I’m getting ready to build a house in the country and I’m buying some real safes. They will be kept in the garage/barn as where I’m building I can’t put a basement in. Does anyone know how thick I should pour the concrete in the area I plan on putting the 4000-5000# safes? Do you think I need to add some footers around the area etc, any feedback is appreciated. Thanks

The answer is "it depends", but you should consult with whomever is selling them to you.  They should be familiar enough with your area, construction, etc. to give you a better answer than we could.

I'm thinking a 4" slab of 3,500PSI, but where you're building makes a difference.  Are you pouring the slab yourself?  You may also want to post this in the DIY forum to get a concrete expert.

My 10k# vehicle lift only requires 4" and that's 2, 2'x2' posts anchored to it. 3" of concrete should be more than adequate for your purpose.

That and I can drive a fully loaded moving truck on my driveway. Even with 6 wheels I imagine there is more weight per sq ft/inch/whatever than with a flat base safe.

I’m not pouring the slab but I don’t know if the pole barn guys know about weight distribution for safes either. I’ll tell them I’m putting a mill and lathe etc in one area and see how they respond. Thanks as some of these responses gave me some ideas.

4"-6" will be fine but if you want some added assurance, place a network of #5 rebar on chairs in the area you plan to put the safes.

3" of concrete isn't worth a fuck for anything.

OP, any slab is only as good as what's under it or what it is strong enough to bridge.

If you want to be sure, make sure the ground is compacted WELL. Like with gravel and a vibratory plate compactor. Then use at LEAST 6" of concrete with #5 rebar about 8" o/c both ways in the area where the safes will be. You can use less depth for the main slab but if you plan to have farm equipment or other heavy stuff on it, I'd go 5" all the way through it.

Footers or a turned down edge? Depends on if you care if it heaves in cold weather or not.

I think you might be over exaggerating a bit, however your ideas aren't all wrong. I'd let you build a slab for me anyway, I dig your style.

The slab I had poured for my lift is actually 6" deep 4' from where the posts are and 4" for the remainder even though the specs of the 10k lift only ask for 4" for the required depth of the posts. It's wired but I don't know what my guy used for wire. It looked like hog panels. And there's 4" of compacted limestone under it.

From the information you have provided, nobody could provide you a meaningful answer.

* What are the dimensions of the safes?
* Will they be placed next to each other or some distance apart?
* What is their exact weight?
* Are they flat where they will sit on the concrete or are there "feet" or other stress concentrations?
* Is this going to be a slab?
* Will it be a flat slab or will there be integral "beams" in the slab?
* Will it be poured on site?
* How will it be reinforced?
* Conventional reinforcement or post-tension?
* What the is surface of the reinforcement smooth or deformed?
* What is the tensile strength of the reinforcement?
* What is the compressive strength of the concrete?
* Has there been a study of soil compressibility done?
* If so, what were the results?

In short, unless you want some off-the-cuff answer from someone you don't know who may not have any credentials at all and just knows to ask these questions because he stayed at a Holiday Inn last night, then if you want to avoid a lot of pain and expense down the road, go hire a civil or construction engineer to advise you.

I'm a commercial construction Supt. and I've poured 10's of thousands of yards of concrete for just about any application you can imagine.

What I gave him was an honest recommendation, not knowing what the subgrade is, to pretty well insure that his safes will not only not crack his new slab, but will not, over time, start settling from the steady weight of the load.

What I gave him should be able to safely bridge most subgrades.

But pay me no mind. Others who know will be along and we'll see who else recommends 3" of concrete for anything other than a walk pad.  

Which is why in addition to somebody who knows about concrete he really should be talking to somebody who knows about safes.  I'm assuming whomever he is dealing with is knowledgeable about these things seeing they're selling them.

The type of construction of the safe will have some degree of impact on what will happen if the concrete beneath it begins to move.  Will it make the door swing?  Nothing like getting whacked by a moving 1,000 pound safe door when you're not paying attention.  Will the door close at all?  Will it drag?  Will it prevent the bolts from entering their pockets if so equipped?   Are you aware of what it takes to adjust a safe that heavy when it's the side facing another safe that's the problem?

Long story short you want somebody who knows how to install those safes installing them on a floor that is not going to move afterwords.  And the only people who are going to be able to point you in the proper direction are those that are familiar with what you're doing and where you're doing it.

Thanks for the answers even the ones that make me shake my head, I’m just starting all this and was just doing some investigating and inquiries. I will ask the people building the safes too.

If you haven’t started the safes yet have you compared just building a Vault room in one corner and not using safes?

Granted my build has a basement so two of the walls were already concrete but adding two more walls and a roof was a lot cheaper than buying safes that would hold everything.

16x16 room added about $4,000 with a door.

The thought has crossed my brain.

Your answer is right here,been in construction for 28 years. The slab this guy describes will be fine into your great grandchildren’s lifetimes.

Pete