Burial liner - Definition and Overview

A burial liner, in a burial of human remains, is an enclosure that is placed over a coffin, which is then buried in the ground. The casket serves as the inner enclosure of a deceased person; the liner serves as the outer enclosure.

A burial liner is similar to a burial vault. However, unlike a burial vault, the liner only covers the top and sides of a casket, whereas a burial vault completely encloses a casket. The bottom of the casket in this case is in direct contact with the ground. A burial liner serves to protect a casket during burial from being crushed due to the weight of the ground above the liner. It also keeps the casket from being crushed when the heavy equipment that many modern cemeteries use passes over the grave. The ground over the grave is kept from sinking in, and is kept even. If only the casket is buried in the ground, the grave may sink. Sunken graves become a hazard: people can trip over sunken graves and can injure themselves in the process. For those reasons, many modern cemeteries require that either a burial liner or vault be used in burials.