Person with a tablet beside an open cable duct along a railway.

Explosive ordnance surveying for stations and operational areas

For platform redevelopment, lifts, cable civil works or work on operational areas, designers and site management need a clear investigation status for each construction stage. FONTANA-EOD reviews the ordnance evidence alongside the site drawing, depths of ground disturbance and accessible working volumes. Submit the current section drawing and proposed ground disturbance so that area or point investigations and the required records can be specified before the next earthworks.

Divide the site into subareas

Identify the station, railway yard and operational section.

Define the ground disturbance

Specify excavation, foundations and construction stage.

Maintain evidence

Document subareas and unresolved zones.

Other railway construction tasks

Have the station project assessed Select suitable investigation methods
Prepare the technical scope for the station project

What needs clarifying before earthworks at a station

On station and operational areas, explosive ordnance investigation follows the individual construction sections, depths of ground disturbance and accessible working volumes. Railway yards, platforms and utility areas may require different methods and working windows.

Areas not investigated remain identifiable; revised construction stages and additional ground disturbance are checked against the existing records before construction.

Submit the drawing revision and construction sections Clarify historical suspicion indicators
Project references

Selected project examples

Project areas at a station

Consider platforms, railway yards and operational buildings separately

Stations are not uniform investigation areas. Passenger traffic, railway operations, workshops, storage, utilities and public traffic areas each present different requirements for access, survey feasibility, construction stages and documentation.

The technical approach therefore follows the actual use and planned ground disturbance. Subareas are grouped only where surfaces, interference and the investigation outcome required are genuinely comparable.

Person beside a survey instrument on a construction site; a wheeled excavator with drilling equipment stands behind them.

Platforms, access routes and accessibility

Platform edges, lifts, stairs, ramps, canopies and tactile guidance systems involve both area and point ground disturbance. Demolition and new construction often take place in tightly scheduled stages while adjoining areas remain in use.

Explosive ordnance investigation is related to the excavation, foundation, shaft, utility alignment and respective design depth. Separate investigations are planned for deep points and areas accessible at later stages.

Investigate foundation and shaft positions
Person with a tablet beside an open cable duct along a railway.

Railway yards and switch areas

Rails, sleepers, fastenings, point machines, cables and drainage define the technical interference environment. Survey feasibility and available working width can vary considerably even within one railway yard.

Subareas are divided by track, chainage, construction stage and planned work. Where preliminary investigation remains limited, the later demolition or excavation stage is included in the measures planned.

Assess the track area in its project context
Survey trolley on an undeveloped construction site, with soil piles and a row of trees in the background.

Workshops and maintenance facilities

Inspection pits, building foundations, machinery, utility ducts, crane tracks and paved external areas create strong technical interference. At the same time, conversion and demolition can penetrate deeply into earlier fill and existing structures.

The investigation distinguishes building interiors, external areas, demolition zones and new foundations. Available as-built drawings and the planned cleared state are crucial to method selection.

Investigate the workshop and maintenance area
Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Cable, utility and drainage volumes

Stations contain dense networks of power, signalling, telecommunications, water and drainage utilities. New routes often cross several existing installations and alternate between open trenches, shafts and locations close to structures.

Utility alignments, trench depth, working width, crossings and inaccessible sections are recorded spatially. Explosive ordnance investigation remains a technically separate task from utility detection, but is coordinated with its as-built data.

Define utility and investigation record references
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Loading, shunting and storage areas

Paved operational areas, loading tracks, storage zones and access roads have often been rebuilt, filled or fitted with technical installations several times. Large sites can have different uses and depths of ground disturbance at the same time.

The work is divided into clearly identifiable subareas. Surveyable areas, deep individual points, traffic areas and zones to be opened later share common but differentiated positional references.

Select investigations for technical subareas
Montage showing building construction, a railway, a utility trench, energy facilities, industry and road construction.

Forecourts, parking areas and site setup

Station forecourts, park-and-ride sites, bus areas, haul roads and assembly areas often lie outside the track formation itself but belong to the same construction programme. Temporary load transfer or utility connections can also involve ground disturbance.

These areas are coordinated with road and civil engineering work; their assessment is not inferred without review from that of the track area. Actual use and planned depth of ground disturbance determine the approach.

Assess adjoining construction tasks
Next steps in station redevelopment

Which investigation the next construction section needs

The right starting point depends not just on the project date but on which subarea is to be designed, tendered, opened or used next. For each section, the location and depth of work and the time at which access becomes available must be known.

Explosive ordnance surveying becomes relevant on station and operational areas where platforms, access routes, lifts, utilities, tracks, drainage, workshop areas or technical installations are modified and the actual ground or foundation volume has not yet been reliably assessed.

Early site and option planning

For redevelopment, extension or change of use, the first question is which historical indications and earlier documents apply to the station site as a whole. Options for platforms, access routes, workshops or logistics areas can create different volumes of suspected ordnance and investigation requirements.

The historical assessment is overlaid with the current site layout. This identifies which options require additional technical investigation.

Clarify the historical basis for design options

Design involving several construction stages

Platform redevelopment, track removal, temporary paths and interim operating arrangements change access during the project. An area may be technically impossible to assess before demolition and become surveyable only at a later stage.

The investigation design assigns each construction stage the status required and a suitable service to achieve it.

Coordinate construction stages and investigation status

Tendering and interface specification

A general explosive ordnance surveying item is insufficient for complex station areas. Subareas, depths, methods, operator requirements, surveying, data formats and required records must be specified clearly.

Contingent and follow-up services have clear triggers so that bids remain comparable and subsequent adjustments can be justified technically.

Define the service scope for procurement

Deep boreholes and foundations

Lifts, roofs, masts, supports, excavation supports, piles and ground investigation boreholes occupy defined point and depth volumes. A near-surface area survey does not automatically answer this question.

Coordinates, foundation dimensions, design depth and installation method are linked to the depth investigation. Replacement or relocated points are spatially reassessed.

Investigate deep points and foundations

Demolition and ongoing excavation

Beneath platforms, building floors, tracks or paved operational areas, ground often becomes accessible only during demolition and earthworks. Construction equipment, parallel trades and short working windows can also determine how the work is carried out.

The suitability of explosive ordnance surveying during construction is assessed before excavation. Layers, sections, stop points and instruction channels are specified for this purpose. Merely watching the excavator work is insufficient.

Provide specialist support during demolition and excavation

An anomaly or an actual find

A survey anomaly, an object causing technical interference and an exposed suspicious object must be distinguished technically. Each situation entails different measures and responsibilities.

Survey anomalies are recorded with their position and assessed by specialists. If an unexpected suspicious object is encountered, work stops. The object is left untouched and is not exposed further. In Germany, the police are contacted immediately; outside Germany, the local emergency reporting procedure applies.

Assess the findings and recovery procedure
Investigation by construction section

How the construction stage changes the investigation

The ordnance evidence is compared with the construction drawing. Planned depths, survey conditions and subsequent use are recorded for each working area. Stations and operational areas are therefore not treated as one uniform site.

The conclusion describes the section actually investigated, its depth, the method used and unresolved zones. It remains tied to that documented scope.

Unclear ordnance evidence across the site

Trigger: Only general indications, older statements or inconsistent drawing boundaries are available for the station, workshop or operational area.

Technical step: Historical sources, earlier uses and recorded reports of finds are related to the current project area and planned construction sections.

Required outcome: Spatially justified areas with suspected ordnance, data gaps and prioritised technical investigation tasks.

Clarify the spatial extent of suspected ordnance

Accessible area affected by technical interference

Trigger: A paved or open subarea is to be investigated but contains rails, utilities, reinforcement, foundations or scrap material.

Technical step: The survey objective and physically suitable methods are checked against known sources of interference and the depth required.

Required outcome: Interpretable areas, technical limits and specific supplementary measures remain separately identifiable.

Select a suitable service stage

Deep point ground disturbance in confined areas

Trigger: A lift shaft, mast, roof support, pile, excavation support or borehole occupies a clearly defined depth volume.

Technical step: Position, dimensions, design depth, nearby utilities and installation method are recorded for each point. The volume requiring investigation is then specified.

Required outcome: A point-specific assessment stating the depth reached, survey conditions and further measures required.

Define the foundation location and depth

Subarea accessible only after demolition

Trigger: Track or road structure, a building floor, platform or existing installation prevents reliable preliminary investigation.

Technical step: The area is assigned to a later construction stage; possible surveying, exposure or excavation monitoring is prepared before the relevant work step.

Required outcome: A clear distinction between areas investigated in advance and those investigated only at a later stage.

Prepare the technical scope for a later construction stage

Several trades need the same area

Trigger: Track construction, cable civil works, building construction, drainage and technical equipment works disturb the same area at different times.

Technical step: Investigation status is updated by subarea, depth and drawing revision and linked to handovers to subsequent trades.

Required outcome: Each participant can identify which assessment applies to their working volume and which areas remain unresolved.

Structure subarea handovers

Findings change the construction sequence

Trigger: A relevant anomaly or find lies within a planned working volume or affects the proposed construction sequence.

Technical step: Position, working surroundings, condition and responsibility are assessed; site management and project managers receive a clear follow-up decision.

Required outcome: Documented investigation and handover status without extending the assessment to adjoining areas not investigated.

Clarify the response to a find and the next steps
Records for designers and site management

Which documents demonstrate investigation status across a station site

On large operational areas, documentation must remain clear despite changing drawing revisions, construction stages and contractors. Site drawings, survey data and reports must therefore identify the same areas and depths. Unresolved areas and work still required are assigned as well.

A report is practically useful only if it identifies which subarea was investigated, at which construction stage and to what depth.

Project and subarea references

The project name, station, track, kilometre reference or chainage, construction section, subarea and current drawing revision establish the spatial basis. Platforms, workshop zones, service roads and adjoining areas receive clear identifiers.

Design changes are updated so that previous and current geometries remain distinguishable.

Historical and official baseline data

Aerial photograph assessments, archive information, previous reports, known finds and existing statements are recorded with their source, date and spatial scope.

Contradictions or missing appendices remain visible as unresolved project issues and are not replaced by general statements.

Survey and working conditions

Method, grid, lines, point position, investigation depth, surface, access, weather, demolition stage and sources of technical interference are described for each subarea.

For buildings, railway yards and platforms, the installations that affected the survey are recorded.

Survey data, anomalies and point status

Raw data, interpretation, anomaly lists, borehole logs and site drawings use the same identifiers. Each unresolved point is assigned an investigation status and a technical follow-up measure.

Relocated, combined or impracticable points remain traceable.

Areas that cannot be investigated and areas accessible later

Utilities, structures, rails, machinery, vehicles, reinforcement or incomplete demolition may restrict subareas. These zones are identified on the drawing. The assessment establishes whether a later construction stage or another method will allow their investigation.

They are not included in a broader conclusion about the site.

Section report and project handover

The report, drawing set, data directory, findings status, limitations and follow-up decisions are brought together for designers, site management and subsequent trades. Where exposure or clearance work has been carried out, the corresponding findings and clearance records with the same position and depth references are included.

For multi-year programmes, an overall status summary can link several section reports without removing their spatial limits.

Define the record structure for subareas Send project and as-built documents
Project file

Compile documents for each construction section

The project file contains as-built documents and the results of the investigations actually carried out. Each report must identify the area, depth and construction stage to which it relates.

The structure supports design, procurement, site management and later project stages without turning a section report into a general conclusion for the whole site.

Source and document register

Historical documents, correspondence with authorities, as-built drawings, ground investigation data, previous surveys and drawing revisions are recorded with their origin and scope.

The register shows which information was used for which subarea and where documents are still missing.

Area and construction-stage register

Platforms, railway yards, workshop areas, access routes, storage areas and excavations have clearly defined geometries and a documented construction stage.

This keeps it clear whether a survey was carried out before, during or after demolition.

Survey and point data

Survey lines, grids, borehole positions, depths, equipment settings and positioning data are linked to the section and drawing revision.

The technical dataset allows later plausibility checks and targeted updates.

Anomaly and findings register

Anomalies keep the same identifier from the first survey observation through assessment, exposure or a follow-up measure.

Known technical installations, unclear reflections and actual findings remain technically distinguishable.

Work and handover logs

Demolition stages, excavation layers, stop points, interruptions and subarea handovers are recorded in time and space. After exposure or clearance work has been carried out, the corresponding findings and clearance records supplement these documents.

Site management can then compare the explosive ordnance investigation status with actual construction progress.

Completion and remaining-area summary

The project file summarises areas investigated, depths reached, unresolved zones and recommended follow-up measures.

A conclusion is stated only for the documented area and is not extended to subsequent design changes or inaccessible adjoining areas.

Prepare the project file and handovers
Project process

Plan investigations for the individual construction stages

The work follows actual project progress. An early historical assessment may concern the whole site, while technical investigations and handovers are tied section by section to specific construction stages.

Site management receives the results and a summary of areas not yet investigated for each section.

01

Define the project area and construction stages

The station, operational area, tracks, platforms, structures, subareas and planned sequence are taken from the current drawing revision.

The decision required for each stage is identified.

02

Organise documents and responsibilities

Historical assessments, as-built and utility drawings, ground investigation data, previous reports and operational requirements are checked for completeness and spatial consistency.

Contacts and reporting procedures are specified.

03

Relate ordnance evidence to ground disturbance

Historical indications are overlaid with excavations, utility alignments, foundations, demolition areas and deep ground disturbance.

This identifies prioritised investigation volumes and visible data gaps.

04

Specify subareas and methods

Surface, interference, access, target object, depth and construction stage determine which areas are surveyed, which points require depth investigation and which areas will be monitored later.

Supplementary measures are planned in advance.

05

Prepare site operations and surveying

Survey lines, borehole positions, working areas, access, possessions, briefings, equipment and data collection are coordinated with the construction arrangements.

Drawing revisions are checked before mobilisation.

06

Carry out surveys or supervision

Area surveys, depth investigations or technically suitable explosive ordnance surveying during construction take place section by section using the agreed methodology.

Deviations and areas not reached are recorded immediately.

07

Assess data and findings

Survey readings, profile images, point data, exposure work and known installations are checked for plausibility in relation to the respective investigation objective.

Unresolved points receive a specific follow-up decision.

08

Hand over and update the subarea

The report, drawings, limitations and work status are prepared for site management and subsequent trades.

New construction stages or additional ground disturbance are checked against the existing investigation scope.

Technical division of the site

Define working areas and depths of ground disturbance on the site drawing

Investigation areas follow the planned work and survey conditions on site. A continuous property boundary says little about the actual survey conditions and ground disturbance within it.

Each working volume has traceable references for position, depth, construction stage and investigation records. Different methods can then be combined without conflating their conclusions.

Distinguish platforms, tracks and buildings on the construction drawing

The starting point is the current construction and as-built drawing. Platforms, tracks, switches, buildings, workshops, storage areas, access routes, utilities, structures and planned demolition zones are recorded separately. The subsequent ground disturbance is described for each geometry.

Technical subdivision does not follow use alone. Changes in surface, ground conditions, interference, access and target object may require additional subareas. A paved operational area beside a track may present different conditions from the same area after the railway installation is removed.

Deep individual points are separated from area investigations. A lift shaft, mast foundation, support or pile has its own coordinate, design depth and investigation geometry. This prevents a general area assessment from being extended to a deeper volume not covered.

For multi-stage projects, the geometry is updated. Each section carries a drawing revision, investigation status and unresolved follow-up measure. This structure allows handover by section while retaining an overview of the whole site.

Platform and access areas

Elongated excavations, edge foundations, lifts and stairs require a combination of area and point-specific records.

The investigation volume includes not only the visible platform edge but also the excavation, excavation support, working volume and foundation depth.

Track and switch areas

Track structure and metal installations affect the suitability of geophysical methods. The demolition stage and accessible survey routes are therefore described during design.

Zones that cannot be reliably covered are assigned a follow-up measure with a defined time.

Workshop and building areas

Building foundations, machinery, pits, reinforcement and utility ducts create complex interference patterns. Area surveys, point investigations and later exposure are planned in spatially separate volumes.

As-built drawings support interpretation but do not replace checking that they are up to date.

Cable and drainage corridors

Narrow trenches alternate between open areas, locations near tracks, structures and crossings. Alignment, width, depth to the excavation base and shafts define the investigation geometry.

Unresolved utility areas are coordinated through utility information and explosive ordnance investigation without treating the two tasks as equivalent.

Temporary construction and logistics areas

Haul roads, crane standing areas, storage and assembly zones may require load transfer, anchoring or utility connections. These ground disturbances are recorded as separate working volumes.

Use at the surface alone does not automatically create the same investigation requirements as deep ground disturbance.

Design changes and subsequent use

Relocated foundations, additional utilities or revised excavations are checked against the existing investigation volume.

For subsequent uses, the drawing revision and construction stage underlying the original assessment remain documented.

Have subareas and ground disturbance technically assessed
Select an investigation

Select investigations for individual station areas

Two monitors displaying aerial photographs and maps; further aerial photograph printouts lie on the desk.

Relate ordnance evidence to construction areas

Historical documents and previous investigations are compared with platforms, access routes, railway yards and operational areas. Temporary haul roads or additional storage areas may also need their own spatial comparison.

Assess the basis for suspicion
Person beside a survey instrument on a construction site; a wheeled excavator with drilling equipment stands behind them.

Consider deep foundations separately

Lifts, shafts and new foundations may extend beyond the investigation volume of adjoining areas. Depth, access and possible interference are recorded for each such ground disturbance before method selection.

Assess depth-related investigation
Define the technical scope of services

Which methods suit the subareas of a station

Station areas often need several methods because surfaces, sources of interference and depths of ground disturbance vary considerably. Selection follows the specific project question rather than equipment availability.

Methods complement one another usefully only when their spatial and physical conclusions remain clearly distinguished.

Separate services are specified for accessible areas, deep foundation positions and zones accessible only after demolition. Areas where data cannot be interpreted are marked on the drawing. Before ground disturbance, the further investigation suitable and necessary there is assessed.

01

Historical aerial photograph analysis

Establishes whether and where historical indications justify suspected ordnance on the present station site.

It does not locate individual objects present today and does not replace technical investigation of the proposed excavation or foundation.

02

Magnetometry

Responds to ferromagnetic objects and can be effective on suitable open areas.

Rails, reinforcement, machinery, vehicles and metal installations can strongly affect the magnetic environment on station areas.

03

TDEM

Records time-dependent electromagnetic responses from conductive objects and can provide additional assessment of selected areas or anomalies.

Electromagnetic infrastructure, ground conditions and the target object determine whether measurements are meaningful in the specific area.

04

Ground-penetrating radar / GPR

Shows reflections at material and structural boundaries and can provide additional ground information on suitable paved areas or areas with magnetic interference.

A reflection does not automatically identify an object; soil, moisture, installations and survey-line geometry limit interpretation.

05

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

Investigates defined point and depth volumes for lifts, masts, piles, excavation supports, boreholes and other deep ground disturbance.

The point-specific assessment does not cover the whole operational area outside the defined geometry.

06

Excavation supervision

In suitable demolition and excavation areas, each working layer is surveyed and assessed by a specialist. Controlled excavation in layers and an additional visual inspection follow. These steps are repeated to the agreed base of excavation; visual inspection of the excavator’s work alone is insufficient.

It requires clear working areas, stop points, instruction channels and section-specific documentation.

Working approach on operational areas

Coordinate investigation with ongoing operations

Before investigation, the areas and depths to be covered are specified for each section. Methods and working times must suit the survey conditions and ongoing operations.

FONTANA-EOD documents results for each investigated section and checks construction drawing changes against those results.

Document results for the respective construction section

Before work begins, the decision needed for each area is clarified. A platform foundation, cable trench, workshop conversion and storage area are not investigated using the same geometry or depth.

Method selection considers rails, utilities, structures, machinery, paving, soil and access. Limitations are identified during work planning and linked to a suitable follow-up measure.

During construction, demolition stages, new access and changes in construction geometry are recorded continuously. The assessment therefore remains tied to the state actually investigated.

Survey data and field observations are checked for plausibility against as-built information and the proposed ground disturbance. An anomaly is neither prematurely classified as ordnance nor considered harmless without technical justification.

The handover to designers and site management shows which subarea has been investigated, which limitations remain and which measure is needed before the next ground disturbance.

Have construction sections assessed Agree quality and evidence requirements

Define subareas clearly

Use, drawing revision, surface, depth and construction stage are specified before work begins.

Select methods on a justified basis

The survey objective and physical suitability determine the method and combination.

Include operations and the construction sequence

Access, possessions, demolition and parallel trades are incorporated into work preparation.

Maintain spatial references for data

Survey lines, points, anomalies and findings remain assigned to the same geometry.

Identify limitations openly

Areas that cannot be surveyed or accessed are marked on the drawing. The next steps are clarified before ground disturbance.

Hand over results in a usable form

Reports answer the specific project question for the documented area.

Prepare the next construction section

Link construction stages and investigation status at the station

Schedule investigations for accessible construction stages

Demolition and relocation of installations can change access to subareas. The investigations and protective measures needed are specified before the associated ground disturbance. For areas accessible afterwards, the additional results needed before the next earthworks are scheduled.

Agree the appropriate service

Hand over subareas to subsequent trades

The handover must distinguish investigated areas, documented depths and unresolved zones. Track, station and utility works need the same drawing revisions and section identifiers so that results are not extended to adjoining areas.

Identify the scope of the evidence
Roles and coordination

Who designs, coordinates operations and investigates

Station projects bring together infrastructure operators, several design disciplines, contractors, specialists and public authorities. Before work begins, responsibility for approving changes, organising access and handing investigation results to subsequent trades is specified.

Each role receives the information needed for its area of responsibility. Technical assessment, operational authorisation and official decisions remain separate processes.

Client

Project sponsors and infrastructure managers

Define the project objective, priorities, subareas, decision required and programme constraints. They provide existing information and commission the specialist services needed.

Where several work packages are involved, they maintain a consistent data and handover structure.

Design

Station, railway, building and civil engineering design

Translates the project into specific platforms, excavations, utility alignments, foundations and construction stages. Design changes are communicated so that their effects on existing investigations can be assessed.

Explosive ordnance investigation is incorporated into tendering and programme planning.

Operations

Operators and facility managers

Set requirements for access, operational conditions, possessions, technical arrangements for making areas available and protection zones. Their information determines when an area is accessible and in what state it can be investigated.

Operational authorisations and explosive ordnance assessments remain distinguishable.

Construction execution

Construction contractor and site management

Implement demolition, excavation, site setup, briefings and stop points. Changes in position, depth or equipment use are reported to the specialist participants before construction.

The agreed reporting procedure is activated in the event of anomalies.

Specialist contractor

FONTANA-EOD

Reviews documents and ordnance evidence, develops the commissioned approach, carries out specialist services within the agreed scope and documents results and limitations.

The service is coordinated with the project organisation, construction stages and regional interfaces.

Competent authorities

KBD, KMBD, KRD and local authorities

In Germany, the ordnance disposal services of the federal states and the locally competent authorities undertake hazard response and deal with finds. Their names and involvement are clarified for the federal state and project location; outside Germany, local responsibilities apply.

An actual find is reported through the agreed local procedure.

The local public order authority and building control may be involved, depending on local procedures and the construction task. Their requirements are recorded with the location, section and current drawing revision. Technical investigation, operational authorisation and official decisions about finds remain documented with their respective contacts.

Guidance overview and terminology Check regional responsibilities
Project documents in practice

Which documents site management needs for the next section

The work outputs must represent different uses and construction stages within a common project file. The documents must identify the area investigated and what remains to be clarified before the next ground disturbance.

Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Subarea and construction-stage drawing

Organises platforms, tracks, workshop areas, traffic areas and demolition zones by drawing revision and timing of investigation.

It shows which areas are investigated in advance, opened later or handed over to subsequent trades.

Define the drawing and handover structure
Two monitors displaying aerial photographs and maps; further aerial photograph printouts lie on the desk.

Historical map of suspected ordnance

Links aerial photographs, sources and known indications to the present station site and planned construction sections.

Data gaps and spatially prioritised investigation volumes remain visible for technical design.

Prepare the historical evidence
Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Survey and anomaly plan

Records survey lines, grids, technical interference zones and assessed anomalies using common positional references.

Known installations and areas where data cannot be interpreted are distinguished from unresolved points with suspected ordnance.

Structure survey data for technical use
Person beside a survey instrument on a construction site; a wheeled excavator with drilling equipment stands behind them.

Borehole and foundation investigation record

Documents coordinates, design depth, drilling or installation method, investigation volume reached and unresolved measures for deep individual points.

Relocated or additional points are updated with clear references.

Coordinate records for deep investigation points
Person with a tablet at the edge of a cordoned-off excavation, with an excavator behind.

Excavation and demolition log

Records the monitored section, excavation layer, equipment use, interruptions, observations and communication about finds.

The assessment applies only to the work actually monitored and the layers documented.

Prepare specialist excavation supervision
Survey trolley on an undeveloped construction site, with soil piles and a row of trees in the background.

Completion and remaining-area summary

Summarises investigation status, findings, inaccessible zones and technically required follow-up measures.

Designers and site management can then identify which decisions remain unresolved for the next construction section.

Have the project file reviewed
Excavator beside freight wagons and tracks at dusk.
Yellow survey trolley on a track at night, with people in high-visibility clothing behind it.
Identify the project location

Identify station areas and temporary construction areas clearly

Illustrated map of Germany with location markers on a construction site.

Identify the site and applicable requirements

Add the track, platform, building or installation area and specific construction areas to the station name. Access routes and temporarily used areas belong on the same site drawing. Existing requirements are assigned to the respective section.

Open regional project information
Use results correctly

Use investigation records across changing construction stages

Compare the structure with the investigation volume

A result for a platform area does not automatically cover a deeper lift or shaft foundation. Compare structural boundaries, depths and level references with the documented investigation scope.

Check evidence against the intervention

Retain unresolved zones when drawings change

Unresolved areas must remain identifiable on new construction drawings. Transfer their status with the same positional references and assess whether revised construction areas require additional investigation.

Explore the technical principles

Technical information

Railways, roads and routes: brochure

The brochure shows how FONTANA-EOD combines historical investigation, specialist planning, surveying and construction supervision in infrastructure projects. It explains trackside constraints, method selection and limitations, and result documentation.

Download the brochure as a PDF
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Railways, roads and routes: brochure — page 1

German · 10 pages

Questions about station surveys

Common questions about stations and operational areas

When should explosive ordnance surveying for a station or operational area begin?

Technical assessment should begin as soon as the location, construction section, planned ground disturbance and sequence are identifiable. Historical ordnance evidence, existing reports and spatial data gaps can be reviewed at an early stage. Before tendering or construction, platforms, railway yards, service roads, workshop areas, cable routes, excavations and deep foundation points must be related to the current drawing revision.

Which documents are needed for station and operational areas?

Current site drawings with track, platform and structure references, kilometre references or chainage, construction section boundaries, utility and as-built drawings, demolition stages, ground investigation data and planned depths of ground disturbance are essential. Existing aerial photograph assessments, official documents, previous survey reports, recorded reports of finds, borehole point lists, possessions and working windows, and the required investigation outcome are also needed.

Existing requirements and official information are submitted with all appendices, dates and spatial scope. In Germany, the involvement of the relevant KBD, KMBD or KRD and local public order authority is clarified for the project location; operational work authorisations remain separate. Outside Germany, coordination is with the authorities responsible locally.

Can a large station area be investigated using a single method?

Usually not. Railway yards, platforms, traffic areas, workshop zones, storage areas and unpaved adjoining areas have different surfaces, sources of interference and access conditions. Magnetometry, TDEM, GPR, depth investigation and excavation monitoring each answer different questions. The site is therefore divided into subareas with comparable technical and organisational conditions.

Which station areas often need their own depth investigation?

Deep ground disturbance occurs particularly at lifts, stairs, platform roofs, masts, signals, foundations, retaining walls, piles, shafts, ground investigation boreholes and excavation supports. The relevant factors are coordinates, design depth, dimensions and installation method. An area survey at the surface does not automatically cover these point and depth volumes.

How are areas with strong interference or no access addressed?

Areas with rails, reinforcement, utilities, machinery, vehicles, foundations or no access are spatially defined and are not assessed as being without anomalies. Depending on the project, surveys at a later demolition stage, additional depth investigations, controlled exposure or excavation monitoring by section may be required.

What role does excavation monitoring play on operational areas?

The assessment establishes whether explosive ordnance surveying during construction is suitable for these areas. Each working layer is surveyed and assessed by a specialist before removal. Controlled excavation in layers and an additional visual inspection follow; these steps are repeated to the agreed base of excavation. Merely watching the excavator work is insufficient. Excavation layers, equipment use, stop points, instruction channels, communication about finds and documentation are agreed with site management and the contractors before work begins. The assessment remains related to the area actually investigated.

If an unexpected object suspected of being ammunition is encountered, work stops. Do not touch it, move it or expose it further. Leave the immediate area and warn others without putting yourself at risk. In Germany, contact the police on 110; outside Germany, follow the local emergency reporting procedure. The competent authorities determine further action; a project enquiry does not replace reporting the find.

Which records does the project file need?

Usable records link the drawing revision, subarea investigated, depth, method, survey conditions, results, limitations and follow-up decision. Survey lines, anomalies, borehole positions, excavation sections and findings must use the same spatial identifiers. Areas still unresolved because of operations, construction stage or technical interference are also recorded.

What determines the work required, duration and cost of surveying a station?

The determining factors are site size and subdivision, number of construction sections, surfaces and sources of interference, existing utilities, possessions and access windows, number and depth of individual ground disturbances, surveying requirements, methods required, data quality and documentation scope. Demolition stages, parallel trades and repeated mobilisation also affect the estimate.

Prepare a project enquiry

The information we need for your station project

An enquiry does not need to contain a complete bill of quantities yet. It should show which subarea is to be designed or investigated next and which assessment is needed for it.

Incomplete documents may be included. They show which information still needs to be obtained or technically clarified before estimating or construction.

Project area and subareas

Provide the station, address or railway line, site drawing, kilometre references or chainage, tracks, platforms, workshop and operational areas, and the current construction section boundary.

Where several drawing revisions exist, state clearly which revision is to form the agreed basis of the assessment.

Ground disturbance and construction stages

Describe demolition, excavations, cable trenches, shafts, lifts, foundations, piles, masts, drainage and maximum depths.

State which areas are already accessible and which will be opened only at a later construction stage.

Documents, dates and required records

Include historical assessments, correspondence with authorities, utility and as-built drawings, ground investigation data, borehole point lists and previous reports.

State possessions, construction stages, decision dates and the intended use of the documentation.

For initial technical assessment

For an initial assessment, a site drawing, short description of the construction sections, maximum depths of ground disturbance, planned dates and existing indications of ordnance are often sufficient. FONTANA-EOD uses these to assess which subareas should undergo historical, geophysical, depth-related or construction-stage investigation.

For large sites, the enquiry can be divided by priority and date. Subareas needed early are considered separately from later areas that have not yet been fully designed.

Area references

Station, track, platform, workshop, service road, storage area or forecourt.

Intervention geometry

Excavation, trench, shaft, foundation, pile, mast, borehole position and design depth.

Construction organisation

Access, possessions, demolition stages, parallel trades and handover dates.

Documentation objective

Design, tendering, site management, operator communication or project file.

Submit the station project for assessment
GPR on a construction site
Project enquiry

Have your project assessed

Whether historical aerial photograph analysis, explosive ordnance surveying, surface surveying using GPR, magnetometry or TDEM, deep-ground surveys, downhole surveys, excavation supervision, area clearance or ordnance recovery is needed depends on the location, ground disturbance, depth, ground and existing documents. An early ordnance assessment provides clarity for tendering, programming, occupational safety and construction.

FONTANA-EOD combines its Section 7 SprengG licence, specialists holding Section 20 SprengG certificates of competence, suitable survey and clearance methods, and traceable documentation. Send the site plan, depth of ground disturbance, construction phase and existing documents for an initial technical assessment.

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