Project pathway
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Explosive ordnance surveys for demolition and site revitalisation
During demolition, the site changes: foundations initially remain in the ground, new areas become accessible and the working elevation may change. FONTANA-EOD compares the planned ground interventions with existing explosive ordnance documents and surveys the agreed volume. As the client or demolition planner, send the existing-condition and demolition plans, known depths and intended interim conditions to clarify the specialist assignment.
Specify works on foundations and utilities.
Record remaining structures and ground elevations.
Compare reports with the later ground interventions.
Context
Distinguish building demolition from intervention in the ground
Demolishing an above-ground structure and removing a foundation do not automatically affect the same ground volume. Explosive ordnance planning therefore needs to establish which works actually extend below the existing surface. Also identify ancillary works involving ground interventions. The demolition plan must show the affected areas and depths.
Investigation task
Distinguish demolition stages by their ground interventions
Record structures below the surface
The demolition plan identifies foundations, structures in contact with the ground and other intended ground interventions. Locations and depths are provided as far as known. Unresolved information about existing conditions remains identifiable. Explosive ordnance planning can then determine the specific intervention volume and the information still needed.
Select services for the planned demolition ground interventions
Identify applicable existing investigations
Reports and plan appendices are compared with the intended demolition. What matters is which areas and conditions they actually address. An earlier survey on the same property is retained with its scope. Work not yet covered remains identifiable as a separate requirement.
Assign existing reports to the demolition workAssess accessibility according to site conditions
A building or hard surface may initially cover parts of the site. The specialist contractor aligns the survey with the conditions accessible at each stage. Preparatory works involving their own ground intervention are considered as a separate task. New access alone does not establish a completed survey status.
Select methods according to the accessible site conditionsConsider subsequent use separately
After demolition, different foundations, routes or ground elevations may be planned. These works are compared with existing results. The documentation of the demolition stage is retained. Additional requirements arising from subsequent use are assigned to the new ground intervention.
Compare subsequent use with documented resultsCheck demolition phases separately for their ground interventions
For the explosive ordnance task, what matters is which ground volume the next work step affects. Building demolition, foundation removal and preparation for subsequent use are therefore considered according to their respective conditions.
Demolish above-ground structures
Where demolition is initially above ground, clarify which accompanying works nevertheless involve ground interventions. These may include planned utility works, for example. Identify these activities with their locations and depths. A depiction of a later cleared site does not automatically describe the prerequisites for the first demolition stage. The assignment should show which works are being assessed now and which are only due in a subsequent phase.
Assess demolition in an existing industrial settingRemove underground structures
Removing foundations, basements or utilities requires their actual extent to be known. Existing-condition plans can provide a basis but must be supplemented with known deviations. Inaccessible areas remain identifiable as such. Survey requirements follow the intended ground intervention, rather than the visible building footprint alone. If structures are encountered differently from their description, further work is reviewed again by specialists.
Coordinate surveys for underground structuresPrepare for a new use
After demolition, new foundations, utilities or changes to ground levels may be intended. Their intervention volume is compared with existing results. A survey for removing an old structure does not automatically survey all later works. Usable results are retained and outstanding areas are identified specifically. Subsequent use can then build on the stage reached without overstating the earlier survey scope.
Coordinate further surveys for subsequent useDevelop the sequence from ground intervention and accessibility
A survey is possible before the demolition stage
If the affected area can be surveyed in a technically suitable way, this possibility is included in scheduling. Access, working areas and the required documents must be coordinated for this. Planned site clearance is not assumed to be an already completed condition. What matters is which conditions will actually be available on the survey date and whether the method can answer the specific question under those conditions.
The area becomes accessible only in stages
If an area only becomes accessible during demolition, the prerequisites and suitable sequence are defined in advance by specialists. Becoming accessible later does not by itself justify any preceding ground intervention. Planning must describe which work can take place under which conditions and where renewed coordination will be necessary. A method accompanying construction is only planned where technically suitable and includes the survey required for it.
For this purpose, the demolition plan describes which above-ground structures will be removed and which underground parts initially remain. Photographs and existing-condition plans can help identify the intended interim conditions clearly. A measurement area that becomes available only later is linked to the appropriate time for work within the sequence.
The planners and specialist contractor agree which information is needed again after exposure. New findings about existing conditions are communicated before the next work step affected by them. The feedback distinguishes planned conditions from those actually encountered.
Actual existing conditions differ
Where foundation depths differ, additional structures are found or utilities follow different routes, the affected ground intervention is first described again. The existing explosive ordnance documents are compared with that specific intervention. A deviation may affect a limited area; it is not transferred indiscriminately to the entire site. Before further execution, however, it must be established whether the changed ground volume is already covered or requires additional work. Show on the updated plan which structures were encountered differently and which additional ground volumes the change affects. Intended working volumes, ancillary pits or changed access routes must also be considered insofar as they create new ground interventions. Demolition management and the specialist planners involved receive the same traceable information. Details from a structural survey are assigned to their purpose; they do not replace an explosive ordnance survey. Further work is coordinated for the specific area affected and then documented so that its relationship to the demolition plan is retained.
Project-specific tasks
Coordinate demolition stages with the explosive ordnance assessment
01
State the structures and ground elevation after the first stage
Identify which structures are intended to remain after the first stage and which ground elevation is then expected. To prepare the survey, we need these interim conditions with the actual working areas and their limits. A depiction of the later new construction alone does not describe them.
02
Identify foundations, utilities and missing information about existing conditions
Provide plans of existing foundations, underground structures and relevant utilities where available. Identify missing or contradictory information about existing conditions. Check whether an existing report covers only the surroundings or also the intended ground intervention beneath a structure. Its spatial scope and specialist findings are decisive.
03
Compare deeper structures before further groundworks
If existing conditions differ from the plan, the explosive ordnance task may also change. A deeper structure or a different demolition boundary is not automatically covered by the previous survey scope. Have specialists compare the changed intervention before continuing the affected groundworks.
Hand over each demolition stage traceably
Distinguish existing structures from planned removal
Show which structures lie in the ground according to the available documents and which are to be removed. Known uncertainties belong in the same overview. A plan of the later open area often does not reveal interim obstructions. The survey therefore requires the actual intended conditions. Structural designations should remain identifiable in demolition planning, the survey and the later handover.
Include elevations and sections
If ground is lowered or filled, the reference for a depth below the surface changes. State the intended working elevation together with the extent of the structure. A section can show relationships not apparent on the site plan. The responsible planners provide this information. Missing elevations are not replaced by an estimate in the explosive ordnance document.
Coordinate the handover between trades
Agree who will communicate the actual conditions and pass on the documents after a demolition stage. These include remaining structures, deviations and areas that are still inaccessible. The next contractor needs more than confirmation of a date: they need a technically understandable description of the site being handed over. An agreed handover does not replace an outstanding survey but makes its prerequisites traceable.
Two interfaces between demolition and surveying
A foundation is encountered differently from the plan
If a structure is larger or deeper than described in the documents, the deviation is recorded on the plan and passed to the responsible specialists. For the explosive ordnance assessment, what matters is which additional ground volume is affected. An earlier report may already cover parts of it; this must be checked against its documented scope. The further procedure is derived from this comparison. Neither proximity to a surveyed location nor continuation of the same demolition assignment automatically extends the evidence.
New areas are exposed after removal
A newly accessible surface may offer additional survey possibilities. First, check which conclusions existing results already support and which question remains open. The accessible area is described with its elevation reference and remaining installations. A survey result from earlier conditions is not discarded indiscriminately; its continued usability is checked. The documented status can then be supplemented specifically with the findings still needed. Further surveys required are assigned to the outstanding subareas. Where explosive ordnance is recovered, its location, depth and the result are documented in the clearance record.
Next steps
Align demolition conditions, the survey and subsequent works
Agree the working area, access and elevation reference
Agree in advance which area is to be handed over for further work after a demolition stage. Record necessary access, remaining structures and the intended elevation reference. As well as the handover date, agree the condition in which the working area should be available. Provide existing-condition and demolition plans and existing explosive ordnance reports for this purpose; the survey assignment is defined on this basis.
Document deviations from the demolition plan
Pass deviations on to the specialist parties involved. Documented demolition stages, available information on existing conditions and a current site plan help with this comparison. Explicitly identify missing information. If a structure is no longer visible, this does not establish that its entire underground extent has been removed or surveyed.
Review historical evidence
Existing information about site use, historical documents and aerial photograph assessments are compared with the planned working area. They help assess suspected explosive ordnance and outstanding survey questions. The distinction between earlier existing conditions, planned demolition and the site conditions actually reached is retained for further surveys. If historical questions remain open, supplementary records of site use are researched and suitable wartime aerial photographs are assessed where available. The findings and limits of the assessment are assigned to the ground intervention now planned.
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 survey is carried out in the agreed area and site conditions. Measurement data, findings and limitations are recorded with location, elevation and depth references. Where work accompanies construction, the agreed survey and excavation steps are documented section by section.
Evaluate and hand over results
Measurement data and findings are assessed by specialists. The report documents the surveyed area, site conditions, methods used and remaining limitations. The report and spatial appendices are handed over to the agreed recipients. Further surveys or other specialist checks still required remain assigned to the affected area so that subsequent planning can use the findings reached.
Check survey requirements for subsequent works
Compare existing results with the current site conditions and the next planned ground intervention. A new foundation may, for example, extend beyond the old demolition area. Results from the first phase are used while retaining their spatial and methodological limits.
Technical assessment
What affects measurements after demolition
Identify structural remnants, metal and made ground
Reinforced structural remnants, metallic installations and areas of made ground may affect geophysical measurements. A visibly clear construction site therefore does not establish sufficient interpretability. The method depends on the survey objective and the installations actually remaining. Demolition progress alone does not determine which method is suitable.
Check the suitability of surveying alongside construction
If an area only becomes accessible during the works, it must be checked whether explosive ordnance surveying alongside construction is technically suitable there. The BFR KMR describe a specialist procedure including surveying for this purpose. Simply observing excavator operations is not an equivalent substitute for an explosive ordnance survey; it does not make technically possible preliminary investigation universally unnecessary.
Pass on hazardous substance information separately
Hazards other than explosive ordnance may be relevant during demolition. In Germany, § 5a GefStoffV requires the party commissioning the work to provide the executing company, before activities on buildings or technical installations, with existing information from their construction or use history about known or suspected hazardous substances, in writing or electronically. Pass on this information for hazardous substance work separately from the explosive ordnance report. The responsible specialists document the contaminant assessment of structures separately.
Assess measurement conditions during demolition on technical grounds
Evaluate existing documents
Reports on earlier use, surveys carried out and existing conditions can support preparation. They are read according to their actual scope. A historical assessment, measurement report and demolition plan are different sources. Only their relationship to the intended ground intervention shows which question has already been answered. Reviewing documents can identify missing information but does not produce new field measurements. Historical information on site use and aerial photograph assessments help assess suspected explosive ordnance and the need for further surveys.
Take remaining installations into account
Reinforcement, metal and other installations may affect the acquisition and interpretation of geophysical data. Identify known structures and remnants during preparation. A visibly level site does not establish suitable measurement conditions. The method is selected according to the survey objective and actual conditions. Magnetometry records magnetic anomalies; TDEM records time-dependent electromagnetic responses from electrically conductive bodies. Under suitable ground conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide additional information about structures and strata boundaries. Highly conductive soils may limit its usable range. Methods are combined according to their respective survey objectives and identifiable interference.
Investigate deeper interventions and borehole locations
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.
Justify surveying alongside construction
A procedure accompanying construction must connect the required survey with the work sequence. It is not replaced by simply observing demolition. Specialist planning describes which areas can be surveyed under which conditions and how results feed into the subsequent sequence. Where suitable preliminary investigation is possible and necessary, it is not omitted merely because demolition is scheduled to start. Each working level is technically surveyed and assessed before controlled layer-by-layer excavation with supplementary visual inspection follows. The steps are repeated down to the agreed excavation base. Excavation layers, the stop signal, authority to issue instructions and reporting procedures are coordinated with construction management and specialist personnel before work begins. The excavation base and pit walls or slopes are systematically surveyed using the intended method and the results documented.
Keep results usable across several stages of site conditions
Each report needs an identifiable reference to the conditions surveyed
FONTANA-EOD aligns the agreed survey with the demolition stage described and documents the area worked on. For later use, it is important to know the conditions at the time of the survey. A brief handover should therefore refer to the complete report and corresponding plans.
A new plan can continue to use existing findings. This requires their spatial scope and technical limits to be understood. Supplementary work is focused on the changed ground intervention and the survey scope actually still required.
Original and updated documents are kept distinguishable in the project record. A new plan does not silently replace the one to which an older result related. If questions arise, the intervention considered at the time must remain traceable. This assignment supports later coordination with planners, construction management and executing contractors.
If a site can only be handed over in part, usable areas and areas still outstanding are identified separately. A shared address is not sufficient for this. Even fully completed above-ground demolition says nothing by itself about surveying the ground below. The technical feedback therefore describes the task actually carried out and the status of the steps still ahead.
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 demolition planning with the explosive ordnance task
Client and demolition planners
They describe existing conditions, the sequence and the intended final conditions. Known information about structures, utilities and other hazards is provided to the responsible parties. Changes from the plan are communicated before they result in a different construction activity in the ground.
Ordnance specialist contractor and responsible authorities
The appointed explosive ordnance specialist contractor assesses existing findings in relation to the ground intervention and prepares the agreed survey. The method and scope are justified on technical grounds. The report identifies the areas actually covered and limitations on further use.
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.
Executing contractors and subsequent planners
They need the current plan version with its corresponding survey results. Preparatory works and later new-construction phases remain identifiable as separate tasks. Deviations are referred to the responsible specialists rather than resolved by independently extending the report's findings.
Also consider other hazards and responsibilities
For explosive ordnance work supporting demolition and site revitalisation in Germany, authorisation, personal qualifications and responsibility under the German Explosives Act are related to the specific activity. The 1. SprengV additionally regulates matters including specialist knowledge. Which corresponding evidence belongs to the assignment is clarified with the responsible parties before execution. § 7 SprengG concerns commercial authorisation for activities requiring a permit; § 20 SprengG concerns the certificate of competence held by responsible persons. Under § 1b SprengG, searching for ordnance 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.
Pass on information about construction and use history
Existing information about hazardous substances is provided for the responsible specialist work. The applicable information duties and the explosive ordnance task concern different questions. A shared demolition sequence must take both into account. The specialist results are documented separately; a contaminant assessment is not used as explosive ordnance evidence.
Clarify preparatory ground interventions before work begins
Even removing underground remnants or creating a working area may itself give rise to survey requirements. Before work begins, the necessary surveys and protective measures are assigned to the respective preparation step. The sequence is coordinated with the responsible parties.
Clarify requirements for the activity and work sequence
If the intended activity in Germany falls under § 7 SprengG, the corresponding authorisation must relate to the commissioned handling activities. Demolition and explosive ordnance tasks are described separately and traceably for this purpose. Employers assess the hazards associated with their activities and determine the necessary protective measures. Changing working areas and the sequence of different contractors are particularly relevant to coordination during demolition. State when an area will actually become accessible and which other works are still intended there. For each work step, access, survey status and required protective measures are coordinated in good time with the responsible parties.
Describe the conditions between demolition and new construction
Remaining structures, accessible areas and the elevation reference form the basis for the next survey. The later new use is also compared with existing results.
Construction site for subsequent use
Two people wearing safety helmets, with a tablet and plan on a marked construction site in front of a drilling rig. During demolition, underground structures are recorded separately on the plan.
Clarify survey requirements for subsequent use
Related specialist information
Explosive ordnance assessment on former industrial sites
Ground interventions on former industrial sitesAssess brownfield sites for new use
Prepare brownfield development
Surveying during construction
Assess the surveying needed during excavationDocumentation
Record the demolition conditions surveyed in the report
The explosive ordnance report should show which site conditions its findings relate to. These include the area worked on, relevant elevations and documented limitations. The corresponding demolition stage helps explain later which structures or areas were still inaccessible at the time of the survey.
Pass existing results and outstanding survey tasks to the next planning team. For subsequent use, the intended foundations, utilities and changes to ground levels are compared with the documented survey volume. FONTANA-EOD undertakes the agreed explosive ordnance assessment and its documentation. Demolition planning, structural assessment and contaminant remediation remain separate specialist services.
Technical sources: BFR KMR: clearance planning with a clearance concept – introduction · BFR KMR: geophysics · BFR KMR: documentation · § 5a GefStoffV: information for activities on installations · BFR KMR: explosive ordnance clearance alongside construction
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 particular demolition construction project, together with locally applicable requirements and responsibilities, is clarified separately.
Construction phases
Coordinate demolition and site development
Show the demolition scope in the enquiry
Send the current existing-condition and demolition plan and known survey documents. Identify the works below the surface and structures whose details are unclear. FONTANA-EOD can relate explosive ordnance survey requirements to these details and prepare the next specialist coordination steps.
Record transitions between site conditions
The project parties agree when access and the intended groundworks will change. Each stage is kept identifiable in the plans. Surveys and demolition works are assigned to that stage. New findings are passed on before the next ground intervention.
Hand over documents to subsequent planners
After the phase worked on, results, limits and remaining tasks are provided together with the spatial appendices. Subsequent planning compares this information with the intended new use. A new design is not covered by earlier findings merely because it concerns the same property area.
Project site
Provide the demolition area and project contacts
Identify the location and affected structures
State the location, project area and structures affected by demolition. Add the contact responsible for existing-condition plans and current access. The regional overview helps with orientation. The specific ground interventions and available findings remain decisive for specialist planning.
Bring existing requirements together
Reports and information are provided with their respective plan versions and spatial references. The responsible parties clarify requirements for demolition and subsequent use. Decisions still outstanding remain identified. This gives the explosive ordnance task a traceable basis within the overall planning.
Understand the results
Keep site conditions and the scope of findings in view
Assess preparatory works on technical grounds
Clearing a site may improve access for a later survey. If preparatory works themselves involve ground interventions, their survey requirements must be clarified before they begin. Coordinate the sequence with the responsible specialists.
Project planning distinguishes work on above-ground structures from interventions in the ground. The respective survey requirements are agreed with the responsible specialists. This assignment is retained even if both activities take place in the same construction phase or time window.
Explore results and terminologyDocument new accessibility
When a previously covered area becomes accessible, the new conditions are identified on the plan. Existing findings are compared with them. The specialist contractor can specifically describe the task now possible. Improved access and a completed survey remain different stages of work.
Document new accessibility and survey statusCheck results for subsequent use
A new foundation or utility is compared with the existing survey status. Areas, depths and relevant conditions are compared. Previous results are retained. Further questions are explicitly assigned to the new design and its associated ground intervention.
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 between demolition and new site use
Should everything be demolished first and surveyed afterwards?
This cannot be determined as a general rule. Preparatory demolition works may themselves involve ground interventions. Their prerequisites and the appropriate sequence must be clarified in advance by specialists.
Is a cleared construction site automatically suitable for measurements?
No. Remaining installations, reinforced remnants or made ground may continue to affect the survey. The actual conditions and survey objective determine the specialist choice of method.
Is observing the excavator during demolition sufficient?
Visual observation alone does not replace a technically suitable explosive ordnance survey. A method accompanying construction must be justified separately and planned together with the necessary technical surveys.
What happens if a foundation extends deeper than expected?
Before the changed ground intervention continues, it must be compared with the existing explosive ordnance documents and the other specialist requirements. The earlier survey scope does not automatically expand as a result.
Does a survey for demolition also apply to new construction?
Only insofar as the later construction activity is actually covered by the documented findings. New foundations, utilities or changes to the terrain may create additional survey requirements.
Which details about the interim site conditions are needed for the survey and cost assessment?
Describe which areas are actually accessible, which installations remain and which elevation the next work relates to. The later new-construction plan alone does not answer these questions. The survey volume, suitable methods, interference, protective requirements, construction sequence and documentation needs also matter when defining the scope of services and costs.
How can older and updated plan versions remain traceable?
Original and updated documents are kept distinguishable in the project record. A new plan does not silently replace the version to which an earlier survey result relates. If questions arise, it must remain clear which ground intervention was considered then and which plan version is being used for the next work step.
What should we do if a suspicious object is found during demolition?
If an unexpected suspicious object is found, stop work in the affected area 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. The competent authorities determine the next steps. Inform site management and the client; internal notification must not delay the emergency call.
Project enquiry
Prepare demolition and the survey together
Existing-condition and demolition plans
Send available plans of foundations, basements and utilities. Identify which structures are to be removed and which information is unclear. The intended open area alone does not describe the survey assignment. State planned intervention depths, available reference elevations, the address or region and the affected cadastral parcels, insofar as known.
Sequence and interim conditions
State which areas should be accessible after each stage. Include information on the working elevation and remaining installations. Say who will confirm the actual conditions before the next survey.
Existing findings
Provide explosive ordnance reports with all appendices. Assign them to the site conditions at the time. Deviations that have become known and subsequent changes belong in the enquiry so that further requirements can be clarified specifically. Include known authority conditions, historical findings and existing aerial photograph assessments.
Subsequent use and schedule
Describe planned new ground interventions insofar as they are already defined. For options still open, the version being considered remains identifiable. State the intended sequence so that the survey, handover of results and further works can be technically coordinated.
Changes during execution
Identify a contact who can be reached about deviations from the demolition plan. The notification should describe the affected area and the actual change. A general statement that the site is now clear answers neither the question of remaining structures nor that of the new elevation. Available plans and images can support the description but do not replace a technically required survey. The subsequent feedback is assigned to the specific work step affected.
Form of results handover
Agree who will receive the report and appendices and which plan version will be used. Where there are several demolition phases, clear designations help assign the results correctly later. An overview for construction management should identify outstanding areas and refer to the complete documents. This keeps the survey status reached traceable when the parties change.
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.
