Technical map view of the Stuttgart administrative district with Stuttgart marked for explosive ordnance assessment and surveying by FONTANA-EOD

Explosive ordnance surveying in Aalen

For project owners, designers and construction managers in Aalen, FONTANA-EOD relates suspected explosive ordnance to the construction project planned today. The suspected location, investigated area and further groundworks are compared with the evidence actually available. Send the complete report with appendices, the current plan and intended ground disturbance depths.

Suspected contamination

Locate the unresolved point precisely.

Construction sequence

Technical clarification before ground disturbance.

Result

Agree the next work step.

Discuss the project's technical requirementsExplosive ordnance assessment in Baden-Württemberg
Assess the construction project

What information helps prepare a project in Aalen?

Describe the planned groundworks and actual state of knowledge with complete documents. Historical evidence, investigation results and completed individual measures are each assigned to their own area. This establishes the requirements for your own site. A report about an earlier find does not replace this project-specific comparison.

Project site

Connect the site with the specific construction task

Schematic map of Baden-Württemberg with its coat of arms, alongside a tablet, hard hat, notebook and pen.

Read the full record of the Aalen case from March 2022

On 3 March 2022, the city reported confirmation of the suspected bomb near Tannenwäldle; on 5 March, it reported successful completion of the defusal. Both announcements belong to the same historical case. Your construction task depends on your own documents and areas. An earlier find report is used neither as a current warning nor as an investigation of the entire surrounding area.

Aalen has Große Kreisstadt status within the Ostalbkreis district and belongs to the Stuttgart administrative district in Baden-Württemberg. The explosive ordnance disposal service at Stuttgart Regional Council is responsible statewide. The enquiry identifies the actual project address, plot and construction section affected. For a project in another municipality, local responsibility follows its location. Identify whether a statement describes the origin of a suspicion, an investigation result or completion of a particular task. Specialist planning relates this status to the ground disturbance planned today.

Baden-Württemberg
Local context

Place aerial warfare and the local ordnance find case in time

Relate historical evidence to today's construction area

The city announcement of the City Archives' talk on the end of the war mentions the major air raid on Aalen on 17 April 1945. The talk draws on assessed contemporary accounts. For today's construction projects, this historical local context is connected to the plot's specific location and land-use history. Existing building and site plans show which buildings, traffic areas or installed structures occupied the affected area at a particular time. Later alterations, demolition and ground changes are considered where evidenced for today's construction task. Historical indications are assigned spatially and assessed for any preliminary investigation or investigation planning required.

Distinguish confirmation of suspicion from completion of the operation

Near Tannenwäldle, the City of Aalen confirmed a previously investigated suspected bomb on 3 March 2022. The explosive ordnance disposal service had found an aerial bomb during uncovering work. On 5 March, the city reported successful completion of the defusal and the lifting of the restrictions in place at the time. These announcements describe a completed case, not a current danger.

Describe your project's current status clearly

Distinguishing processing stages is important for construction planning. An indication needs assessment; an investigated anomaly is not necessarily fully resolved. Conversely, an old find report must not be treated as a current site warning. Record which conclusion is actually available for your project and which area it concerns.

Working together

Distinguish the tasks of client, designers and specialist contractor

Client and operator

The project owner describes the proposed work and provides the available project documents. The operator adds requirements for use, access and timing. A coordinating contact makes cooperation easier but does not automatically take on every other party's duties. Before commissioning, record clearly which information is missing, who will obtain it and which decision the result is intended to support.

Planning and construction management

The specialist designers describe areas, depths, construction methods and changes. Site management coordinates the planned sequence with the construction contractors and agreed specialist works. Results are assigned to the respective intervention. A technical plan change is communicated early enough for its effect on the survey task to be assessed before construction. Organisational construction stage boundaries remain distinguishable from technical survey boundaries.

Specialist company and competent bodies

The private explosive ordnance specialist carries out the agreed investigation and documentation scope. Official requirements and decisions are clarified with the competent authorities concerned. The documents needed for a particular procedure depend on the location and project. The technical report describes the specialist service performed; its conclusions are not presented unchecked as general authorisation for further groundworks or as an authority's decision.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Match the method to the outstanding question

Historical evidence and existing measurement results are considered together. Specialist planning defines which conclusion is needed before the planned ground disturbance and which approach is suitable. Site constraints and possible interference form part of that decision. Without specialist assessment, a single anomaly does not provide a complete conclusion about the rest of the construction area.

Select investigation methods for the outstanding question

Carry forward individual areas and limitations

A report may distinguish areas already addressed from those that cannot yet be sufficiently assessed. Construction management must be able to identify that distinction. Further requirements for outstanding areas are stated specifically and agreed. Work on one location resolves other questions only if the documented investigation scope actually covers them.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

Connect evidence, investigation and results clearly

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

State where information comes from

Explain whether a statement comes from a historical assessment, investigation report or official communication. Send the complete context and spatial reference. These sources have different scopes. The specialist assessment therefore considers both their provenance and the processing status actually described.

Identify the provenance and scope of the documents
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Define further investigation through specialist assessment

Existing findings are compared with the planned groundworks and local conditions. This establishes the outstanding task. An anomalous measurement result is assessed by appropriately qualified specialists; construction planning does not make its own ordnance identification. The approach and scope depend on the specific question.

Compare specialist services
Illustration: two people review plans and documents at a table beside a construction vehicle.

Document completed services with the area they cover

A completed individual task must remain identifiable by its location and actual scope. Subsequent groundworks are checked against existing results. Additional areas may require further tasks. A final report does not automatically extend to the entire plot or neighbouring construction projects.

Document findings and their limitations
Preparation

Prepare the scope and commission together

Establish what needs to be known before commissioning the work

First establish which decision the commission needs to support. Is the task an initial assessment of existing documents, an investigation of a specific area or examination of an anomaly that has already been assessed? These tasks require different evidence. A general wish for safety does not define an investigation that can be carried out. The enquiry therefore specifies the groundworks, location, depth and available findings. Suitable specialist work and the required reporting are then agreed on that basis.

For an unresolved point, first establish which report the indication comes from and what further specialist work it recommends. A site plan shows the point in relation to the excavation, foundations and utilities. Also state whether investigations have already been commissioned or results are still awaited. Specialist planning can then describe the specific follow-up task. Where an official measure is involved, the applicable requirements and responsible communication route are included in further coordination. The enquiry gives the known processing status and the next date by which a decision is needed.

Define the specialist task

Coordinate preparatory work with the investigation

Required access and survey conditions are clarified before the site visit. This may include keeping areas clear, obtaining service information and coordinating with other trades. The method and site determine which preparations are actually needed. Changes to the surface or additional groundworks are not undertaken unilaterally simply to prepare for a survey. Their sequence is agreed with the specialist designers and responsible parties.

Clarify preparatory work in the programme

Agree a clear scope and schedule

A sound workflow distinguishes work already clarified technically from outstanding prerequisites. If an area will be accessible only in part, commissioning must take this into account. Handover and assessment of results also need time in the construction sequence. An enquiry therefore does not imply a blanket commitment on dates or cost. Specific coordination connects the described scope with access, documents, execution conditions and the date by which a decision is needed.

Preparatory and adjoining works are also identified on the site plan. These may include shoring locations, temporary access routes, working pits and connections. Specialist planning checks their relationship to the existing investigation scope. Results are assigned to the respective construction sections. This gives construction management a clear basis for sequencing the commissioned work. Outstanding technical questions and required results are coordinated with those affected. Changes are passed to the responsible project contact with the date of the new design.

Discuss the scope and schedule
Tasks at the site

When an unresolved point emerges during planning

01

Provide the complete existing finding

Pass the report, site plan and appendices to the specialist planning team. The precise description of the anomaly matters as much as its spatial assignment. A verbal reference to metal underground does not establish what was found. Have the assessment carried out by the responsible specialists.

02

Mark the affected groundworks on the plan

Show which works could affect the unresolved point or the area requiring assessment around it. Alongside excavation, these may include boreholes, utility trenches or foundations. Specialists can then decide which prerequisites must be met before each ground disturbance. Approaching the point on your own for a supposed preliminary check is no substitute.

03

Compare the schedule with outstanding questions

A planned construction start does not resolve an unclarified suspicion. Identify in the programme which assessment or investigation remains outstanding. Protective measures and official orders may require further coordination. Agree dates on that basis rather than assuming resolution without knowing the task and site conditions.

04

Relate information to the relevant area

A conclusion about a particular suspected point must not be passed on as a blanket result for the whole construction area. Conversely, an unresolved point does not affect every distant work activity without specialist assessment. The spatial limits and permitted next steps must be clearly established and communicated to construction management.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Communicate the current status clearly

With several parties involved, different versions of a case may circulate. Bring the relevant reports, plans and correspondence together with dates. Identify completed tasks and outstanding questions. Further coordination then uses the same clear status without losing earlier findings or their limitations.

The project file brings together the report, associated plans and written technical additions with their respective versions. Methods, areas and depths actually addressed, assessment and limitations are documented in the report and plan appendices. For commissioned clearance work, the clearance record with location and result details forms part of the supporting evidence. An additional conclusion is assigned to the area or point affected. Construction management can then identify the basis for the next work step. Earlier versions are kept clearly identified as such, and the current status is passed to those carrying out the work.

Coordinate timing and technical prerequisites

A planned construction start alone does not determine when an outstanding investigation task will be complete. Identify the next groundworks and the results needed for them. Available working areas and access are clarified in good time. If a prerequisite is missing, this must be considered in the subsequent programme and agreed with those involved. Scheduling includes analysis and handover of results as well as site work. State when the affected area is accessible and which preparatory works still depend on others. Appropriate working conditions are agreed for the technical work. After an additional investigation, establish when its assessment will be available for further planning. Subsequent construction work is compared with that actual processing status. Its scope and the required results documents remain clearly identified.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Collect the complete case record before enquiring

Send existing assessments, results plans, relevant official correspondence and the complete case record with appendices and later additions. Mark the unresolved point on the current site plan and identify the relevant passage in the report. Describe the construction section, ground disturbance depths and next groundworks; where plans have changed, include both previous and new versions. State requirements, deadlines, access restrictions and coordination needed with other parties. Specialist planning checks which findings remain usable and which conclusion is still missing. The specialist commission is defined on that basis.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Compare the results before the next ground disturbance

With the specialist planning team, check whether the existing results cover the planned work. Explicitly identify new areas and changed depths. Complete reports and their appendices go to construction management. Outstanding tasks remain visible and are clarified before being carried out. If the contractor changes, the successor receives the reports and plans relevant to its working area. A short handover list names completed tasks, outstanding points and the technical contact. Construction management checks that all relevant appendices are present. Missing conclusions are clarified technically before further groundworks. After an interruption too, the next planned ground disturbance is compared with the documented results. Any new agreement on services describes the areas concerned and the technical results needed.

Coordinate the construction phase with us
Method selection

Select methods according to the task and survey conditions

Historical records and aerial photographs

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

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

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

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Electromagnetic investigations can be suitable for particular metallic targets and site conditions. Their suitability must be explained for the task, rather than inferred simply from the availability of equipment. Interfering installations, accessible areas and the findings required must also be considered. Results are documented with their location and survey conditions. The specialist assessment determines whether a supplementary method is needed; this remains a project-specific decision.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

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

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

For deeper groundworks, it may be necessary to establish whether a surface investigation can provide the required findings or another approach is needed. Preparation includes the location, depth, borehole layout and existing services. Creating access for the investigation must also be properly planned by specialists. A general depth figure or standard grid cannot replace that work. Findings remain limited to the areas actually investigated and the method used.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

If a necessary preliminary investigation cannot be completed, the specialists assess whether a planned approach during construction is suitable. This includes coordinated investigation, interpretation and communication of findings within the intended work sequence. Visual observation of excavated material is not an interchangeable substitute for a necessary survey. Site management needs a clear description of when specialist work will take place, how new findings will be handled and which areas remain unresolved.

Agree the approach during construction
Technical assessment

The purpose of further investigation

Compare historical evidence with measurement findings

A Historical aerial photograph analysis may provide evidence for assessing suspected contamination. Technical results must be considered against the investigation objective and site conditions. Differing information needs specialist clarification. An anomalous signal alone does not allow construction management to identify an object or assess its danger independently.

Choose the appropriate investigation method

For Surveying, the conclusion needed, planned ground disturbance depth and possible interference are relevant, among other factors. Existing structures can complicate interpretation. A result must show which areas could actually be assessed. Remaining uncertainties belong in further planning and must not disappear behind a general completion note.

Prepare further ground disturbance properly

A Clearance plan can describe the necessary measures and their sequence for the project. Simply watching excavation does not replace a proper explosive ordnance investigation. Whether explosive ordnance clearance during construction is suitable must be justified for the specific case. In the event of a find, the competent authorities' instructions apply; construction management does not set its own safety distances.

Next steps

How construction management can follow the status

01

Do not reduce reports to a single label

It should be clear whether an indication has been assessed, an area investigated or a particular point addressed. Pass on the relevant documents with dates and drawing references. The word completed alone leaves unclear which task is finished and whether it supports a conclusion for the next ground disturbance. For the initial project discussion, provide the address, construction stage and forthcoming groundworks. Specialist planning checks existing explosive ordnance information and reports for drawing revision, area and depth coverage, and outstanding questions about today's task. Complete appendices form part of the comparison. This establishes which conclusion can still be used and what basis is still missing for the next ground disturbance.

02

Assign responsibility for queries

For further coordination, construction management, the client and specialist planning team must know who obtains missing documents and distributes new drawing versions. Official measures are governed by the authorities' requirements. A clear handover prevents earlier assumptions from being reused accidentally after a new assessment.

03

Coordinate historical evidence and methods

Where the existing evidence does not yet answer today's question, the required historical research or aerial photograph assessment is carried out for the specific construction area. Findings are assigned spatially and connected to the planned ground disturbance. Specialist planning uses this to define the investigation scope and a suitable method. Ground structure, installed structures, measurement limits and intended depths are considered. Access and necessary preparatory work are agreed with the responsible parties. Existing knowledge that is sufficient continues to be used for further planning.

04

Explicitly compare the next work step

Before work continues, check whether the available result covers the intended area and required depth. Completed work at one point does not automatically provide evidence for neighbouring or deeper ground disturbance. Missing conclusions should be clarified before that work, not during it.

05

Carry out and assess the commissioned investigation

Specialist staff carry out the defined survey or supervision for the agreed task. Measurement data, findings and the investigation conditions actually achieved are recorded with location and depth references. Unaddressed areas and areas with limited interpretability remain identifiable. The data collected is assessed against the investigation objective and local interference. This establishes further work requirements or the results handover. If a suspicious object is encountered, work stops and the responsible response authorities are notified.

06

Compare changes with existing results

If the foundation design changes or a utility trench moves, the specialist planning team needs the new plan. This does not necessarily mean repeating all earlier work. What matters is whether the existing conclusion still applies. Where needed, additions and their documentation must be agreed specifically. The technical assessment is recorded in a report with the associated plan appendices. It documents methods, areas and depths actually addressed, and limitations. Construction management compares the next ground disturbance with it and agrees any additions needed before that work begins.

Documentation

The roles of specialist companies and authorities

Findings and their scope

In Baden-Württemberg, the explosive ordnance disposal service at Stuttgart Regional Council is responsible for duties including defusal, transport of recovered explosive ordnance and destruction. Landowners must arrange searching and recovery. The service may undertake these tasks within its capacity on a cost-reimbursement basis; otherwise, private specialist companies must be commissioned.

Project responsibilities

FONTANA-EOD supports coordination of the agreed explosive ordnance services for your construction project in Aalen. Official measures and decisions remain separate. Outside their federal scope, the BFR KMR are used as technical guidance. Requirements and investigation scope must relate to the specific project.

Working approach

How FONTANA-EOD works

Document the agreed specialist service clearly

We assess the planned groundworks against the available documents and their design revision. Before attending site, we agree with you what needs to be investigated, which areas are accessible and what findings are required. If the design or site conditions change, we check whether the agreed scope remains appropriate. The report states what was actually investigated and the limits of the findings. This allows designers and site management to see which findings they can use and where questions remain.

Discuss the investigation task

The task before the equipment

We first establish the investigation objective: which question must it answer? We then select a technically suitable method. The availability of a particular device or experience on a similar neighbouring site is not enough to justify the choice of method on its own.

Keep limitations visible

Inaccessible areas and limited conclusions are identified. They do not disappear into a total area figure. Designers and site management can then decide specifically which areas still need attention and when a suitable survey becomes possible.

Clarify changes before intervening in the ground

A new location, additional depth or different construction method is compared with previous results. A familiar project name does not replace this comparison. Feedback is provided before the affected work so that an outstanding question can be included in the sequence.

Hand over the report and plan together

The technical conclusion remains connected to its location references and appendices. A brief summary helps orientation but does not replace the documented survey scope. This basis is retained even if site management or contractors change.

Understand the results

Use technical statements for the next decision

Follow announcements through to documented completion

An earlier announcement may describe an interim stage. Check whether a later announcement concerns the same case and keep both together in a clear chronology. The specific investigation report remains decisive for your own project planning. A public announcement does not replace its details of scope and limitations.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Use results within their commissioned scope

What a report supports follows from its brief, the areas addressed and documented conditions. Read these details before using it in a new design. Additional areas or ground disturbances are assessed separately. Proximity alone does not turn someone else's result into evidence for your own project.

Understand the service scope
Design and findings

Documents for the next construction decision

Illustration: aerial photographs and maps on two screens and printed on a desk.

Historical evidence and the current design

Aerial photograph interpretation is related to the actual groundworks. Its purpose and geographical scope remain distinct from a technical investigation of the ground as it is today.

Understand aerial photograph assessment
Illustration: two people review plans and documents at a table beside a construction vehicle.

Specialist reports for site management

The findings, their locations and limitations are handed over together. This makes clear to those carrying out the work which area has been investigated and which task remains outstanding.

Assess investigation reports
Person wearing an orange high-visibility vest on a marked construction area with small piles of soil
Person wearing an orange high-visibility vest with a MALÅ survey cart on grass
Questions from planning

Questions about suspected explosive ordnance during construction

Is the Tannenwäldle find announcement a current warning?

No. The city announcements concern the find in March 2022 and the defusal completed afterwards. Current measures depend on current communications from the competent authorities.

Is every measurement anomaly already an explosive ordnance item?

No. An anomaly requires specialist assessment. This also does not authorise construction management to give an independent all-clear or uncover it. The next steps must be determined by specialists.

Does resolving one point cover the entire site?

Not automatically. The investigation brief, areas actually covered and documented result are decisive. Further groundworks must be compared with those details.

What documents does FONTANA-EOD need for an enquiry?

The current construction plan with ground disturbance depths and complete existing explosive ordnance reports are useful. Mark unresolved points and design changes so that the required specialist commission can be defined.

What should be done if a suspicious object is found on site?

Stop work. Do not touch or move the object. Keep your distance and keep others away. Call the police on 110 from a safe distance and follow their instructions.

Why should dates be included with earlier announcements?

The date helps distinguish preparation, interim status and completion of the same case and check the correct context.

Does a public completion announcement replace the investigation report?

No. Comparison with your own groundworks requires the relevant technical results and their spatial scope.

How are outstanding areas handed over, and which cost factors matter?

They remain identified by location and outstanding task. Further requirements are determined by specialists and accounted for in the construction sequence. The work involved depends on the remaining investigation scope, area or number of points, depth, available documents, access, interference and intended methods. Necessary preparatory work and required results documents are also agreed. For scheduling, identify which next construction task is to be prepared and which prerequisites remain outstanding.

Project enquiry

Prepare the first technical discussion

Send the complete case record

Include reports, results plans and relevant correspondence with dates. Do you need to coordinate suspected explosive ordnance with your construction sequence in Aalen? Send us the current plan and existing investigation results. We can discuss which information is missing for further technical preparation.

Identify the next work

State the current areas, depths and construction sequence for technical comparison. Also tell us which earthworks are intended to start first and which areas are not yet accessible. Necessary preparatory work and the handover of results can then be coordinated in good time.

Project enquiry

Have your project assessed

Whether historical aerial photograph analysis, explosive ordnance surveying, surface surveying using GPR, magnetometry or TDEM, deep-ground surveys, downhole surveys, excavation supervision, area clearance or ordnance recovery is needed depends on the location, ground disturbance, depth, ground and existing documents. An early ordnance assessment provides clarity for tendering, programming, occupational safety and construction.

FONTANA-EOD combines its Section 7 SprengG licence, specialists holding Section 20 SprengG certificates of competence, suitable survey and clearance methods, and traceable documentation. Send the site plan, depth of ground disturbance, construction phase and existing documents for an initial technical assessment.

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