Project pathway
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Explosive ordnance assessment for landfill and backfilled sites
For groundworks on landfill and backfilled sites, existing explosive ordnance reports are compared with the planned intervention. Material analyses concern contamination assessment; the explosive ordnance report documents the ground volume investigated and its results. As operator or client, provide the site plan, intervention depths and existing reports so that FONTANA-EOD can clarify the investigation scope still needed.
State the working area and intervention depth.
Distinguish explosive ordnance reports and material analyses.
Identify investigated and unresolved areas.
Context
Describe the planned ground intervention precisely
The enquiry may concern existing backfill, a planned ground intervention on an operating site or preparation for later backfilling. State which areas and depths are to be addressed and why you need the investigation result. The term “landfill clearance” alone defines neither the working area nor the conclusion needed.
Investigation task
Assess backfill and the planned groundworks in their specialist context
Describe existing use and material history
The documents may contain earlier uses, backfills and different stages of work. For explosive ordnance planning, these findings are compared with the current intervention. Known information and unresolved matters remain distinguishable. A site name alone does not replace the description of the ground volume concerned.
Assign use and material information to the intervention
Record accessibility for investigations
Hard surfaces, structures and ongoing uses can influence the areas that can be reached. The specialist contractor selects methods for the actual conditions. Available areas and inaccessible parts are identified in the plan. Investigations possible later remain identifiable as separate tasks.
Coordinate methods with access and existing conditionsDescribe excavation and other interventions separately
A planned trench may affect a different area than a borehole or removal of existing components. The enquiry identifies each activity with its areas and depths. This allows more precise coordination of the explosive ordnance task. A shared site does not remove these differences.
Select services for the individual ground interventionsConsider changed backfill levels
If the surface or intended intervention changes, the new situation is compared with existing documents. Reference elevations and affected areas remain traceable. An earlier conclusion is retained with its original scope. Additional needs are specifically related to the change.
Compare new backfill levels with existing reportsWhat work is planned on the site?
An investigation is prepared for the actual ground intervention. An existing deposit, a new utility on the operating site and later backfilling pose different questions to the available documents.
Intervention in an existing deposit
For an existing deposit, the planned working area and known information about the material's origin are considered together. The name of the whole site is not sufficient for investigation. State which layers or areas the work will affect and what information is actually available. Unknown provenance or missing depth information is treated as an unresolved basis, not replaced by an assumed uniform composition.
Coordinate investigations on existing sites
Utilities and installations in the operating area
Position and intervention depth are needed for a new utility, chamber or other component. Even a narrow trench can affect areas outside earlier investigations. Provide the planning together with existing records. Drainage, covers or other facilities to be retained form part of the coordination. The explosive ordnance investigation is prepared around these conditions; operational technical requirements are assessed by the responsible specialists.
Investigate utility and installation connectionsPreparation for later backfilling
If an area is to be excavated first and backfilled later, the individual states must be distinguished. The report on the original ground volume is assigned to the intervention concerned. Information on material brought in later is recorded separately. For further planning, it must remain clear which surface and depth belonged to each investigation. A later ground surface does not retrospectively change the documented scope of earlier work.
Document investigation and later backfilling separatelyDerive the next step from the information available
The report and working area match
When a complete report is available, its investigation volume is compared with the intended work. The areas, depths and limitations it describes are decisive. A report can be usable for the planned section even if it does not address the entire operating site. Clarify the specific match before commissioning an additional investigation. The date alone does not replace this technical comparison. Link the planned intervention to the parts of the deposit or backfill body shown in the report. Different sections may have different stages of work. The respective results plans and unresolved tasks therefore matter to site management. The handover identifies the section for which the conclusion is to be used and links it to the current work plan. A different area name is assigned traceably.
The spatial assignment is still unclear
Differing area names, missing appendices or untraceable elevations can hinder use of a report. First request the explanation or original document needed. A new measurement is not automatically the first answer to a filing problem. If the relevant ground volume still cannot be located, the unresolved question and potentially suitable additional work are described. For depths, check which ground surface or reference elevation they relate to. A later cover layer can change the spatial assignment. The original specialist or responsible planning team can add information on the original condition. The evidenced starting situation and remaining uncertainties are recorded. This provides a traceable basis for deciding which conclusion the old report actually supports for the new intervention.
The site has changed since then
State known excavations, fills and newly installed facilities. For comparison, the condition investigated and the condition present today matter. Not every change invalidates all earlier results. It may, however, affect the intervention now planned or its measurement conditions. The technical review defines the actual need arising from the change rather than rejecting the old report wholesale or reusing it without restriction. For relocated material, also describe the available provenance and location information. A quantity alone does not assign it to a specific ground volume investigated. If the working area is redefined later, specialist planning receives the new position and depth reference with the corresponding planning version. The comparison distinguishes previously addressed parts from additional interventions. Investigation results, documented condition and current work instruction thus remain traceably linked for those involved.
Project-specific tasks
Provide explosive ordnance reports, material analyses and operating information
01
Provide the explosive ordnance report with the plan and appendices
Provide the explosive ordnance report with the site plan, elevation reference and described limitations. Assign it to the specific working area. If the site has been filled, remodelled or used differently since the investigation, those changes should be identifiable. Check whether the documented investigation scope fits today's area and the planned intervention.
02
Assign analyses to the respective material
Identify which material analyses, characterisations or other contamination information concern. Such a document is not automatically transferable to every material on the site. For each document, state whether it describes delivered material, an existing deposit or the ground beneath the construction work.
03
State access and facilities to be retained
State who coordinates access and which areas or facilities the work affects. Existing covers, drainage or other installations to be retained must be identified as planning conditions. Before execution, clarify which access and working conditions are actually available for the agreed investigation.
Organise documents by area, material and operation
A shared spatial reference
Use traceable section names and a site plan showing the intended work. Assign existing reports precisely to those areas. If older plans use different names, explain their relationship. The overview facilitates coordination between operator, planners and executing contractor. It does not replace the complete report, but helps locate it for the correct work section.
Keep provenance and timing traceable
Documents relating to a material should show the origin and condition considered. Where known, subsequent material movements are described separately. An analysis of a particular delivery is not transferred to all deposits on the site. Likewise, an explosive ordnance investigation is not assigned to other areas merely because of a shared material name. Actual information and missing information are clearly distinguished for coordination.
State operating conditions specifically
State which access routes can be used, which work takes place simultaneously and which facilities must be retained. Identify the contact if special operational coordination is required. The investigation is not based on merely assumed access. Preparatory work is also considered if it involves ground interventions itself. Its prerequisites must be clarified with those technically responsible before work starts.
Combine statements from different documents correctly
The material analysis and explosive ordnance report concern the same section
Both documents may be relevant to a project but answer different questions. The analysis describes the material properties investigated within its remit. The explosive ordnance report describes explosive ordnance work and its scope. In a shared overview, the documents are assigned side by side to the section. Each conclusion remains linked to its investigation subject and responsible specialists. Later decisions can thus identify the basis actually available and which specialist question remains unresolved. Historical evidence, measurement data and assessment of findings remain linked to the associated reports and project communication. Where recovery takes place, it is documented with position, depth and result in the clearance record; unresolved follow-up measures remain assigned to the affected section.
An old report refers to a different surface
After filling or excavation, a depth below ground may denote a different volume of ground. Further use therefore requires comparison of the original elevation reference with today's condition. Provide available survey and existing-site records. If this reference is missing, it should be technically clarified. The same number in the old report and new plan alone is not sufficient evidence that the intended work is covered.
Next steps
From clarifying the contract to handing over results
Identify the investigation needed and the report recipient
Describe whether an investigation before a ground intervention, assessment of existing explosive ordnance documents or documentation of a completed section is needed. Also identify the recipient of the result. The contract can thus record which investigation or assessment is required and to whom the result should be handed over.
Clarify differing plans and area names
If site plans, quantity descriptions or area names do not match, clarify their assignment before further use. A missing appendix or unclear elevation reference should not be replaced with your own assumption. Ask the responsible specialists which documents can be used for the planned intervention and what information needs adding.
Review historical evidence
Existing use information, historical documents and aerial photograph assessments are compared with the planned working area. They help assess suspected explosive ordnance and remaining investigation questions. Unresolved provenance or area information remains identifiable for further planning. If historical questions remain open, additional records of past use are researched and suitable wartime aerial photographs assessed, where available. The findings and interpretation limits are assigned to the intervention planned today.
Select investigation methods
Ground stratigraphy, intervention depth, metallic interference and accessible areas determine method suitability. The measurement grid, borehole locations where applicable, and excavation sections are coordinated with the investigation volume needed. Access, nearby utilities and protection requirements are clarified before execution.
Carry out surveys or supervision
The commissioned investigation is carried out in the agreed area. Measurement data, findings and limitations are recorded with position, elevation and depth references. For work accompanying excavation, the agreed investigation and removal steps are documented section by section.
Hand over investigated and unresolved areas
Measurement data and findings are technically evaluated and assigned to the volume investigated. Compile the relevant reports and a brief overview for handover. Distinguish completed investigations from unresolved areas or other specialist assessments outstanding. Original reports remain linked to the overview; the respective competent bodies take the necessary decisions. Further investigations or follow-up measures are assigned to the area concerned.
Technical assessment
Relate the explosive ordnance report, material use and operational planning
Backfilling is not automatically landfill disposal
The term “backfilling” alone does not establish the applicable legal framework. In Germany, for example, §§ 6 to 8 BBodSchV contain specific requirements and scope limitations for placing materials on or in the soil. The responsible specialists clarify which requirements apply to the intended material use.
Compare new utilities and chambers with the report
A new utility, chamber or other intervention may affect an area not included in the existing report. Position and depth must therefore match the evidence. If an additional investigation is required, the method follows the intervention and actual conditions. Whether a deep-ground or downhole survey is suitable is checked by specialists. The ability to obtain measurements on deposit areas is a separate specialist question.
Distinguish the investigation report from the operational decision
For the next work step, record which areas and depths were investigated and which prerequisites are still missing. A note such as “checked” says too little without its subject and scope. Identify the report and its spatial assignment; acceptance, authorisation or operational decisions remain with those responsible.
Adapt the investigation method to the actual site
Evaluate existing findings
Document review first clarifies what is already known about the intended area. It can identify usable results and unresolved questions. However, it does not generate new measurement data for a volume of ground not previously investigated. Further work is derived from the remaining question. The documented limits of older investigations are retained even when their results are included in a new overview. Historical use information and aerial photograph assessments help assess suspected explosive ordnance and the need for further investigations.
Consider measurement conditions on site
Metal components, installations and ground characteristics can influence geophysical investigations. Suitability is assessed for the specific task. An openly accessible site is not automatically sufficiently interpretable. Equally, the description backfilled land does not determine a specific method. Before fieldwork, the investigation objective, known condition and necessary prerequisites are compared. Magnetometry detects magnetic anomalies; TDEM detects time-dependent electromagnetic responses from electrically conductive bodies. Under suitable ground conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide additional information on structures and layer boundaries. Highly conductive soils can limit its usable penetration. Methods are combined according to their respective investigation objective and identifiable interference.
Relate downhole and deep-ground surveys to the intervention volume
For deeper interventions or individual borehole and foundation points, the volume of ground to investigate is compared with achievable measurement coverage. Starting elevation, planned depth and spatial alignment are assigned to the investigation grid. Necessary investigations and protective measures are defined before drilling. Drilling depth, casing where applicable and documentation follow the task and local conditions.
Coordinate removal in layers with technical investigations
Where the task is suitable, explosive ordnance work can be combined with progressive excavation. Each working layer is technically surveyed and assessed before controlled removal in layers with supplementary visual inspection. The steps are repeated down to the agreed formation level. Excavation layers, stop signal, authority to give instructions and reporting routes are agreed with site management and specialist personnel before work starts; the sections completed and findings are documented.
Define further work specifically
If areas remain only partly interpretable or questions unresolved, specialists determine the next step required. Additional information or further investigations may be relevant. A purely visual check does not replace a necessary technical investigation. The reasoning for the next steps remains related to the actual section. A suitable solution for one area does not become a general standard method for every deposit.
Make the investigation and result traceable for the operator
The planned work remains the reference
FONTANA-EOD coordinates the agreed investigation scope with the area and intervention information supplied. The report should subsequently show which area was addressed and which limitations apply to its use. A short operational overview can communicate that status but should refer to the complete report with its appendices.
For a later contract, it is helpful not to communicate site changes only verbally. An up-to-date plan describing excavations, fills or new installations facilitates technical comparison. Even if the operating site retains the same name, the next intervention may affect a different ground volume. Documentation is therefore not selected solely by area name.
If several specialists are involved, each conclusion remains separately identifiable. Explosive ordnance documents can be handed over together with material analyses, operating information and other plans. Each report retains its investigation subject and applicable conditions. The operator receives traceable information for the specific further coordination.
Queries about missing information are, wherever possible, related to a particular appendix or area. This avoids indiscriminate requests for the whole project file. If information is no longer available, the technical conclusion limited by its absence is described. A missing part of a report is not supplemented by an assumed investigation.
Task
The question and affected area are defined before work begins.
Basis
The reports and planning versions used remain traceable.
Result
The answer identifies its scope and the specialist questions still unresolved.
Coordinate the tasks involved
Operator and client
They identify the intended work, the report needed and operational conditions. They provide available documents and coordinate access. Other operational or official decisions required are agreed with the competent bodies for the specific measure.
Ordnance specialist contractor and responsible authorities
The appointed explosive ordnance specialist contractor compares existing findings with the intervention, determines the agreed investigation need and documents the work carried out. Uncovered areas and specialist limitations remain visible. The result is handed to the person who needs it for further project coordination.
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.
Environmental and operational specialists
They address the questions assigned to them, for example about material composition, material use or facility planning. The same site plans may matter to this as to the explosive ordnance assessment. Investigation purposes and respective results are nevertheless kept separate and do not replace each other.
Coordinate specialist requirements before the ground intervention
For explosive ordnance work on landfill and backfilled sites in Germany, authorisation, competence and responsibility under the Explosives Act are related to the specific activity. The 1. SprengV also regulates aspects including specialist knowledge. Before execution, those responsible clarify which corresponding evidence belongs to the contract. § 7 SprengG concerns the commercial authorisation for activities requiring permission, and § 20 SprengG the certificate of competence for responsible persons. Under § 1b SprengG, searching for found ammunition also counts as handling.
DGUV Information 201-027 supports risk assessment and the selection of protective measures for explosive ordnance clearance. DGUV Rule 113-003 concerns dismantling or destroying explosives or corresponding objects and disposing of found ammunition, and is considered for relevant activities.
The BFR KMR provide technical foundations for investigation, planning and documentation. Their binding scope covers the federal properties specified there; application to other projects is agreed with the responsible parties. Site-specific authority requirements remain decisive.
If a possible ordnance item is found, stop work at the find location immediately. Do not touch, move or uncover it further. Leave the immediate area, keep your distance and keep others away without putting yourself at risk. In Germany, call the police immediately on 110; outside Germany, use the local emergency procedure. Further hazard response and involvement of the responsible ordnance disposal service follow local procedures and official instructions.
Prepare safety measures for the actual work
Before work starts, the investigation task, working area and responsibilities are coordinated. Creating an access route or working area may itself disturb the ground. Investigation needs and sequencing for such preparatory work are therefore clarified separately before it starts. Operational processes and occupational safety requirements are coordinated with the planned explosive ordnance work.
Leave other decisions with the responsible bodies
The permissibility of disposal or material use is assessed for each proposed activity. An explosive ordnance conclusion, with its defined subject, is included as one document in the other specialist assessments. The specific regulations and authorities relevant to the site and activity are clarified.
Relate permissions and working conditions to the activity
Where the intended activity in Germany is subject to authorisation under § 7 SprengG, that authorisation must cover the handling commissioned. Employers also determine the necessary protective measures from the specific working conditions. The planned activities, equipment used and possible interactions with operations therefore matter for coordination. Changes to access or the sequence are communicated to those responsible. Explosive ordnance documents are used together with the other working information required.
Consider working areas and planned interventions together
Preparation depends on the actual area, its current condition and the planned ground intervention. Existing reports are assigned precisely to that area.
Investigation areas on an existing site
Two people wearing hard hats with a tablet and plan on a marked construction site in front of a drilling rig. The position and boundaries of the planned intervention are assigned to the existing documents.
Coordinate investigations on an existing site
Related specialist information
Investigate deposit areas
Survey on deposit areasEarthworks and material routes
Explosive ordnance assessment in earthworksUnderstand reports
Survey report and clearance recordDocumentation
Record each report's conclusion in the project file
Record in the project file which question each report answers. An explosive ordnance report describes its investigation scope. Material-related documents concern the material investigated and the respective assessment purpose. Operational specifications identify the prerequisites for the intended work. A shared site plan can support spatial assignment.
FONTANA-EOD undertakes the agreed explosive ordnance assessment and documentation. Waste analysis, landfill planning and material acceptance are coordinated with the respective specialists and operators. For the quotation, identify the investigation needed and the specialists already involved.
Technical sources: BFR KMR: clearance planning with a clearance concept – introduction · BFR KMR: geophysics · BFR KMR: documentation · § 8 DepV: acceptance procedure · § 6 BBodSchV: placing materials on and in soil
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 construction work on landfill and backfilled sites, and locally applicable requirements and responsibilities, are clarified separately.
Construction phases
Coordinate the specific task on backfilled land
State the purpose of the enquiry
Describe the groundworks planned and the conclusion needed for them. Add plans, existing reports and known limitations. FONTANA-EOD can define the explosive ordnance task accordingly. Requirements for material acceptance or use are contributed by those responsible.
Consider the current operating conditions
Access, ongoing use and available working areas are coordinated with project organisation. The specialist work receives a specific spatial and temporal reference. Changes are communicated in good time. The documentation identifies the condition on which the work was based.
Use the results for the next intervention
The investigation report is compared with the upcoming groundworks. The areas actually addressed and their conditions remain part of the handover. Unresolved areas are dealt with separately. Other specialist evidence retains its own subject and responsible contacts.
Project site
Link the site and the affected section
Mark the project area in the site plan
State the location and operational name of the site. Also mark the specific section affected and the planned work. A contact for access and current site information facilitates preparation. The regional overview provides initial orientation.
Provide site documents in an organised form
Existing information, reports and relevant planning versions are provided with their area reference. Earlier measures remain distinguishable from the current task. Responsible project participants clarify unresolved requirements. The specialist contractor thus receives a traceable basis for planning its contribution.
Understand the results
Assign different statements about a backfilled site
Distinguish the acceptance procedure from the explosive ordnance report
In Germany, § 8 DepV regulates a separate acceptance procedure for depositing waste in landfills. Subject to its stated conditions, this includes information on origin and composition as well as further evidence and checks. An explosive ordnance report does not replace that acceptance procedure. Equally, waste-law acceptance alone does not confirm that the ground volume of planned construction work has been investigated for explosive ordnance.
The documents needed are assigned to their respective subjects. Project organisation records who needs which conclusion and which body provides it. The investigation scope for the ground intervention and other requirements for materials or operation thus remain traceably separate.
Explore results and terminologyRead the report's spatial scope
A report is used together with its position and depth information. Conditions and parts not addressed remain visible. The next groundworks are compared with these. A short completion label alone does not adequately describe the volume actually investigated.
Understand the report's spatial limitsCompare new work with the previous findings
Later planning may affect additional areas or different depths. The change is compared with the existing documents. Areas already addressed must remain clearly identifiable. Additional specialist work is coordinated specifically for the new activity.
Explore results and terminologyTechnical information
Environment, contaminated land and geotechnics: brochure
Ordnance checks, contaminated-land investigations and ground investigations serve different purposes. The brochure describes their interfaces and shows how drilling and other ground interventions are coordinated.
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Questions from planning
Questions about evidence for landfill and backfilled sites
Does an explosive ordnance report replace a landfill's waste acceptance documentation?
No. The waste acceptance procedure regulated in Germany under the Landfill Ordinance checks the requirements for depositing the waste delivered. The explosive ordnance report describes its investigation and limitations; evidence relating to contamination and waste law must still be dealt with separately.
Does existing evidence for an area also apply to material brought in later?
This cannot be transferred indiscriminately. What matters is the area and condition actually described by the report. Materials brought in later and changed interventions must be explicitly considered in the specialist assessment.
Is every backfilling operation a landfill?
No. The specific activity and applicable legal framework must be distinguished. The site's description alone replaces neither the assessment by the responsible specialists nor other evidence required.
Which documents help the operator define the contract and costs?
The complete report with appendices, its relationship to the planned work and an overview of unresolved areas are helpful. Any further documents required by the operator must be agreed separately for the specific measure. Defining the explosive ordnance service scope and costs depends on the intended investigation volume, suitable methods, accessibility, protection requirements, evaluation and documentation needs.
Who must be involved in material acceptance and operational requirements?
The responsible operators, specialists and, where applicable, authorities must be involved in waste-law acceptance decisions and operational requirements. FONTANA-EOD provides the report on the agreed explosive ordnance assessment with its documented scope.
Is an older report unusable simply because of its date?
Not automatically. What matters is the area and condition it describes and whether its conclusions fit the planned work. Changes to the site and intervention are technically compared with the documented scope.
What needs clarifying where provenance cannot be assigned?
The available information on origin and later material movements is compiled. Unsupported assignments remain unresolved. A report is not transferred to another area merely because of a similar material description.
What should we do if a suspicious object is found on the operating site?
If an unexpected suspicious object is encountered, stop work in the affected area immediately. Do not touch, move or expose the object further. 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 competent authorities determine the next steps. Inform site management, the operator and the client; internal communication must not delay the emergency call.
Project enquiry
Coordinate the investigation needed for the operating site
Working area and depth
Describe the planned work with a site plan, area and depth reference. State the surface currently present and whether preparatory excavation or filling is planned. Include the address or region, available parcel information, utility plans, conditions, historical findings and current project status where available.
Existing reports and specialists
Include explosive ordnance reports in full. Material analyses and operational documents may be supplied additionally but remain separate according to their investigation purpose. Identify the report recipient and contacts already involved, particularly environmental specialists and the operator. The investigation scope and quotation basis can thus be coordinated for the next decision needed.
Access and sequence
Describe when and in what condition the area is to be available. Identify other work that could change access or measurement conditions. The appointment is coordinated with the investigation scope needed.
Missing or contradictory information
Identify unclear area boundaries and missing appendices when making the enquiry. State which information can still be obtained. Specialist preparation can then clarify specifically which conclusions are possible from the existing information and what additions are needed.
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.
