Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Excavation supervision where ordnance is suspected
Where ordnance is suspected before earthworks and the excavation area cannot be adequately investigated beforehand, clients, planners and construction management must define a suitable further procedure. FONTANA-EOD reviews the basis of suspicion, working volume and existing investigations with you. Send the site plan, excavation depths, construction sequence and preliminary investigations so that the suitability and scope of ordnance surveying during construction can be established.
Divide the area, depth and sequence of work.
Work and assess layer by layer.
Document findings and limits.
Identify the role of construction-stage measures
When is ordnance surveying during construction appropriate?
Ordnance surveying during construction may be considered where a suspect intervention volume cannot be adequately investigated before earthworks begin. Each layer is technically surveyed and assessed by a specialist before being removed under additional visual observation.
The evidence describes the area actually assessed and the prerequisites for the next ground intervention.
Project references
Selected project examples
Plattling station, track 20
Work on track 20 in Plattling began with construction-stage assessments during excavation. The report explains the later change of method and distinguishes the individual work phases. View project details.
Pippinstraße - Aachen
For the Pippinstraße project in Aachen, specialist ordnance supervision during construction with technical oversight is documented from September to October 2026. View project details.
Service areas:Ordnance specialist supervision of groundworks
TP03 Assmannshausen Montage Baustelle FST BST LS (188185-202828)
For the TP03 Assmannshausen project, specialist ordnance supervision during construction and surveying are documented from September to October 2026. View project details.
Service areas:Ordnance specialist supervision of groundworksSetting out and marking survey areas
Project types
Align supervision with the actual construction state
Excavation with changing working stages
As excavation progresses, accessible areas and the next ground interventions change. Construction management and the specialist company coordinate against the same plan version. The agreed section, areas already investigated and unresolved parts remain distinguishable. A documented result can therefore be related to the construction state actually achieved.
Coordinate the construction sequence together
Utility trench within existing infrastructure
Existing utilities, crossings and available working volumes are part of preparation. Project documents show which information is confirmed and where clarification is still needed. Construction-stage ordnance surveying is coordinated with the intended trench section. Utility information and operating conditions are supplied by the project participants responsible for each area.
Describe the utility trench and working volume
Demolition followed by earthworks
A stage of demolition may expose areas previously covered. This change is compared with the intended ground intervention and existing investigations. The transition from demolition to earthworks is treated as a separate coordination point. Earlier conclusions remain limited to the areas and conditions investigated at the time.
Identify the implications of alterations at an operating site
Several companies on the same site
Contacts and information routes are agreed for earthworks, specialist supervision and other trades. Work planning describes the next section and the documents available for it. Changes reach the responsible participants before the next ground intervention. Individual tasks remain clearly assigned even within a shared programme.
Coordinate handovers and documentsTypical project situations
Typical tasks for excavations and routes
The supervision needed depends on the intended intervention and site conditions. The working area, depth and investigation method must therefore be established.
Existing site with limited survey feasibility
Foundations, utilities, reinforcement, scrap and ongoing operations may mask an advance area survey. Assessable excavation bases and subareas often become accessible only after demolition or as excavation progresses.
Supervision is planned section by section and linked to existing survey data. Insufficiently assessed areas remain excluded from further ground intervention until a technically suitable approach has been established.
Assess the preliminary investigationUtility trenches and routes
Along cable, pipeline and drainage routes, ground conditions, utility density and suspected contamination change along the alignment. One approach for the entire route may therefore be too broad.
Chainage, working width, installation depth, crossings and construction sections are structured so that the area supervised remains clearly traceable later.
Assess the route sequenceExcavation with deeper working layers
A near-surface investigation does not necessarily cover the entire later depth of an excavation. Additional layers, shoring, dewatering and changing slopes alter the areas accessible for assessment.
Before work begins, the depths already assessed technically and the excavation bases or margins requiring separate checks during excavation are clarified.
Agree deep-ground assessmentDemolition, fill and old structural remains
Heterogeneous fill, foundation remnants and reused material create many technical interference sources. Only after controlled demolition can it be established which areas become accessible for further surveying or clearance in layers.
Demolition and ordnance procedures are described separately but coordinated in time. If site conditions change, the selected method is reassessed.
Define coordination pointsDesign changes during construction
Relocated utilities, deeper foundations, additional excavations or changed slopes may extend beyond the area assessed so far. Existing evidence must then not be applied unchanged to the new intervention.
The change is recorded with its location, depth and construction method. It is then determined whether supplementary surveying, construction-stage assessment or another clearance service is required.
Have a design change assessedAn anomaly or find during excavation
An unusual metal object, unexplained anomaly or finding suspected to be ammunition triggers a clearly defined stop point. Equipment movements and access in the affected area are controlled through the established reporting procedure.
Further action depends on the circumstances of the find, specialist assessment and regional responsibilities. The affected construction section resumes only after a documented decision on the next steps.
Read about action on findsExcavation, assessment and decision
What must be clarified before every work step
Before each step, the area to be investigated, suitable method and criteria for deciding whether work may continue are clarified.
Before tendering
Initial situation: Suspected contamination and planned earthworks are known, but survey feasibility and the construction sequence are not yet fully described.
Technical step: The specification identifies investigation areas, excavation layers, required preliminary investigation, protection requirements, responsibilities and agreed documentation.
Result: Comparable quotations and a clear framework for construction management, earthworks and the ordnance specialist company.
Prepare the service specificationBefore site establishment
Initial situation: Equipment, access routes and working areas are defined; current utility and as-built information is available to differing degrees of completeness.
Technical step: Exclusion and working areas, equipment requirements, staging areas, communication routes and responsible persons are coordinated.
Result: Responsibilities and protective measures are clarified before earthworks start.
Coordinate the site startBefore the first soil removal
Initial situation: The first construction section has been set out, but the applicability of earlier measurements to current conditions must be checked.
Technical step: The plan version, excavation depth, utilities, areas already investigated and intended working layers are compared on site. The first soil removal requires surveying and specialist approval of the affected area.
Result: A clearly defined starting area and an established sequence of investigation, approval and soil removal.
Assess the basis for suspicionDuring an excavation layer
Initial situation: Soil is excavated and new base or slope areas become accessible.
Technical step: Soil is removed in agreed sections and layer thicknesses. The next layer is surveyed and approved by a specialist before removal; visual observation and documentation accompany execution.
Result: A documented decision on whether and how the next work step may begin.
Compare clearance methodsIf a technical anomaly occurs
Initial situation: A signal, object or ground finding cannot be confidently classified as an ordinary interference source during the work.
Specialist step: work in the affected area is stopped immediately. A suspicious object remains untouched. Further assessment follows the established reporting procedure through the responsible specialists and competent authorities.
Result: The person taking responsibility for further assessment and the work remaining suspended until then are documented.
Identify the find-handling procedureAfter completing a section
Initial situation: The planned excavation has been reached, while neighbouring areas or later construction phases remain.
Technical step: Supervised areas, depths, methods, findings, restrictions and unresolved zones are compared with the current site location and construction state.
Result: A section-specific basis for construction management and the project file that is not extended to uncontrolled areas.
Clarify the completion evidenceCoordinate assessment and clearance methods
Preliminary investigation, surveying and construction supervision
The actual excavation is only one stage of the overall process. The better the historical and technical knowledge available, the more precisely working layers, assessment points and necessary additions can be planned.
Ordnance surveying during construction does not replace preliminary investigation where that is possible. Historical aerial photograph analysis and surface or deep-ground surveying should still be carried out first if they can reliably assess the planned working volume. Construction-stage measures target the gaps that become accessible or assessable only in the actual construction state.
Historical assessment of suspected contamination
It relates aerial photographs, previous use, known finds and official documents to the planned excavation. This establishes spatial priorities and a justified range of target objects.
It cannot locate objects currently in the ground but provides the basis for determining the technical methods and protective measures required.
The source list, historical suspect-area map and known preliminary findings justify the spatial assessment needs. Gaps in time and positional uncertainties remain identifiable. The report relates these foundations to the current excavation section and expected target objects.
Investigate the suspected contamination further
Magnetometry
On sufficiently accessible areas, magnetometry can record ferromagnetic anomalies before excavation. Survey feasibility and depth response depend on the target object, measurement height and interference environment.
Utilities, reinforcement and scrap may limit conclusions. These zones are identified separately for later work during construction.
Magnetic survey lines, sensor handling and positional data are linked to the anomaly map. Survey gaps and areas dominated by magnetic interference remain separate from interpretable areas. The target-point list identifies the assessment basis and further investigation needed.
Identify the role of magnetometry
TDEM
TDEM records electromagnetic responses from conductive bodies and can provide additional anomaly information where surface conditions and a defined objective are suitable.
Electromagnetic interference sources and overlapping object responses affect assessment. Unresolved indications are incorporated into excavation or target-point planning.
Coil configuration, acquisition parameters and spatial reference are linked to the evaluated electromagnetic responses. Masked areas and unresolved anomalies remain identifiable. The interpretation explains the additional information TDEM provides for the next ground intervention.
Understand TDEM
Ground-penetrating radar / GPR
Ground penetrating radar can show structural changes, installations and material transitions. On surfaced or urbanised sites, it supports assessment of the ground and obstacles.
The method does not identify ordnance automatically. Ground moisture, conductivity and complex installations determine which conclusions can be used in the construction sequence.
Radar profiles, profile direction, positional reference and usable depth range remain linked to the evaluated structures. A radar reflection is distinguished from an identified object causing it. Unclear findings are assessed by specialists before being used for excavation decisions.
Understand ground-penetrating radar
Deep-ground and downhole surveys
Piles, sheet piles, anchors and other deep ground interventions require their own assessment geometry. Measurements are related to coordinates, target depth and the later working volume.
They do not replace area-wide excavation supervision outside the assessed points. Conversely, excavation supervision must not be treated as blanket evidence for deep, uncontrolled alignments.
The point list, drilling and survey geometry and achieved assessment depth document the actual deep-ground assessment. Shoring, utilities and sections that cannot be measured sufficiently remain identifiable as restrictions. A changed alignment or additional depth is compared with this evidence again.
Assess deep interventions
Surveying and clearance during construction
Ordnance surveying during construction requires the intended method to be capable of adequately assessing the actual working volume. Technical surveying and the specialist decision precede each soil removal. The defined layer is then excavated under additional visual observation; surveying is repeated before the next layer.
Working layers, equipment operation, stop points, the responsible person and follow-up measures are described before work begins. Participants can therefore understand when assessment takes place and when work continues.
Layer and section records connect technical surveying, the specialist decision and actual soil removal. Findings, stop points and insufficiently assessed areas remain assigned to their construction state. Handover identifies the volume actually worked and outstanding measures.
Agree construction supervision
Area clearance with its own clearance objective
Where an area or soil volume must be cleared systematically, a separate clearance concept defines the area, depth and target objects. Areas that cannot be surveyed, are inaccessible or subject to technical interference require separate treatment. The clearance plan, findings lists, working layers and completion report demonstrate the extent achieved; general excavation supervision does not replace this service.
Clarify area clearance and its objectiveTechnical site parameters
Information important for work planning
An ordnance measure during construction is only as reliable as the definition of its working volume. Changes to equipment, construction method or depth are therefore assessed before the next ground intervention.
01
Excavation method and layer thickness
Excavator size, bucket type, direction of removal and intended working layers influence which areas become accessible under control.
Layer thicknesses are set so that the excavation base, slopes and suspect inclusions can be assessed by specialists.
02
Working section and depth horizon
The excavation, route or subarea is identified unambiguously and supplied with level or depth information.
Later deepening or lateral extension is treated as a new intervention volume and included in planning.
03
Construction equipment and protection requirements
The risk assessment, expected objects and working position determine the equipment and additional protective measures required.
The ordnance measure is coordinated with the equipment’s operational safety and stability.
04
Excavation base, slopes and visual access
Exposed working surfaces must be accessible for the intended assessment. Water, smeared soil, loose material or concealed areas may limit conclusions.
Required cleaning, dewatering or reworking is defined as part of the workflow.
05
Utilities and existing structures
Current utility locations, safety distances, foundations and steel components are compared with the excavation and survey area before work starts.
Areas with unclear utility or as-built information are handled separately. Evidence for the remaining area is not extended to them without review.
06
Ground, fill and groundwater
Grain composition, moisture, scrap content, contaminated materials and water ingress affect survey feasibility, visibility and material flow.
Ordnance and contaminated-land requirements are coordinated organisationally but assessed separately in their specialist disciplines.
07
Concurrent trades and site traffic
Delivery traffic, shoring, dewatering, land surveying and other trades must not alter the controlled working area without coordination.
Access, equipment movement and handovers between work steps are managed through daily coordination.
08
Stop points and reporting procedure
Before work starts, the anomaly that triggers interruption and the person deciding on further action are established.
The contact sequence, safety area, documentation and regional responsibilities are defined clearly for everyone involved.
Evidence for construction management and the project file
What excavation documentation must show
Documentation must do more than show that specialists were present. It must identify the section worked, the conditions and the resulting decision.
For each supervised section, the area and depth worked, method used and restrictions identified are documented. If a relevant anomaly or object suspected to be ordnance occurs, work in the affected area stops immediately and further action is coordinated through qualified specialists and the locally competent bodies.
Where findings lead to exposure or clearance, the associated findings and clearance records are linked to the section, location and depth. The report distinguishes these activities from technical investigation and the subsequent decision on further excavation.
Project and plan status
The project name, site plan, construction area, coordinate system, construction section and current execution design provide the spatial reference.
Design changes are updated with their dates and affected areas.
Suspected contamination and preliminary investigations
Aerial photograph analysis, official letters, survey reports, anomaly plans and known findings are assigned to the supervised area.
Missing and contradictory information about the investigation area is recorded in the file.
Working and protective arrangements
Responsible persons, equipment, working layers, protective areas, briefing, stop points and communication routes are documented before execution.
Changes to the daily sequence are recorded by location or section, not just communicated verbally.
Supervised excavation sections
The date, location, depth range, excavation method, base worked and particular field conditions are recorded continuously.
This distinguishes areas actually supervised from those only planned.
Anomalies and follow-up measures
Signals, objects, interference zones, interruptions and subsequent work are documented with a point or section identifier.
This makes it possible to trace how a finding was assessed and to whom it was handed over.
Assessment of the excavation section worked
The report describes the work status, investigation limits and technically justified decision on further work within the documented area.
Uncontrolled areas and later deepening are explicitly separated from the conclusions.
Excavation evidence dossier
Document construction progress and assessment results together
Project documents bring construction progress and specialist ordnance assessment together. It must remain clear later which conditions a decision referred to.
The decision on further work applies only to the area actually assessed. Unsupervised areas, greater excavation depths, new utility crossings and later design changes are assessed separately before another ground intervention.
Commissioned service scope
Working areas, depths, construction phases, intended methods and boundaries are recorded as the starting position.
Additional services and changed excavation areas are documented with their geographical scope and related commission.
Briefing and responsibility
Participants, responsibilities, instruction routes, stop signals and responses to anomalies are communicated with a record of the briefing.
Equipment operators, the site foreman and construction management therefore know clearly who makes each decision in the working area.
Daily and section records
Start and end times, weather and ground conditions, equipment, working depth, assessed areas and particular events are recorded chronologically.
The records use the same section identifiers as the site plan and construction diary.
Measurement and assessment evidence
Surveys and any target-point assessments are assigned to the relevant construction state with the measurement area, equipment, data reference and specialist evaluation.
A general equipment description does not replace evidence of the area actually assessed.
Findings, reports and further steps
Interruption, initial assessment, safeguarding measures, bodies involved and subsequent action are documented as one connected case. Where clearance follows, its record and correspondence with authorities are assigned to the same case.
Construction management receives clear information on when and under what conditions work on the section may continue.
Completion and unresolved areas
Supervised areas, achieved depths, inaccessible zones, design changes and outstanding assessment tasks are brought together in the plan and report.
Construction management can then check whether the documented results cover the next planned ground intervention.
Excavation supervision workflow
How construction supervision is planned and documented
Technical assessment is part of the construction sequence. The working area, responsibility and prerequisites are defined for each step.
Define the project and excavation task
The area, depths, construction phases, equipment, schedule, suspected contamination and evidence needed are specified with the client and planning team.
Review documents and preliminary investigations
Aerial photograph analysis, official information, survey data, utility plans, ground information and earlier findings are compared spatially.
Define the construction-stage method
Working layers, survey steps, assessment areas, equipment requirements and additional measures are derived from survey feasibility and the risk assessment.
Coordinate site organisation
Responsible persons, briefing, access, protective areas, stop points, reporting procedures and cooperation with the earthworks contractor are clarified before work starts.
Excavate in layers
Soil removal follows surveying and specialist approval of each layer, section by section. Visual observation accompanies excavation; newly accessible bases and margins are investigated again.
Deal with anomalies in an organised way
If a relevant indication or suspicious object occurs, the local area is removed from the construction sequence and passed into the appropriate target-point or find-handling process.
Assess the section
Execution, assessment scope, findings, interference zones and deviations are compared with the planned excavation geometry.
Hand over results
Records, the site plan, conclusions and unresolved areas are prepared for construction management and the project file and linked to the next construction state.
Working layers and assessment sections
Define excavation sections and assess each separately
For each section, the timing of investigation, soil removal and the decision on the next work step is defined.
Under DGUV guidance, visual observation of excavator work alone does not meet the state of the art. Before every soil removal, the defined layer is technically surveyed and the results are assessed by specialists. Excavation in layers then proceeds under additional visual observation. The sequence is repeated to the planned excavation base; the base and slopes are technically assessed according to the suspected contamination.
Every conclusion needs a clearly defined section
An excavation area is defined spatially and given an unambiguous identifier before work starts. This includes its horizontal boundary, intended working depth, current ground or base level, adjacent utilities and planned next construction state. Without this information, it cannot later be demonstrated which part of the project an observation or measurement refers to.
Soil removal is organised to keep newly exposed areas accessible for the intended assessment. Large uncontrolled quantities of soil, concealed bases, equipment operating simultaneously or areas immediately covered again make specialist assessment difficult. Work planning therefore defines when earthworks stop, when assessment takes place and when the next section starts.
Visual inspection of findings supplements technical surveying; it is not a substitute. Handheld or wheeled surveying and any necessary target-point assessments are defined for the project. The choice depends on the expected objects, interference environment, ground and conclusions needed for the next intervention. The mere presence of a specialist does not replace this methodological decision.
If a technical anomaly occurs, the affected working and protective areas are determined and intervention there is suspended. Whether neighbouring work may continue is decided on the circumstances of the find, risk assessment and required protective measures. Competent authorities are involved if an object is suspicious.
After each layer, the documented assessment area is checked against the construction state actually achieved. Only then may the next soil removal start. This link identifies which intermediate layers and lateral areas have been investigated and which remain excluded from the completion conclusions.
Section boundaries
Working areas receive unambiguous names, coordinates or chainages. Transitions to unsupervised areas remain visible.
Excavation layers
Layer thickness and sequence are adapted to the ground, suspected contamination and assessment method. Changes are agreed before execution.
Equipment movement
The construction equipment’s position and movement envelope are planned to preserve protective areas and newly exposed assessment surfaces.
Assessment of the excavation base and slopes
The current surface is made accessible. Water, smearing or loose material are recorded as possible limitations.
Technical additions
Survey steps are planned with clear area, depth and data references. If survey feasibility is insufficient, the method is redefined before further soil removal.
Material flow
Suspect, assessed and not-yet-assessed material must not be mixed or moved ambiguously during site operations.
Stop point
The trigger, responsibility and subsequent reporting procedure are known before work starts. The decision is recorded in the daily or incident record.
Handover to the next layer
The achieved work status is checked with construction management and the responsible specialist before the next excavation step begins.
Distinguish services within the construction sequence
Which service answers your project question?
Preliminary investigation, surveying, clearance and recovery fulfil different tasks. A construction-stage measure is used only where its conclusions are appropriate to the actual intervention.
01
Historical aerial photograph analysis
Answers: Where historically justified suspicion exists and which areas should be prioritised.
Limitation: It does not show which object is currently present at a specific location in the ground.
02
Surface survey
Answers: Which measurable anomalies occur in a defined near-surface area.
Limitation: Areas with strong interference or restricted access may require additional work during open excavation.
03
Deep-ground survey
Answers: Which relevant signals are identifiable in the defined point location and depth volume of a deep intervention.
Limitation: Conclusions do not automatically apply to neighbouring excavation areas or changed alignments.
04
Surveying during construction
Answers: which working layers were technically surveyed and assessed by specialists before removal. Additional visual observation accompanies excavation; surveying is repeated before the next layer.
Limitation: Unsupervised depths, later extensions and concealed areas remain outside the conclusions.
05
Area clearance
Answers: How a defined area or soil volume was systematically worked to an established clearance objective.
Limitation: It requires its own clearance concept and must not be replaced by general site supervision.
06
Ordnance recovery
Answers: How an identified ordnance-related object, or one requiring specific treatment, was handled further by specialists and handed over.
Limitation: It does not replace area-wide investigation or conclusions for uninvestigated parts of the project.
07
Magnetometry
Magnetometric measurements record local changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and can map ferromagnetic anomalies spatially.
Steel, reinforcement, utilities and scrap may mask signals. Anomaly and interference-zone plans identify the survey area and restrictions; these alone do not determine the object type.
08
TDEM
TDEM records time-dependent electromagnetic responses from conductive bodies. This information can supplement selection and assessment of suspect points.
Coil geometry, distance to the object, depth and technical installations influence interpretation. Measurement data and the site plan document evaluated anomalies; they do not establish a certain object identification.
09
Ground-penetrating radar / GPR
Ground penetrating radar shows subsurface reflection contrasts and can provide suitable information on layers, utilities, installations or fill.
Ground conductivity, moisture and heterogeneous ground restrict range and interpretation. Profile and site plans distinguish identifiable structures, uncertainties and survey limits.
Working on site
Coordinate specialist supervision and earthworks
Ordnance surveying during construction requires a coordinated technical method. Responsibilities, investigations and decisions on continuing work must be traceable.
Assessment must be possible before the next intervention
Before work starts, FONTANA-EOD checks which part of the intervention has already been assessed through historical or technical investigation and which areas only become accessible during earthworks. Working layers, assessment methods and stop points follow from this.
The responsible specialist has the influence over ordnance-related operations needed for the task. Earthworks are coordinated so that newly exposed areas are not removed from assessment by production pressure, concurrent trades or unclear equipment movements.
Utility corridors with strong interference, inaccessible slopes and changed excavation depths are documented separately. The further assessment needed is defined for these areas.
Project-specific method
Suspected contamination, ground, survey feasibility and intervention determine the construction-stage approach.
Qualified responsibility
Tasks, certification, instruction routes and attendance match the specific service scope.
Agreed working layers
Excavation creates assessable surfaces and follows the established sequence of sections.
Documented stop points
Anomalies are located spatially and passed into further work in an organised manner.
State restrictions openly
Inaccessible areas and those limited by the method remain visible to planning and construction management.
Documents for further planning
The plan, daily record and conclusions refer to the same construction and area status.
Roles in construction-stage operations
Who takes on which task on site?
Before work begins, it is agreed who coordinates construction, who makes specialist ordnance decisions and how participants pass on information.
Client
Developer or project promoter
Defines the construction task, required work status and contractual service scope. Supplies existing documents on suspected contamination, planning and official requirements.
Design
Engineering and planning consultancy
Describes the area, depths, phases, excavation method, coordination points and evidence clearly enough for execution and costing.
Construction management
Site coordination
Manages the schedule, trades, access and changes to the construction sequence. Coordinates the work of participating trades and takes account of the agreed ordnance stop points.
Earthworks
Contractor and equipment operator
Carries out excavation according to the agreed working layers and instruction routes. Changes to equipment, depth or section are communicated before implementation.
Specialist service
FONTANA-EOD and the responsible specialist
Assesses the basis of suspicion and measurements, directs the agreed specialist ordnance supervision and documents findings, limits and follow-up decisions.
Competent authorities
Authorities and ordnance clearance services
Depending on the project location, takes responsibility for hazard response, handling finds and decisions on further public-authority measures. Reporting procedures and names differ regionally.
Depending on the project location, the public order authority, KBD, KMBD or KRD are involved in information enquiries, reporting finds and subsequent hazard response. Building control may be involved in the construction approval process. Responsibilities, contacts and existing requirements are clarified for the specific proposal.
Occupational safety and regulatory framework
Technical foundations for work on suspect sites
The specific approach depends on suspected contamination, scope of activities, project location and risk assessment. Explosives-law qualifications, occupational safety, clearance planning and site organisation are therefore considered together.
Technical investigation rather than observation alone
The DGUV, FAQ 4, explicitly distinguishes observation of excavation alone: where suspicion is diffuse or conventional surveying cannot be applied, ordnance surveying during construction is the minimum requirement. A planned procedure, suitable technology and qualified responsibility are essential.
For commercial activities involving found ammunition, company authorisation under § 7 SprengG and certification of responsible persons under § 20 SprengG must be considered. The activities covered in each case depend on the service scope, circumstances of the find and regional requirements. The 1. SprengV and project-specific risk assessment supplement this framework. Searching for found ammunition is also expressly covered by § 1b para. 1 no. 3 letter d SprengG; the responsibility framework is clarified at the search stage.
DGUV Information 201-027 supports risk assessment and selection of protective measures for ordnance clearance work. The Baufachliche Richtlinien Kampfmittelräumung, A-9.4.3, provide a systematic technical basis for federal properties and may serve as methodological guidance outside that scope. Their sequence combines surveying, specialist approval, excavation in layers and additional visual observation.
DGUV Regel 113-003 concerns dismantling or destroying explosives and related objects and includes disposal of found ammunition. Its application depends on that field of activity. Technical investigation during construction and any subsequent handling of a find are planned with their respective tasks and responsibilities.
Risk assessment
The expected objects, working method, personnel, equipment, protective area and rescue arrangements are coordinated before work starts.
Licensing and competence
The company’s authorisation framework, responsible person and specific task must match the intended activities.
Work and safety planning
Excavation layers, instruction routes, stop points, access, communication and response to finds are described as part of execution.
Documentation scope
The working area, method, findings, restrictions and follow-up decision remain assigned to the actual construction state.
Before work starts
The specification, basis of suspicion, risk assessment, responsible persons, equipment and regional reporting procedure are checked.
During excavation
The agreed sequence is followed. Changes, interference zones and technical anomalies are assessed before the next intervention.
If a suspicious object is found
Work is stopped immediately. The object is left untouched and unchanged, and the immediate area is vacated. In Germany, the police are called on 110; outside Germany, the local emergency procedure is used. Further measures are coordinated with the competent authorities.
Excavation, assessment and documentation
From preliminary investigation to completion documentation
Preliminary investigation, technical assessment and records refer to the same excavation section. Construction management receives information on working layers, areas actually assessed and unresolved areas.
Supervised excavation section
Documentation identifies location, depth, working method and areas actually assessed rather than merely time spent on site.
Prepare section-specific documentation
Construction supervision by layer
Layer thickness, equipment movement and assessment timing are agreed before execution and adjusted if conditions change.
Align supervision with the construction sequenceSuspicion and area reference
Preliminary investigation establishes which sections are prioritised, which target objects are expected and which protective measures are prepared.
Understand the historical basis for suspicion
Preliminary technical investigation
Measurement data reduce the area that must be assessed only during open excavation and provide georeferenced starting points.
Select the preliminary technical investigationAssessment of deep interventions
Pile, shoring and drilling points receive their own deep-ground assessment evidence, which is compared with the area-wide construction sequence.
Investigate deep interventions separatelyCompletion for the project file
Documents show the areas worked, restrictions and technically justified next step for construction management and the client.
Bring completion documents together
Further specialist services
Further services for your construction project
Depending on project status, the construction-stage measure is supplemented by assessment of suspected contamination, surveying, deep-ground assessment, area clearance, recovery or more detailed evidence planning.
Service overview
Relate excavation supervision to preliminary investigation, surveying, clearance and recovery.
Compare servicesHistorical assessment of suspected contamination
Define suspect areas and expected target objects spatially before site work.
Assess suspected ordnanceSurface survey
Assess areas that can be surveyed in advance using magnetometry, TDEM or ground penetrating radar for the specific project.
Select a methodDeep-ground and downhole surveys
Assess piles, sheet piles, anchors and other deep interventions separately.
Survey at depthArea clearance
Work on larger or heavily contaminated areas under a separate clearance concept.
Clarify the clearance objective
Ordnance recovery
Pass identified objects, or objects requiring specific treatment, into the appropriate specialist and responsibility framework.
Understand recoveryProcess and documentation
Prepare the specification, risk assessment, records and completion documentation.
Clarify documentation
Sectors and applications
Identify construction-stage requirements for civil engineering, routes, energy, industry or municipal projects.
Choose the project settingConstruction phases
From enquiry to a documented excavation section
Describe the upcoming ground intervention
Send a site plan, planned depths and intended earthworks sequence. Add existing investigation reports and known restrictions. FONTANA-EOD can relate the need for construction-stage surveying to this specific task and identify missing information for further planning.
Check the working status before starting
Planning and the actual construction state are brought together before the relevant section. Access, available documents and responsibilities are coordinated. Known deviations remain identifiable. A changed section is assessed by specialists before earlier assumptions are adopted for current work.
Hand over section-specific results
Documentation connects the area worked with the achieved work status and relevant conditions. Construction management uses this information for further coordination. Outstanding parts remain traceable on the plan. The scope of conclusions is passed on with the result.
Reassess applicability after a design change
If a trench is extended, an excavation enlarged or a different depth proposed, the change is compared with existing documents. Earlier documentation is retained. Additional specialist requirements are assigned to the new intervention and agreed with those responsible.
Project site
Prepare the site and regional coordination
Identify the location and construction section
State the location, affected area and construction-management contact. Add the intended period and current construction state. The regional overview helps with orientation; the site plan, intervention depth and existing knowledge remain decisive for the specialist enquiry.
Bring existing requirements together
Send existing information, specialist reports and project requirements with their respective spatial references. The responsible participants clarify open questions for the current construction section. Information about other areas or earlier measures remains identified as such.
Understand the results
Use documents for the next earthworks
Identify the supervised work status
The report and spatial annexes are read together. They describe the area actually supervised and the associated conditions. For the next construction activity, this status is compared with the current plan. A verbal completion message alone does not replace clear identification of area, depth and work status.
Explore results and terminologyClarify coordination between trades
The ordnance specialist company documents its agreed contribution. Construction-engineering decisions, utility information and operating requirements come from the participants responsible for those matters. The project organisation brings this information together for the next works. A shared site does not change the different tasks and areas of responsibility.
Understand the service scopeAddress unresolved areas specifically
Inaccessible subareas and remaining questions are kept identifiable in project documents. If the construction state changes, the investigation scope now possible is agreed again. Existing results remain usable insofar as their spatial and technical relevance matches the upcoming work.
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Specialist ordnance supervision during construction: brochure
The brochure describes when specialist ordnance supervision during construction may be appropriate, how it is coordinated with the construction sequence and the limits of this approach.
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Questions about excavation supervision
Frequently asked questions about excavation supervision
When is excavation supervision required?
Ordnance surveying during construction may be considered where earthworks take place in an area with suspected ordnance and the actual intervention volume could not be surveyed fully or with sufficient reliability beforehand. Reasons may include existing buildings, utilities, reinforced concrete, fill, strong interference, varying depths or areas that only become accessible as construction progresses. Planning identifies the sections and excavation layers concerned and the evidence required.
The task is clarified before tendering and site start so that the sequence of work, protective arrangements and technical assessment scope are incorporated into the construction programme.
How must proper excavation supervision be carried out?
Visual observation alone does not constitute proper ordnance surveying during construction. A defined working and safety concept, qualified specialist supervision, agreed excavation layers, accessible assessment surfaces, suitable surveying or clearance steps, defined stop points and spatially referenced documentation are required. The combination needed depends on suspected contamination, ground, survey feasibility and construction method.
How does this differ from ordnance clearance during construction?
Excavation supervision is a common but technically imprecise term. Under DGUV guidance, observation alone is insufficient. Ordnance clearance during construction combines a defined clearance objective with a controlled technical procedure. Surveying forms part of assessment before soil removal; visual inspection supplements it.
Which documents are needed before work starts?
Useful information includes the project address, current site plan, parcel, excavation or route boundaries, excavation depths, construction phases and sequence, equipment details, aerial photograph analysis, correspondence with authorities, survey reports, anomaly plans, utility and as-built plans, ground data and the conclusions needed for construction management or the project file. Existing official information and requirements are supplied in full with annexes, dates and spatial scope. Competent bodies and reporting procedures are clarified for the specific project location.
How is excavation organised during supervision?
Before soil is removed, each working layer is surveyed and approved by a specialist. Visual observation is added during excavation. Newly accessible excavation bases, slopes or target areas are investigated again in accordance with the concept. Equipment movement, access and concurrent trades are coordinated so that surfaces requiring assessment are not concealed or altered without control. Only then is the next layer started.
What happens if an anomaly or object is found?
Work in the affected area is stopped immediately. The object is left untouched and unchanged. The responsible specialist and locally competent bodies determine further action according to the circumstances of the find and protection requirements. Whether neighbouring work may continue is decided separately.
Leave the immediate area and, in Germany, call the police on 110; outside Germany, the local emergency procedure applies. Others are warned without putting oneself at risk. The competent authorities determine further action; a project enquiry does not replace reporting a find.
What conclusions does the completion documentation provide?
It describes the sections and depths actually supervised, the working and assessment procedure used, relevant preliminary investigations, anomalies, findings, interruptions, inaccessible areas and the resulting decision on further action. Conclusions apply to the documented construction state. Later deepening or design changes require a fresh check of whether they cover the intended intervention.
What determines the effort, duration and costs?
Factors include area, excavation volume, number and depth of working layers, construction method, equipment, ground and groundwater, utilities, interference sources, required survey or clearance steps, output per shift, concurrent trades, protective arrangements, findings, documentation scope and working periods. Reliable costing therefore requires a current site plan and details of the construction sequence.
Enquire about excavation supervision
Documents needed for your enquiry
For an initial assessment, the planned ground intervention and existing basis of suspicion must be identifiable spatially. Missing information is identified as a planning requirement before an execution concept is defined.
Area, depth and construction phases
Send the project address, site plan, parcel, excavation or route boundaries, level reference, maximum excavation depth, construction sections and intended sequence.
Extensions, demolition stages and areas only accessible later should already be identified.
Documents on suspected contamination and surveying
Useful documents include aerial photograph analysis, official letters, previous finds, survey reports, anomaly plans and information about areas already worked.
Different plan versions or coordinate systems are reconciled before deployment planning.
Site sequence and boundary conditions
Information is needed on the excavation method, construction equipment, output per shift, utilities, shoring, dewatering, ground, access, working hours and concurrent trades.
These data determine working layers, protective arrangements, staffing and documentation scope.
For initial specialist assessment
To define the service, it is important to understand what role construction supervision is intended to fulfil in the project. This may include assessment of an excavation that cannot be surveyed in advance, section-by-section supervision of a utility trench or work on existing sites with interference. Supplementing a preliminary investigation or a specialist response to anomalies already encountered may also be appropriate. FONTANA-EOD uses this to identify the documents still needed and a suitable approach.
Working area
Excavation, route, subarea, chainage, levels and inaccessible zones.
Excavation method
Equipment, bucket, direction of removal, working layers, daily output and construction phases.
Interference conditions
Utilities, reinforcement, foundations, scrap, groundwater and coordination with contaminated-land work.
Documentation objective
Documentation for construction management, tendering, the client, project file or regional coordination.
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.
