Cremation Urn Vaults
Click on a cremation urn vault below for more information
Click on a cremation urn vault below for more information
Lined urn vaults are designed to hold the weight of the earth, and more importantly, to protect your loved one after burial. The daily use of heavy cemetery equipment and the gravity of the earth exerts a force that far exceeds what an unprotected urn can handle.
Operating a modern cemetery can require heavy equipment like a backhoe for opening and closing graves, as well as tractors for maintaining the grounds. A strong durable vault provides greater protection from the weight of that equipment. All Whitman vaults are designed to help protect the urn from the elements.
There are several factors or types of loads that weigh upon a burial vault. Understanding the types of loads and how they each impact the burial vault is essential to understanding the importance of a quality-lined burial vault.
A static or stationary load is simply the weight of the earth that rests directly over a burial vault. This load has decreased since the 1920s. In most cemeteries today, the average grave has 18 inches of earth covering which results in a static load of approximately 4,000 pounds.
An impact or shock load is produced by a mechanical tamper or the dropping of a backhoe bucket and delivers a very concentrated force through the soil. This has a very extreme effect on a small area of the burial vault cover at shallow grave depths.
A dynamic load is a load that varies in intensity. This load is transferred to a burial vault as heavy cemetery equipment passes over the grave. The equipment used in cemeteries is much larger and heavier today. Some cemeteries use a backhoe that weighs in excess of 25,000 pounds.