an OBC, but..

OBC’s cannot legally be called vaults

An OBC will only meet the MINIMUM cemetery requirements, which include….

No liner, no seal, no warranty and no requirement to withstand 5000 pounds of pressure (PSF, or per square foot)

What is a grave liner?

An outer enclosure which offers protection from the earths load but does not have sealing qualities and therefore offers no protection from the elements

What are the construction materials of grave liners?

Concrete (most common)
Wood

What is the grave box?

An OBC style which is an outer enclosure with a single unit base and a one piece or two piece cap

What is a sectional box? (concrete sectional)

An OBC style which is a grave liner consisting of 6 or 8 slabs of unfinished concrete placed around the casket

What is a vault?

An outer enclosure which offers protection from the earth’s load as well as possessing sealing qualities (seal, liner, warranty, 5000 lbs pressure psf required)
-Supports the earth’s load in 18” of soil at 4000+ lbs

What is the static load type?

weight of the earth is supported without any other weight factors

What is the differential load type?

excess temporary weight is placed on a grave (dirt from another grave)

What is the dynamic load type?

Excess temporary weight that varies (ex: equipment weight)

What is the impact load type?

sudden and powerful force to the OBC (filling the grave with dirt)

Vaults provide additional resistance from outside elements and/or subsoil conditions such as…

-Water/moisture
-Unlevel grave space
-Bugs and vermin

What are the vault materials?

Concrete, metal, polypropylene and fiberglass

Concrete vault

-A mixture of sand, gravel, water and cement
-May have reinforcement
-Wire/steel meshing
-Steel rebar

A concrete vault will have interior lining, which can be made from…

-Asphalt
-Plastic (polystyrene or ABS)
-Metal

What is the two piece construction of a concrete vault?

-base
-Cap (cover)
-2000+ lbs (1 ton)
-Top seal closure method

Metal vaults can come in what types?

-Carbon steel
-Stainless steel
-Copper
-Galvanized

Metal vaults are measured in gauge

-7 gauge
-10 gauge
-12 gauge

What is involved in the two piece construction of a metal vault?

-Base
-Dome
-Air seal closure method

Polymer and fiberglass vault

-Less common than concrete and metal
-More common in infant combo units
-Can be either top, air or double seal. Air seal is the most common seal employed

What is the air seal closure method?

Utilizes the air pressure created by placing the dome of the vault onto the base of the vault (diving bell principle)

What is the top seal closure method?

Utilizes an epoxy compound in conjunction with a tongue in groove closure at the end of the top of the vault
-Most common epoxy compound is butyl

What is the end seal closure method?

Utilized in above ground crypts in which one end will drop down and be sealed so a casket can be slid in for interment

What is the double seal closure method?

Utilizes the principle of the air seal in conjunction with an epoxy material at the junction of the dome and the base of the vault

What are the adult vault dimensions?

-Standard: 30” wide x 86” long x 24.5” high
-Oversized: 36” wide x 92” long and 42” wide x 92” long

What are the infant and child vault measurements?

-Standard: 23” wide x 60” long
-Oversized: none avaliable

What are the urn vault types?

Single and double

Wood box

Made entirely of wood and used to ship high end caskets

Alternative container

nonmetal enclosure without ornamentation or a fixed interior lining, designed for the encasement of dead human remians. Made of carboard, pressed wood, comp material or pouches of canvas or other materials

Ziegler case

A gasket sealed container used for shipping or as an insert in a casket

Air tray

wood tray with a carboard lid used to ship casketed human remains (can also be used for a person of size in cremations)

Combination case

Particle board box with a cardboard tray and cover used to ship human remains (uncasketed)

Unfinished wooden box

Unornamented casket made of wood which does not have a fixed interior lining

Combination unit

A unit or series of units which are designed to be used together both a casket and as a permanent burial receptacle (typically seen in infant caskets)

What are some specialty caskets?

Orthodox jewish caskets, gasketed wood caskets, clergy/priests caskets, the glass sealer, hand crafted caskets/coffins, ecopod caskets, white light caskets