Person wearing a hard hat beside a vehicle on a marked-out construction area in front of a cooling tower and industrial installations.

Explosive ordnance assessment for port and terminal areas

Are you planning a new utility at a terminal, an access road modification or a foundation near the quay edge? FONTANA-EOD clarifies with you the survey requirements for the planned ground works. We check the location and depth of interventions against existing explosive ordnance documents. Work on land, waterfront structures and in the water is considered and commissioned separately.

Land area

Show ground works and operational routes on the plan.

Quay area

Record work on waterfront structures separately.

Handover

Document surveyed areas and depths.

Critical infrastructure

Discuss ground works at the terminalSelect suitable investigation services
Context

Describe ground works precisely on the terminal plan

Initial coordination depends on the planned works: is only surfacing being renewed, will the underlying ground be excavated or will a deeper component be built? Show on the plan where and how far the works extend into the ground. Identify the reference level for depths. Existing reports must be checked to establish whether they actually address this area.

Project references

Selected project examples

Investigation task

Align the survey with the planned port ground intervention

Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Describe the area, component and depth together

Whether suspected explosive ordnance hazards exist is assessed using available findings for the specific site.

A terminal plan often shows use zones without yet describing the actual volumes of ground affected. Add the planned utility trenches, foundations, drainage installations and working spaces. Different depths are stated with a clear reference level. FONTANA-EOD can thereby assign existing findings to the construction task and identify outstanding survey questions. Small deeper interventions within a large paved area also belong in this description where different prerequisites previously applied.

Select services according to ground intervention volume and depth
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Consider ground conditions and installations when selecting methods

Paved surfaces, rails, underground utilities and neighbouring steel structures can affect technical preparation. Provide existing asset plans and available details of the ground build-up. Survey selection follows the specific task and achievable conditions. Choosing one device for the entire terminal would overlook differences between open areas, connection areas and dense existing infrastructure. Unclear constraints are therefore discussed before work begins.

Coordinate methods with ground conditions and installations
Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Clearly define the limits of the land-based scope

If the commission concerns land-based ground works, its boundaries with the quay structure and water area remain visible on the plan. Anchors, excavations or utilities may extend beyond an initially marked area. Describe these components with their spatial extent. Any further task is clarified separately in technical and organisational terms. Surveying a traffic area does not thereby implicitly extend to an assessment of the entire harbour basin.

Document the land-based survey scope
Project types

Prepare port components with different requirements

Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Heavy-load areas and container standing areas

When renewing a standing area, distinguish surface maintenance from intervention in the sub-base. State which layers will be removed and where additional deeper interventions are planned. Drainage, lighting and edge connections may extend beyond the standing area itself. These tasks are shown together for technical preparation. The subsequent area designation alone describes neither the working depth nor the boundaries of the survey required.

Clarify survey tasks for heavy-load areas
Person in high-visibility clothing beside a utility trench, with solar panels and wind turbines in the background.

Utility connections and shore power

A connection project may include cable trenches, chambers and foundations within different operational areas. Show the entire connection on the plan, even where different contractors build individual sections. The interface between surveyed ground and newly affected ground remains identifiable. Information on existing utilities and operational electrical isolations is supplied by the respective responsible parties and incorporated into the sequence together with explosive ordnance planning.

Assess shore power and utility connections
Person beside a survey instrument on a construction site; a wheeled excavator with drilling equipment stands behind them.

Crane rails and deeper components

For crane rails or a load-bearing component, describe the foundation, associated earthworks and temporary working spaces. A visible alignment on the site plan is often insufficient. Supplementary sections clarify different levels and depths. Existing reports are read in relation to this specific construction task. An assessment of a neighbouring traffic area is used only where its spatial and technical limits match the proposed ground intervention.

Survey deeper foundation areas
Project enquiry for ordnance assessment and surveys.

Drainage and local modifications

New channels, chambers or connections may involve small interventions deeper than general area renewal. Mark these locations individually and assign their design revisions. For modifications around existing infrastructure, dismantling and necessary temporary stages also matter. This helps prevent a local deeper intervention from being lost within a general description of surface works and requiring technical clarification only during construction.

Coordinate local drainage interventions
Prepare the decision

Limit the initial enquiry to the terminal section

Construction task

Describe the component to be built or changed and show the associated area on the terminal plan. For area renewal, mark local deeper interventions separately. Initial coordination can thereby address the actual ground works directly.

Operating conditions

State available working times, access and the responsible operator contact. Conditions not yet clarified remain identifiable as outstanding. Technical and operational preparation can thereby relate in parallel to the same measure.

Existing knowledge

Send existing reports with complete attachments. Dates, design revisions and reference levels help comparison with the current design. An earlier commission title alone does not establish whether a new trench or changed foundation is covered.

Project-specific tasks

Describe land, quay and water separately

01

Cargo handling and traffic areas

Mark the intended construction boundary on the terminal plan. Add possible utility trenches, drainage, foundation points and their planned depths. Identify required driving aisles or standing areas as operational constraints. An area figure alone does not reveal these differences.

02

Work on waterfront structures

For a project at the quay edge, the location and extent of each intervention are decisive. Distinguish work behind the structure, on its foundation elements and in the water. Existing anchors, sheet piles or other metal components belong in the method selection documents.

03

Clarify harbour basin work separately

A land-based survey does not automatically cover the neighbouring bed of the water body. The BFR KMR describe specific survey conditions for suspected hazard areas there. Waterside work therefore requires a separately defined commission and suitable specialist services; scope and the party carrying out the work must be clarified before commissioning.

Project documents

Compile documents for coordination

Ground intervention plan

A clear plan shows construction boundaries, depths and connections. Several construction phases are marked distinguishably. Supplementary sections help where a deeper component's position is unclear in plan view.

Existing asset documents

Plans of utilities, paved areas and existing structures supplement construction design. Mark known uncertainties so that unconfirmed information is not accepted as definitive existing asset data. Responsible contacts remain identified for queries.

Results documents

Reports and site plans are assigned to their respective commissions. The project records retain the link between planned activity and specialist work actually carried out. For later use, this scope is compared with the new project.

Documentation

Assign reports to each construction section

Identify the survey scope

The agreed technical assessment and associated plans are handed over. Areas addressed must be distinguishable from excluded areas or those that cannot be assessed adequately. Survey date, level references and limitations help interpret the report correctly for later changes. Applicability to further construction work is checked against this documented scope using each ground intervention area. Necessary follow-up surveys or exposures are assigned to the affected area. Recovery of confirmed explosive ordnance is coordinated with the permitted scope of activity, local responsibilities and documentation. After actual exposure or clearance work, the corresponding findings and clearance records are included.

Coordinating further work

Also agree where the operator and site management can find the applicable revision. Operational permission to use an area and the documented survey scope are identified separately according to their respective tasks. Both operational permission and the survey report may be relevant to a work step; both should remain clearly identified in the project records.

Technical assessment

Technical foundations: BFR KMR: Clearance planning and clearance concept – introduction · BFR KMR: Geophysics · BFR KMR: Documentation · Hamburg Port Authority: Port authority · § 8 ArbSchG: cooperation between employers

The Baufachliche Richtlinien Kampfmittelräumung contain requirements for historical and technical investigation, clearance concepts, procurement and documentation within their defined federal remit. Their application to the specific port works, together with local requirements and responsibilities, is clarified separately.

Next steps

Coordinate the ground intervention with terminal operations

01

Define work areas

Provide a current plan showing the construction boundary, access road and neighbouring operational areas. Mark temporarily required zones where ground works are also planned. Explicitly identify unresolved points rather than showing them as already surveyed areas.

02

Coordinate the operator and employers involved

Clarify contacts for terminal operations, site management and explosive ordnance work. Where employees of several employers work at the same workplace, § 8 ArbSchG requires employers in Germany to cooperate on occupational safety. Applicable routes, working times and protective measures for the specific activity must be agreed on site.

03

Agree the survey method

Existing reports and historical evidence are assigned to the ground intervention. Ground conditions, utilities, steel components and accessible areas determine the suitable technical survey. Methods, occupational safety and any necessary preparatory works are agreed with the operator and site management before implementation.

04

Carry out the investigation

The commissioned survey is carried out in the agreed terminal areas. Survey data, findings and limitations are recorded with location, depth and level references.

05

Assess results

Survey data and findings are evaluated by specialists. Outstanding areas, necessary follow-up surveys and the next decision are identified for terminal operations, designers and site management.

06

Hand over survey results for each construction section

Agree how results are assigned to the intended construction sections. A relocated utility or additional foundation is checked against the documented scope. Identify outstanding areas and questions to be clarified there before further work to project management.

Technical assessment

Review paving, installations and available work areas

Record paving and installations

Reinforced concrete, utilities and metal installations can affect geophysical results. Whether a Surface survey is suitable for the planned land-based works is assessed using these conditions. State which surfaces will remain and which will be removed during construction. Method selection considers the survey purpose and areas actually accessible; an equipment name does not establish a fixed survey depth. Necessary surveys and protective measures are planned before ground intervention during vegetation clearance, dismantling, surface breaking or creation of access roads and work areas. Areas accessible later are surveyed before the respective subsequent interventions.

Coordinate available areas with terminal operations

Describe in the work plan which areas will be available at the intended date. Containers, parked vehicles or materials may restrict access. This organisational question should be answered before agreeing dates. The report must show which areas were actually surveyed and which remain outstanding. Neighbouring survey results do not automatically apply to an excluded zone.

Assign ground investigation, contaminant and explosive ordnance reports

A load-bearing capacity assessment for a traffic area answers a different question from an explosive ordnance survey. Likewise, contaminant investigations are separate specialist tasks. Bring the respective reports together in the project records but retain their subjects, limits and authors. This allows site management to assign the appropriate assessment to each work step.

Method selection

Assess methods for terminal areas and deep components

Traffic areas, utility works and new foundations are considered according to their intervention depths and surrounding installations. Method selection must be coordinated with area accessibility and planned work phases.

Historical records and aerial photographs

Historical aerial photograph assessment and other old records help place the basis for suspicion in its spatial context. The available images, their evidential value and the limits of the area considered matter. The absence of an identifiable indication must be distinguished from a technically surveyed ground area. The assessment is considered together with the planned intervention and other available findings. It can support the choice of a survey, but is not a measurement of the present-day subsurface or confirmation for all future works.

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

Magnetometric methods detect magnetic anomalies. Whether they can address the specific survey task depends, among other things, on the expected objects, ground conditions, interference and required survey area. Fences, utilities or existing structures may affect interpretation. A measurement signal is therefore not described as ordnance solely because of its strength. Method, interpretation and any further investigation are planned as a connected specialist task.

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods and TDEM

Electromagnetic surveys may be suitable for particular metallic targets and site conditions. TDEM detects the time-dependent electromagnetic responses of electrically conductive bodies. Suitability is justified for the particular task, not inferred merely from the availability of equipment. Interfering installations, accessible areas and the required conclusion must also be considered. Results are documented with location and survey conditions. Whether a complementary method is needed follows from the specialist assessment and remains a specific project decision.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide information about subsurface structures and reflections. Ground conditions, moisture, installations and the particular survey task affect interpretability. An anomaly is not automatically ordnance, and an area with no apparent anomalies is not general evidence for arbitrary depths. The specialist interpretation and its limits are documented with the instruction. A survey for another purpose is not adopted without checking as ordnance evidence.

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

For deeper interventions, it may be necessary to check whether a surface survey can provide the required conclusion or whether another approach is needed. Location, depth, borehole layout and existing utilities then form part of preparation. Access for the survey must also be planned appropriately from a technical perspective. A general depth figure or standard grid does not replace this task. Results remain tied to the areas actually treated and the method applied. For surveys from investigation boreholes, casing, drilling depth and documentation are also coordinated with the task and local conditions.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

If a necessary preliminary survey cannot be completed in full, the suitability of a technically planned approach during construction is assessed. Each working layer is technically surveyed and evaluated before controlled removal in layers with supplementary visual inspection follows. The steps are repeated to the agreed excavation formation. Excavation layers, stop signal, authority to give instructions, reporting channels and documentation are agreed with site management and specialists before work starts. Pure visual observation of the excavation cannot simply replace a necessary instrumental survey. Site management needs a clear description of when specialist works take place, how new findings are handled and which areas remain outstanding.

Agree the approach during construction
Working approach

Place specialist work within terminal operations

Agree a clearly described task

FONTANA-EOD coordinates explosive ordnance specialist work with the planned ground works and areas actually accessible. The basis comprises project documents, available findings and working conditions agreed with the operator. The agreed scope remains traceable in the quotation, implementation and results. Changes to components or depths are updated in good time so that the technical assessment remains linked to the current construction project.

Discuss the investigation task

Identify operational contacts

Preparation needs the construction designers and contact responsible for terminal operations. Designers explain ground interventions and design revisions; operations explain access and conditions of use. Larger projects may involve further specialist bodies. Record who provides outstanding information and who decides on the relevant work window. This assignment facilitates coordination between the technical task and work on site.

Document accessible areas

Containers, parked vehicles or continuing cargo handling may affect which areas are accessible at the agreed time. An area not addressed remains identifiable in the documents. It is not included in the survey result merely because it shares the terminal designation. Further planning describes the outstanding area and organisational prerequisites needed for its later assessment.

Assess design changes before the next ground intervention

If a drainage channel moves or a foundation is designed differently, the specialist contractor receives the changed plan. A marked change makes comparison with the previous survey scope easier. The technical response relates to the construction task actually changed. Describing it as a small adjustment or short-notice redesign does not replace this comparison, particularly where different depths or marginal areas not previously addressed are affected.

Hand over results by section

For work carried out in stages, reports and attachments are clearly assigned to the areas addressed. Site management should be able to identify which task is complete and which areas still need clarification. A summary message remains linked to the associated plans. For later use, dates, design revisions and spatial references are retained so that a new commission is not based solely on a previous area designation.

Construction phases

Determine the appropriate timing within the port project

Preliminary design with several expansion options

While options for traffic areas or connections are being examined, the enquiry can identify known constraints and outstanding decisions. Mark possible routes and foundations as options. Technical preparation shows which documents are needed to define the scope further. The specific survey scope is defined only once the solution is selected. This keeps clear which design assumptions underlie coordination.

Coordinate this work step

Procurement for a defined construction section

For tendering, planned ground interventions and site conditions should be described together. Different access arrangements or work windows may matter for individual areas. Provide complete existing survey documents with their attachments. The specification can build on these and define outstanding tasks. A square metre figure alone offers less clarity for tender comparison than an unambiguously referenced ground intervention plan.

Coordinate this work step

Construction during continuing cargo handling

The survey sequence is coordinated with planned construction and terminal operations. Identify available areas, traffic routes and responsible contacts for changes. Whether an activity can be carried out under the respective conditions is clarified specifically. The operator clarifies operational adjustments and work windows needed for specialist work. If a window changes, its effects on the agreed specialist work are discussed again.

Coordinate this work step

Later extension of an area already addressed

For an additional connection or changed use, the earlier report and new construction design are considered together. The actual limits and depths of earlier specialist work are decisive. A known site may contain new volumes of ground. Existing documentation is retained as a basis; additional questions are assigned a separate scope. This keeps traceable which findings are reused and what supplementary work remains necessary.

Coordinate this work step
Project site

Identify the location and responsibilities within the port

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

State the terminal and specific work area

State the port, terminal, affected section and an available project contact. Include a site plan where operational designations differ from postal addresses. Where several access roads exist, identify the entrance intended for the proposed activity. Regional referencing helps preparation but does not replace a description of the actual ground works. Even neighbouring terminals may have different organisational conditions and separate project documents.

Identify the project region
Illustrated map of Germany with location markers on a construction site.

Bring existing authority information together

Authority information, operator requirements and earlier specialist reports are provided with their respective project references. A land-based measure may need different coordination from changes to a waterfront structure. Specific responsibility is therefore clarified for the location and proposed activity. Retain complete attachments so that spatial limitations of authority information remain identifiable after later design changes.

Identify the project region
Understand the results

Use assessments in documents correctly

Read a survey assessment spatially

Several specialist bodies may be responsible for port construction projects. In the Port of Hamburg, the Hamburg Port Authority lists contacts for soil protection and explosive ordnance matters, among other topics. The responsible authority and existing official conditions for your site are clarified separately. Include available authority information and decisions with the project documents.

A result statement is considered together with the site plan and described task. The decisive question is whether the planned ground intervention lies within this scope. At a quay edge, additional sections may be needed to relate different levels. Surveyed and outstanding areas remain separately identifiable. This allows site management to relate the assessment received, with its surveyed areas and depths, to the specific work.

Explore results and terminology

Prepare ground and waterside works separately

If a waterside section is added to a project, its task, constraints and responsibilities are explicitly added. Documents for a land-based traffic area may provide background but do not automatically describe the new activity. Marking the interface on the plan and explaining the intended construction activities helps the enquiry. The additional technical coordination needed can be defined traceably on this basis.

Understand the service scope

Select specialist services according to the outstanding question

Document evaluation, technical surveys and specialist work during construction fulfil different tasks. First describe the planned construction activity and assessment needed. The service overview supports subsequent classification. A method name alone should not displace site conditions or existing findings. FONTANA-EOD uses this basis to clarify a suitable scope with those responsible for design and construction.

Select suitable survey services
Working together

Assign tasks within the port project

Planning and construction management

Designers describe the ground intervention; site management coordinates the resulting construction work. Changes are sent to the specialist contractor with the new design revision. This task remains important even where terminal operations allow only short work windows.

Terminal operations

The operational contact explains access, traffic routes and organisational prerequisites. They coordinate changes to the available work area with the project parties. Specialist planners can thereby assess which agreed activity remains feasible under changed conditions.

Specialist company and competent bodies

FONTANA-EOD clarifies the technical task using available findings and the specific ground works. The documentation assigns the result to the agreed scope. Authority decisions and operational measures remain with the respective responsible parties.

In Germany, state ordnance disposal services and locally competent authorities carry out hazard response and find management. Their involvement and public-order or building-control tasks are established for the project location. Outside Germany, local responsibilities apply. Contacts, requirements and reporting are assigned to the specific works.

Documents and execution

Bring plans and visible conditions together

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

Link historical documents to the current plan

Older aerial photographs and plans may relate to different terrain or uses. Provide the available documents in full and mark known changes. A present terminal boundary need not match an earlier area. Specialist evaluation assesses the spatial references. A single historical image extract is not used to derive a general assessment of the entire present port project.

Explore the historical basis
Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Assign photographs to the work area

Current photographs can illustrate paving, access roads and local constrictions. Mark the camera location on the plan and describe the area intended to be available for surveying. Images support organisational preparation. They cannot alone establish depths, underground installations or a survey's technical assessment. The respective design and results documents are used for these questions.

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

Retain the handover with its attachments

Results plans and reports are stored together in the project records. For later modifications, it should be traceable which construction section and design revision were addressed. An individual completion page can lose this reference if attachments are missing. Retain identifiable boundaries and documented limitations too. They matter when comparing a later utility, foundation or area extension.

Documenting results clearly
Four people in orange high-visibility vests in front of two excavators on a construction site.
Person with a yellow survey cart on a footpath in front of a hedge.

Technical information

Critical infrastructure: brochure

Work at critical infrastructure requires careful coordination with operations and construction design. The brochure explains preparation, suitable investigations and traceable result documentation.

Download the brochure as a PDF
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Critical infrastructure: brochure – page 1

German · 8 pages

Questions from planning

Questions about port and terminal projects

Must the entire terminal be surveyed?

Requirements depend on suspected hazards, the project and applicable requirements. The actual ground intervention areas are described in the enquiry. This does not imply a blanket survey of all operational areas.

Does a land-based report also apply to the harbour basin?

Only if its commission and documented survey scope explicitly cover the relevant area. A report on land cannot simply be applied to the bed of the water body.

Can explosive ordnance assessment take place during cargo handling?

This depends on accessibility, working conditions and survey methods. The operator clarifies which areas and routes are available and whether work areas need temporary separation. Whether cargo handling can continue in parallel is assessed for the specific measure.

What should be done if a suspicious object is found during earthworks?

If an unexpected suspicious object is encountered, stop work in the affected area immediately. Do not touch, move or continue to expose the object. Leave the immediate area, keep your distance and keep others away without putting yourself at risk. In Germany, notify the police immediately on 110; outside Germany, use the local emergency reporting procedure. The responsible authorities determine the next steps. Inform terminal operations, site management and the client; internal reporting must not delay the emergency call.

Which factors determine the cost of the survey?

Costs depend on the survey area, intervention depths and ground volume, ground build-up, paving, utilities and metal interference sources, existing documents and the suitable method. Accessible work areas and agreed operational windows also matter. Costing relates to the explicitly agreed service scope; additional tasks at the waterfront or in the water are clarified with suitably qualified specialists before commissioning.

Which level information is needed for the assessment?

State planned ground intervention depths with an unambiguous reference level. Additional sections help where several levels are involved. This allows the specialist contractor to compare the planned works with the depths and boundaries in existing survey documents.

What happens to an area that is temporarily occupied?

An area not addressed remains identifiable on the plan and in the documentation. Access and working conditions are agreed again for its later survey. The assessment of neighbouring areas is not extended to it merely because they share the same terminal designation.

How are additional utilities considered after completion?

The new utility alignment is compared with the earlier report and its attachments. Location, depth and connection pits show whether existing findings are applicable or a supplementary technical task needs clarification.

Project enquiry

Send the terminal plan and construction project details with your enquiry

Construction boundaries, depths and waterfront structure

Send the relevant plan extract with site and existing asset plans, planned ground works and intervention depths with a clear reference level. Include details of the waterfront structure, existing explosive ordnance documents and complete survey reports with attachments.

Terminal operations and work areas

Identify the responsible operator contact, available work areas, construction schedules and traffic routes needed. Mark land-based and waterside work separately. We discuss with you the land-based surveys required and which waterfront or in-water works need coordination with the specialists commissioned for them.

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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