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 surveys for energy parks and grid connections

The explosive ordnance assessment of an energy park must also fit the planned cable routes and connection excavations. Where different teams design them, we need a shared overview plan and the existing partial reports. FONTANA-EOD clarifies the investigation needed for the agreed groundworks with you and documents the areas and depths addressed.

Project boundaries

Show the park area and connecting utility on the plan.

Plan revision

Mark route options still open.

Handovers

Compare reports at contract boundaries.

Critical infrastructure

Define the park area and connection route together

For an energy park, investigation requirements are clarified from the planned installation foundations and utility works. The park area and grid connection may have different investigation areas and plan revisions. FONTANA-EOD coordinates the work with these areas of ground disturbance and documents which areas the results actually cover.

Investigation task

Investigate installation areas and the connection route separately

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

Show foundations and the volume of ground affected by utilities

An energy park may combine extensive installation areas, individual foundations and longer connecting utilities. Show their locations, depths and working space in a coordinated set of plans. Specialist preparation relates available evidence to the individual areas of ground disturbance. A total area figure leaves unclear which parts of the ground are actually affected and where additional tasks lie outside the park boundary.

Select services for foundations and utility works
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Account for differing existing conditions

An open park area may have different conditions from a connection area beside roads, utilities or technical installations. The method is selected for the specific question and existing conditions in each area. Identify known installations and access arrangements. An approach suitable for one section is not applied to the entire connection route without assessment.

Adapt methods to local conditions
Two people discussing plans at a table beside a vehicle on a construction site.

Identify design options and changes

If the connection route moves or the foundation changes, provide the specialist contractor with the new plan revision. Mark differences from the previous version. A technically equivalent connection may affect different ground. Existing documentation is therefore compared with the location and depth of the new work before its findings are used again.

Compare new plan revisions with existing reports

Identify installation areas, utility routes and handover points

The project boundary of an energy park does not automatically bound all ground disturbance. The grid connection may lie outside it; additional equipment may require separate foundation and cable works. Shared planning must link these parts clearly.

Person in high-visibility clothing beside a utility trench, with solar panels and wind turbines in the background.

Installation and equipment foundations

Describe the location and depth of foundations using the actual assumptions for construction. A later change to the foundation may alter the volume of ground to be considered. The investigation therefore relates to more than the layout plan of the above-ground installation alone.

Assess installation foundations within energy and utility works
Person in high-visibility clothing beside a utility trench, with solar panels and wind turbines in the background.

Cable routes and crossings

The connection route requires its alignment, chambers and any particular crossing areas to be specified. Keep differing depths and construction methods identifiable. An investigation within the park area does not replace assessment of a route outside it.

Explosive ordnance assessment for utility and energy construction
Person in high-visibility clothing beside a utility trench, with solar panels and wind turbines in the background.

Handover points and extensions

Connection structures, additional storage or technical extensions may involve new ground disturbance. Even within a familiar project area, comparison with the documented scope is necessary. An unchanged property boundary is insufficient.

Assess connection structures and energy installation extensions

Treat options and defined areas of ground disturbance differently

Several connection options may remain open at an early stage. Record options considered and construction areas actually investigated with their respective status.

Connection route still open

Provide the options and their status. Historical or specialist assessment may help further planning. The technical investigation required before construction is coordinated once the ground disturbance actually needed has been defined. Mark the intended connection structures and location or depth details still open for each option. The specialist contractor assesses where available evidence can be used and what information is needed for the next stage. After an option is selected, all design disciplines involved receive the same valid revision. Areas not yet investigated remain explicitly identifiable within this allocation.

Park area investigated, new route

Check whether the connection route and its depths are included in the existing report. A shared client or project name does not extend the investigation scope. Route sections not covered are treated as a separate task. The comparison also includes working pits, crossings and the transition to the connection structure. The design shows their locations, depths and current status. Existing partial reports are passed on with all attachments. The specialist contractor describes where additional work is required. New investigation results are then assigned to the affected section and handed over with the limitations that remain applicable.

Technical extension planned

Add foundations, cables or chambers to the current plan. Compare the volume of ground they affect with earlier results. The decision concerns the specific new ground disturbance, rather than a general reassessment of every unchanged part of the project. For the extension, record which structures are new and where they lie relative to the earlier works. Changes to working space or connection routes belong in the plan attachments. The specialist contractor receives the new revision for assessment before the affected work proceeds. A supplementary report identifies the areas addressed and the conditions of its findings. Unchanged and new documents remain assigned to their respective tasks.

Context

Compare the connection route and handover points on the site plan

The park design may already be detailed while the connecting utility route or location of a handover point is still being coordinated. State which construction areas are fixed and which routes remain open. A report for the park area covers a connection corridor outside it or an excavation added later only if it actually belongs to the documented investigation scope.

According to Germany's Federal Network Agency, the network operator needs information for a grid connection in Germany to assess grid compatibility and determine the grid connection point. This energy-sector coordination must be distinguished from investigation of the ground. Include the intended groundworks for the grid connection in explosive ordnance planning and identify details still open. The explosive ordnance status of the ground is established through the relevant documentation and investigations.

Person wearing an orange high-visibility vest between small earth piles and ground markings on an open construction site.
Project-specific tasks

Show the park, cable route and excavations on the same plan

01

Mark working areas and contract boundaries

Mark each working area on a shared overview plan. Identify not only property or ownership boundaries but the earthworks actually planned. Where several contractors are involved, establish for each transition which report covers which areas and depths, and who supplies planning details still open.

02

Include temporary construction areas

Temporary construction areas may require their own foundations, ground removal or utility works, for example. Include such ground disturbance in the enquiry even if the area will not remain part of the energy installation. Also state if an existing area will merely be used differently, with no groundworks planned there. The investigation brief depends on the actual ground disturbance.

03

Identify connection options still open

If two connection corridors are being assessed, keep their status distinct. Identify the preferred route and the option still open with dates and plan names. Agree which areas are to undergo specialist assessment. Results for one option are not applied to another route without a spatial comparison.

Link the survey and construction task in the project records

For energy parks and their grid connections, it must remain clear which ground disturbance a result relates to. Documentation brings together the initial information, the investigation actually carried out and its conclusions. A property name or short completion note is insufficient to assess later changes to the construction project.

Retain documents with their scope

Provide existing site plans, historical assessments and earlier investigation reports with dates and attachments. Location and level references matter for installation foundations, cable trenches, chambers and connection structures. Undocumented assumptions are recorded as details still open. When selecting a method, this keeps clear which statements rely on documents and which conditions still need clarification.

Record the work actually carried out

The areas surveyed, methods used and departures identified are assigned to the construction revision implemented. An inaccessible area or an area where data cannot be evaluated is not summarised as completed. Changes during fieldwork also belong in the result documents. This distinguishes the report's assessment from a survey originally planned but not carried out.

Hand over results for the next construction phase

The handover identifies the volume of ground investigated, applicable conditions and remaining questions. A new cable route or additional battery or equipment foundation must then be compared with this scope. The parties must be able to identify whether available evidence remains applicable or additional work is needed. Findings for an investigated area must not be extended to further areas or greater ground disturbance depths without assessment.

Record interfaces between installation design and the grid connection

Different design parties may represent the same interface differently. A common reference for coordinates, levels and plan revisions makes it easier to assign investigation results to the correct construction task later.

Shared handover point

Park and route plans use a clearly identified connection area. Keep options still open and differing plan revisions visible. This makes clear which part will be addressed in the next investigation phase.

Working areas involving ground disturbance

Temporary areas are included where the ground will actually be opened or penetrated. Use solely for logistics must not be equated with construction of an area. The design describes the intended conditions.

Evidence for extensions

Completion of an initial construction section remains spatially limited. Later installation components are compared with that scope. Existing results continue to be used within their documented scope; additional investigation requirements are assigned to the new ground disturbance. Identify the affected area for necessary follow-up investigations or exposure work. Recovery of confirmed explosive ordnance is coordinated with the permitted scope of activities, local responsibilities and documentation requirements. Following actual exposure or clearance work, include the corresponding findings and clearance records.

Next steps

Compare the plans and reports of the teams involved

01

Assemble current plans and contacts

Send overview and detail plans, existing explosive ordnance reports and the planned sequence of construction sections. Identify which information is already agreed and where options remain. Name a contact for park design and another for the grid connection, together with responsibility for shared transition areas.

02

Compare results at contract boundaries

Compare the investigation areas and depths covered by the individual reports side by side. Pay particular attention to transitions between cable sections and substation excavations, and to ancillary areas added later. The comparison shows whether the next planned ground disturbance is described or whether documents, a specialist assessment or further investigation are needed first.

03

Pass on changes before the next ground disturbance

A changed grid connection point or route may alter the agreed investigation area. Pass such changes and the new plan revision to the responsible specialists. Retain existing documentation as evidence of the work actually carried out; a new drawing does not automatically extend its spatial scope.

From the options plan to the investigated construction section

Work follows the increasing maturity of the design. Historical assessment, technical investigation and handover are related to the decision required at each stage.

1

Identify options

Project management identifies the parts that are fixed and those still open. Existing explosive ordnance documentation is assessed against them. The ground disturbance geometries needed for the next step are defined. Where historical evidence is incomplete, suitable sources are researched and aerial photographs evaluated for the affected areas. The results are spatially related to present-day installation areas and connection options and incorporated into further investigation planning.

2

Coordinate the investigation

Access, ground conditions, existing utilities and metal installations affect the work. The parties coordinate investigation timing with the actual construction conditions.

3

Agree the survey method

The method is selected using the basis for suspicion, ground conditions, depth of ground disturbance, interference and accessible areas. Project management, designers and the specialist contractor coordinate the necessary investigations and protective measures with the construction sequence for the park and connection.

4

Carry out the investigation

The commissioned investigation is carried out in the agreed installation areas and route sections. Survey data, findings and limitations are recorded with location, depth and plan references.

5

Assess results

Survey data and findings are evaluated by specialists. Areas still open, necessary follow-up investigations and the next decision are identified for installation designers, route designers and construction management.

6

Hand over the park and connection

The results documentation distinguishes installation areas and route sections. Remaining gaps and conditions stay visible. Changes trigger a fresh comparison before ground disturbance.

Technical assessment

Define the investigation scope for the park and connection

Specify the location and depth of the groundworks

Location, depth, construction conditions and the suspected hazard govern the investigation. Electrical connection capacity alone does not describe these conditions. A small connection structure may, for example, extend locally deeper into the ground than another project covering a large area. Provide ground disturbance depths from the construction plans accordingly; the required investigation depth is defined for each task.

Check installations and terrain at the connection

Existing utilities, metal installations, surfacing and terrain can affect the selection and findings of geophysical methods. Conditions at the edge of an existing installation may therefore impose different requirements from an open construction area. Provide utility plans and information on planned dismantling. Which survey method is suitable under these conditions is assessed by specialists for the respective ground disturbance. Necessary investigations and protective measures are planned before ground disturbance during vegetation clearance, dismantling, surface breaking or creation of access routes and working areas. Areas becoming accessible later are investigated before the respective subsequent ground disturbance.

Assess foundations and utilities for each installation

For solar farms, wind farms, battery storage and substations, consider the respective structures and ground disturbance separately. Coordinate their investigation at individual contract boundaries too. If a substation is relocated, for example, compare its new location and changed connection with the earlier investigation results.

Select methods according to the ground intervention and ground conditions

Extensive installation areas and narrow connection routes may have different investigation conditions. Method selection depends on the suspected hazard, depth of ground disturbance, interference and the findings required, rather than the description ‘energy park’ alone.

Historical aerial photographs and documents

Assessment of historical aerial photographs and other documents helps establish suspected explosive ordnance hazards. It considers previous uses and identifiable indications in the investigation area. This provides a basis for deciding on further measures. It does not replace a technical survey of the ground and cannot describe every later fill or subsequent change.

Historical aerial photograph assessment for the construction area

Magnetometry and TDEM

Magnetic and electromagnetic surveys detect different physical properties. Utilities, steel parts, reinforcement and metal-bearing made ground can affect data evaluation. A signal is initially a survey finding, not a confirmed object identification. Method selection must therefore consider expected target objects, surroundings and actual data interpretability together. Magnetometry detects magnetic anomalies; TDEM detects time-dependent electromagnetic responses from electrically conductive objects.

Magnetometry and site conditions Assess electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar adds information where the question and ground conditions are suitable. The discernible depth and distinguishability of structures depend, among other things, on ground conditions and existing installations. It is not a universal replacement for other survey methods. Whether a combination adds useful information is decided using the specific survey objective.

Ground-penetrating radar and its limitations

Downhole and deep-ground survey

For deeper ground disturbance, investigation from suitable boreholes or survey points may be considered. Their location, depth and technical construction must be planned. Findings for a point or limited area cannot be applied to the next excavation merely because it is nearby. The report must identify the volume of ground actually investigated. For individual substation foundations or connection excavations, compare the volume of ground to be investigated with achievable survey coverage before defining a borehole grid. Necessary investigations and protective measures are determined before drilling. Casing, borehole depth and documentation are coordinated with the task and local conditions.

Coordinate deep-ground and borehole surveys

Excavation supervision and investigation of findings

Work during construction is neither required nor sufficient merely because an excavator is working on the site. Its use is defined in relation to previous surveys, suspected hazards and the construction sequence. Unclear areas, interfering installations and intended ground intervention depths must be discussed before work begins. Any necessary investigation of findings must be planned separately. Each working layer is technically surveyed and assessed before controlled removal in layers with supplementary visual inspection. These steps are repeated down to the agreed excavation base. Excavation layers, stop signals, authority to issue instructions, reporting procedures and documentation are agreed with site management and specialist personnel before work begins.

Excavation supervision for the planned section Explosive ordnance recovery following technical clarification

Provide investigation results for the next construction phase

For energy parks and their grid connections, traceable work on the specific areas of ground disturbance matters. FONTANA-EOD describes the agreed investigation scope and the limits of the methods used. Conclusions are drawn from the documentation and results actually available. Unresolved information or restricted survey conditions remain assigned to the affected investigation area.

The same design revision for planning and fieldwork

The planned ground interventions are maintained on an agreed site plan. Where changes occur, the revision replaced is recorded. This prevents the specialist contractor inadvertently working to older geometry while construction is already preparing a different ground intervention.

Distinguish survey findings from assessments

An anomalous signal is initially a finding requiring technical assessment. Conversely, difficult or unreliable data evaluation cannot be treated as a negative result. Useful further investigation is decided in view of the survey question and site conditions.

Agree handovers explicitly

Project management for installation and grid connection design receives the results and limitations needed for the next decision. For areas still open, clarify which information or action is missing. The project parties thus retain an identifiable handover point between investigation, assessment and further construction.

Project sequence and coordination

Assign installation, network and explosive ordnance tasks clearly

A connection commitment and an explosive ordnance finding answer different questions. Those responsible must keep the respective decisions and plan revisions separate.

Project development and installation design

They provide the installation layout, foundations and intended extensions. Changes to foundations or construction phases are communicated before construction.

Grid connection and route design

They describe the route, handover points, crossings and construction methods. The investigation required depends on the affected ground disturbance.

Specialist company and competent bodies

FONTANA-EOD addresses the agreed explosive ordnance scope. Authority information and procedures following a find are handled according to local responsibilities. Results remain assigned to the volume of ground investigated.

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.

Documentation

What the partial reports establish for the next earthworks

A combined site plan aids orientation but should still show individual investigation scopes and report revisions. Identify the areas addressed, investigation limitations and connection sections still open. The level reference used also forms part of a traceable allocation where working levels or planned depths differ.

The explosive ordnance report describes the agreed investigation of the ground and its results. The respective responsible parties address the grid connection, electrical testing and operational commissioning. Network capacity and the connection date must be clarified with the network operator. The explosive ordnance report, by contrast, shows whether the intended groundworks fall within the documented investigation scope.

Technical foundations: BFR KMR: Clearance planning and clearance concept – introduction · BFR KMR: Geophysics · BFR KMR: Documentation · Federal Network Agency: grid connection of renewable energy installations

The Federal Guidelines on Explosive Ordnance Clearance contain requirements for historical and technical investigation, clearance concepts, procurement and documentation within their defined federal remit. Their application to the specific construction project for the park and grid connection, together with locally applicable requirements and responsibilities, is clarified separately.

Consider adjacent work tasks

Specify route alignment, construction method and ground disturbance depth by section; equipment foundations require their location and intended foundation design to be shown on the plan.

Four people in orange high-visibility vests in front of two excavators on a construction site.
Construction phases

Coordinate the investigation with development of the energy park

Prepare park design and the grid connection

During early planning, keep park areas and possible connection routes separately identifiable. Available evidence can be assigned to the respective options. The next coordination step establishes which details are missing for selection. A specific investigation scope is developed from the selected construction task; it does not arise solely from a general connection enquiry.

Construction sections with their own plan revisions

If the park and connection are constructed at different times, each section needs a traceable basis. Describe ground disturbance, depths and available documentation together. Keep transitions between sections explicitly identifiable. Documentation records the scope actually addressed so that a completed area is not inadvertently taken to cover connection areas still open.

Later storage or installation component

An additional technical installation may require new foundations and utility routes. Compare the resulting groundworks with the earlier results plan. Use earlier findings where their scope applies to the new task. Assign any additional investigation needed traceably, even if the extension lies within a familiar park boundary.

Project site

Link the park and connection through clear location references

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

Name the site and route sections

State the park location and mark connection areas outside it. Consistent section names help where several properties or construction lots are involved. Add the respective project contacts. The regional overview provides orientation; specialist planning also requires the actual groundworks and corresponding current plan revision.

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

Provide information with its scope

Supply existing requirements and earlier specialist reports with their spatial attachments. A statement about the park area may address a different subject from documentation for the connection route. Keep these distinctions identifiable. The responsible parties clarify open references before existing results are used for new or altered groundworks.

Understand the results

Read results for the park and grid connection separately

Compare the documented area with the construction activity

Consider a report together with its site plan, depth information and limitations. Its applicability depends on whether it covers the planned work. A shared project name does not replace this comparison. New connection pits or relocated foundations are therefore compared with the actual investigation scope.

Explore results and terminology

Distinguish network planning from the explosive ordnance question

The technical design of the grid connection addresses its own remit. The explosive ordnance assessment describes the specialist contribution to the planned groundworks. The project team brings both bases together. The connection decision is documented with the technical network documents, and the explosive ordnance assessment with the corresponding ground investigations.

Document network planning and investigation results

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.

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Critical infrastructure: brochure – page 1

German · 8 pages

Questions from planning

Questions about interconnected energy projects

Does the explosive ordnance report for the energy park also cover the connecting utility?

Only where the planned utility and its ground disturbance lie within the documented investigation areas and depths. Sections outside them or relocated later require their own technical comparison.

How are connection options still open considered and documented?

A connection corridor still open may be considered as a clearly identified design option. Before commissioning, define which areas and questions are to be addressed. Give each option an unambiguous plan revision. It remains clear which options were merely considered, selected or actually investigated. Considering an option does not, by itself, establish that the area was investigated; findings from the investigation carried out remain assigned to the option actually addressed.

Does a grid connection commitment replace the explosive ordnance assessment?

No. Coordination with the network operator concerns the grid connection. Whether and how the planned ground disturbance needs explosive ordnance investigation must be clarified separately using the relevant evidence and requirements.

What information is needed for a quotation and cost assessment?

A shared site plan, ground disturbance depths, construction phases, existing explosive ordnance documentation and details of actual access are helpful. Identify connection options still open and contacts in the design teams involved explicitly. Methods, ground conditions, interference, accessibility, necessary evaluation and documentation determine the effort required.

What happens if battery storage is added later?

Compare the new foundations, utilities and other groundworks with the earlier report. The extension is covered only to the extent that the documented investigation scope applies to the new task.

Do temporary working areas need investigating?

This depends on the ground disturbance planned there and the available specialist evidence. Using an area solely for logistics must be distinguished from constructing that area. Describe the actual ground disturbance and its depth accordingly.

What should we do if a suspicious item is found?

If an unexpected suspicious object is found, stop work in the affected area immediately. Do not touch, move or further expose it. 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 route. The responsible authorities decide the next steps. Inform project management, construction management and the client; internal reporting must not delay the emergency call.

How are different level references brought together across partial reports?

Keep the level references used identifiable together with the plan revision, investigation areas and documented depths. This is particularly important where working levels or planned depths differ. A shared site plan helps relate the information; each report revision and investigation scope remains traceable.

Relate the enquiry to the ground intervention actually planned

Initial contact is possible with provisional documents. Mark which details are confirmed and which are still planned or unclear. Describe the next project decision needed; the suitable method is agreed together according to the intervention and survey conditions.

Location, depth and construction details

Provide the address or region and a site plan showing installation foundations, cable trenches, chambers and connection structures. Add the planned ground disturbance depths, reference levels where applicable, and the intended construction method. Working space and additional ground disturbance outside the structure's footprint should also be identifiable. Where options exist, it must be clear which has already been selected and which is being considered only as a possible alternative.

Existing findings and constraints

Send complete explosive ordnance documents with attachments and relevant existing asset and utility plans. Information on made ground, metal installations or restricted access helps the assessment. An extract without a site plan may obscure a report's spatial scope. Known gaps or conflicting details should therefore be stated in the initial enquiry.

Timing and specialist contacts

State the planned construction period and the project management contacts for installation and grid connection design. Describe whether you are preparing a tender, coordinating specific ground disturbance or checking an existing report against a change. These details form the basis for the next specialist step. A firm statement about effort or timing requires the task to be sufficiently defined.

Documents for the planned ground intervention

Provide the overview plan from the energy park to the intended handover point and identify connection options still open. Include partial reports and contacts for the individual design disciplines. We will clarify with you the investigation needed in each construction area and which details are still missing for a quotation.

To help us assign your enquiry: Sectors and applications. Project region.

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.