In the event that your loved one passed away without leaving any end-of-life plans, it would be up to you (and your family) to arrange your loved one’s funeral and burial. One of the things that you have to decide on is whether to purchase a burial vault or a grave liner. Essentially, the purpose of burial vaults is to help prevent the ground from collapsing once it’s settled. But do you really need to purchase a burial vault in Salt Lake City?
Why You Might Need a Burial Vault
During a burial or interment, there would be particular loads that would be placed on the site. Burial vaults are specially developed to bear these loads that caskets can’t. These particular loads include impact loads, dynamic loads, and static loads. Static loads are typical weight loads put on vaults due to the ground above and are usually around two tons or 4,000 pounds. Dynamic loads are loads that differ in intensity and could be caused by backhoes, tractors, or other cemetery equipment that pass over a grave. Impact loads could be caused by using a tamper on the backfilling process and could deliver the impact that usually exceeds the impact delivered by dynamic or static loads. While this usually happens for a short time, an impact load is typically concentrated on an extremely tiny area.
Although a majority of state laws don’t require the use of burial vaults or liners. A majority of cemeteries actually do, primarily due to the abovementioned reasons. Plenty of cemeteries likewise requires burial vaults for burying cremated remains.
So Should You Buy a Burial Vault?
The answer, it really depends on the cemetery you choose to let your loved one rest. And even your chosen cemetery doesn’t require a burial vault for interment; it’s a good idea to consider getting one anyway. According to people who have purchased burial vaults for their deceased loved ones, you can’t buy peace of mind, but you can buy a burial vault to help make certain that your loved ones’ remains would be protected from potential ground collapse. Do take note however that burial vaults merely stop the ground from collapsing around your loved one’s casket and not the decaying process of the body itself.