What is "burial vault"

n. a burial chamber (usually underground) [syn: vault]

A burial vault (also known as a burial liner, grave vault, and grave liner) is a container, formerly made of wood or brick but more often today made of concrete, that encloses a coffin to help prevent a grave from sinking. Wooden coffins (or caskets) decompose, and often the weight of earth on top of the coffin, or the passage of heavy cemetery maintenance equipment over it, can cause the casket to collapse and the soil above it to settle.

Burial vault may refer to:

• Burial vault (enclosure), protective coffin enclosure
• Burial vault (tomb), underground tomb

A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.

It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances. They are often privately owned and used for specific family or other groups, but usually stand beneath a public religious building, such as a church, or in a churchyard or cemetery. A crypt may be used as a burial vault.

fr:Caveau funéraire

Category:Burial monuments and structures Category:Subterranea (geography)