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

Explosive ordnance surveying between demolition and new construction in Esslingen

When a site in Esslingen am Neckar is redeveloped, project owners, developers and construction managers need an investigation suited to each construction stage. Remaining structures, demolition and new groundworks are compared with existing findings. FONTANA-EOD supports explosive ordnance assessment and the agreed specialist investigation. Send as-built and ground disturbance plans, the construction sequence and complete earlier reports. These establish relevant results and outstanding tasks before the next ground disturbance.

As-built records

Assemble plans, earlier investigations and known installed structures.

Groundworks

Show foundation removal, new foundations and utilities.

Construction sections

Identify accessible areas and those still outstanding.

Discuss demolition and new groundworksExplosive ordnance assessment in Baden-Württemberg
Assess the construction project

How is explosive ordnance assessment planned between demolition and new construction?

For a project in Esslingen am Neckar, describe the ground disturbance in each construction stage. Existing structures, initially inaccessible areas and later new foundations are considered together. Investigation is coordinated so that the required results are available before each ground disturbance.

Project site

Identify Esslingen am Neckar and the specific project location

Schematic map with a three-lion coat of arms and state colours, alongside a tablet, white hard hat, pen and notebook.

Consider Neue Weststadt through its specific documents

The draft explanatory statement for building block A of 18 February 2022 cites earlier aerial photograph assessments and their limitations. The city also notes the respective cadastral date of its planning drawings. Your own redevelopment therefore brings the complete available evidence together with today's design. Former use names alone do not determine investigation requirements.

Esslingen am Neckar has Große Kreisstadt status in the Esslingen district and Stuttgart administrative district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Give the specific project address, for example in the city centre or old town, Pliensauvorstadt, Mettingen, Zell, Sirnau, Oberesslingen, Rüdern or Berkheim. For projects in the surrounding area, such as Stuttgart, Plochingen, Deizisau, Köngen or Ostfildern, identify the actual municipality and federal state. A position in the Neckar valley describes the project setting; the competent authority and appropriate procedure are established for the particular location.

Baden-Württemberg
Local context

Neue Weststadt and existing planning documents

Understand the development of Neue Weststadt

The City of Esslingen describes Neue Weststadt as a mixed-use neighbourhood developed on the former freight yard and Hengstenberg site. Its starting point is former transport and commercial land. This land-use history alone establishes neither explosive ordnance contamination nor a particular investigation result for the site or other plots.

Read the aerial photograph findings in the complete planning text

The draft explanatory statement for the Neue Weststadt/Baublock A development plan, dated 18 February 2022, cites aerial photograph assessments from 2001 and 2005. According to these, no bombing was visible within the planning area, but two bomb craters were visible on the Neckar bank immediately to the south. The statement also records that this result does not guarantee the absence of explosive ordnance. Preparing redevelopment therefore depends on the complete assessment report and its area boundaries. Also check which later investigations already cover the groundworks specifically planned.

Compare older planning documents with today's ground disturbance

For your redevelopment, compare existing findings with the new groundworks. Also check the date of the underlying plans: the city notes that development plan drawings use the cadastre from the time they were prepared. Compare an older drawing with today's design before adopting its investigation area.

For other projects, known former production, storage and supply functions, railway and route locations, and later restructuring are considered as subjects for document research. Old-town and infill development areas may contain different construction and modernisation stages. For known ground movement or fill, give provenance and spatial references where available. The explosive ordnance question is defined for the actual area; a district or land-use name does not replace this comparison.

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 assessment, investigation and documentation scope within the required permit and competence framework. The report identifies the volumes actually addressed and its limitations. The competent public authorities make official decisions. In Baden-Württemberg, the KMBD is based at Stuttgart Regional Council. Report a possible find to the competent local police authority or nearest police station; they notify the KMBD. Under its conduct rules, identification and further handling of the find remain reserved for KMBD specialists. Necessary public safety measures are clarified with the competent authorities.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Adapt the task to the construction stage

Existing buildings and installed structures can affect the methods available and what they can establish. Specialist planning considers conditions at the actual investigation date. Calling a project redevelopment does not prescribe a particular approach. Existing findings and the groundworks that need preparation in that construction stage are decisive.

Choose methods for the actual construction stage

Address limited measurability through specialist assessment

If construction conditions prevent sufficient investigation of an area, that limit is documented. The next steps are defined for the intended ground disturbance. Work accompanying construction must have a technical justification. A person being present during excavation or merely watching it does not replace necessary explosive ordnance detection.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

Define the investigation scope for each construction stage

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

Assign earlier reports in full

Former use or a former building name does not describe the scope of an investigation. Pass on complete reports with their spatial appendices. Historical assessment and existing technical results are assigned to the current design. For groundworks added later, establish which conclusion still applies and what addition is needed.

Identify which version of the existing structures was relevant to an earlier investigation. Structures removed or added afterwards are stated with their locations. The associated plan appendices and any later additions stay with the report. For the new construction section, make clear which areas it addressed and which volume needs further technical clarification. Uncertain details remain identified as such.

Assign earlier reports and spatial appendices
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Treat demolition as a groundworks task in its own right

Removing underground foundations or utilities may affect the ground before new construction. Describe these ground disturbances with their positions, depths and intended sequence. The technical task follows from this. An investigation planned for later must not be treated as an existing prerequisite for the demolition that precedes it.

Also describe auxiliary pits, shoring and working areas outside the later building footprint. Utility, sewer and road works are identified with the connection volumes actually needed. Railway or bridge structures and Neckar bank protection may bring further spatial and construction requirements. The responsible specialists provide these. The explosive ordnance investigation scope is agreed according to what is needed and achievable under local conditions.

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

Provide results for the next construction stage

After an investigation, construction management receives the conclusion actually achieved with its spatial limits. Areas still covered or not sufficiently investigated remain identifiable. Further work requirements are defined for the following activities. Handover therefore connects the results status with the specific next construction stage and its ground disturbance.

A shared drawing version shows which parts of the plot remain built over at that time. Changes are passed to the designers and contractors involved. For a new utility connection, external works or additional foundation, findings and work status are compared spatially. A report for an earlier area remains available with its limitations. Further tasks needed are agreed before the affected groundworks.

Document findings and their limitations
Preparation

Prepare the scope and commission together

Establish what needs to be known before commissioning the work

For the quotation, define the first groundworks affected. If a foundation is to be removed first and a new one built later, describe both tasks with their areas and depths. Existing investigation results are assigned to the relevant construction stage. Specialist services and results documents needed are identified specifically. An area accessible only after demolition receives its own work status; access is not assumed for the earlier stage.

Define the specialist task

Coordinate preparatory work with the investigation

The start of work is prepared using the structures actually present. Retained foundations, utilities and other installed structures can restrict access and measurement conditions. Required investigations and protective measures are clarified before the preparatory ground disturbance they affect. The demolition sequence and specialist investigation are coordinated. The responsible parties identify which prerequisites must be established and which areas cannot be sufficiently addressed until then.

Clarify preparatory work in the programme

Agree a clear scope and schedule

Each stage receives the results status it needs. If demolition makes a further area accessible, it is compared with existing reports and the next groundworks. Changed access, depths or components are identifiable on the current plan. Construction management receives completed results and outstanding tasks together. This keeps clear which part of the site still needs preparation for the following investigation.

Discuss the scope and schedule
Tasks at the site

Record demolition, retained components and new construction

01

Brief and area of earlier investigations

Request complete reports with plans and appendices. Establish whether they concern an earlier utility, one part of a building or a larger area. Use a report only for the areas and questions it actually addresses. Clarify missing details before extending its use.

02

Ground disturbance during demolition

Where demolition involves removing foundations, underground components or utilities, describe this work in the ground disturbance plan. It comes before new construction but may itself disturb the ground. Clarify investigation requirements for the demolition work itself.

03

Retained foundations, utilities and structures

Assemble information on the structures, utilities or other installations to be retained and what is reliably known about them. Their locations may affect access and measurement conditions. Mark unknown installations as an outstanding planning question. Do not assume these areas can be investigated without restriction before checking.

For utilities remaining in operation or neighbouring occupied structures, agree the intended access with those responsible. State known protection and use requirements. The plan distinguishes areas actually accessible for investigation from those available only after an agreed change. Specialist planning considers these conditions for each investigation step.

04

New foundations, connections and external works

The new use may require different foundations, additional utility lines or new external works. Describe the intended areas and depths for each work step. This shows whether existing evidence covers the new task or whether investigation needs extending to additional areas.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Distinguish retained and removed components

Mark which installations are to remain and which will be removed. These details may affect access and investigation conditions. Unknown components are identified as an outstanding planning question. This allows the actual work to be prepared without assuming the entire plot is already freely available.

Make targeted use of newly accessible areas

If an agreed change makes further areas accessible, investigation requirements are reconsidered for them. The earlier report retains its documented limits. The new task is defined by its area and purpose. Additional results can then be added clearly without retrospectively enlarging the earlier work scope. Where clearance is carried out, the associated clearance record is kept in the project file with the areas and depths addressed.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Show your ground disturbance before demolition

Send as-built records and planned demolition work with existing explosive ordnance reports. Identify underground components and other groundworks by location and depth. Technical preparation then starts with the first affected activity while already considering later connections to new construction.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Check remaining tasks before new construction

Compare new foundations and utilities with the results actually available. Changed conditions after demolition may create additional investigation opportunities. Specialist planning determines the addition needed. Construction management then receives the appropriate documents for the forthcoming section.

Coordinate the construction phase with us
Method selection

Select methods according to the task and survey conditions

Historical records and aerial photographs

Historical assessments are read with their area boundaries and limitations. Redevelopment adds later demolition, fill and new construction sections. Existing land-use plans can support research but do not alone define the explosive ordnance question. Where historical questions remain, any required additional research or aerial photograph assessment is carried out. Findings are assigned to today's ground disturbance. A result for an earlier area is explicitly compared with the new design.

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

Geomagnetics measures the magnetic field passively. An object's magnetic effect is decisive; electrical conductivity alone does not make it detectable by this method. Remaining metallic structures may affect investigation. Specialist planning checks which conclusion is possible before demolition and which area becomes accessible only afterwards. Anomalies, interference and limitations are assessed for the area actually addressed. The following construction stage receives these bounded results.

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, assess the time-dependent electromagnetic response of conductive objects. Suitability is considered against the investigation objective, depth and actual conditions. Retained components and utilities are considered as possible sources of interference. A changed construction area may create a new spatial task. Measurement and specialist assessment therefore relate to each construction stage; investigating one accessible area does not extend to covered areas.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide information about structures and anomalies. Ground structure, moisture, installed structures and the investigation objective influence appropriate use. For redevelopment, define which question is to be answered before or after demolition. Recorded structures require specialist interpretation. Depicting existing components does not itself identify explosive ordnance. The report and plans record the volume actually investigated and the technical limitations of the conclusion.

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

For new foundations or deep utilities, the conclusion needed is defined for the planned ground volume. Whether deep investigation or borehole surveying is required is established from the findings and planned ground disturbance. Position, depth and vertical datum are coordinated with as-built records. Borehole clearance or technical evidence remains related to the area actually investigated. Moved points or deeper components are compared with the existing scope before work starts.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

If a required preliminary investigation cannot be completed, an appropriate specialist approach is planned for the construction stage concerned. Explosive ordnance investigation during construction may combine investigation, necessary excavation in layers, specialist uncovering and supplementary surveys. It is coordinated with demolition, accessible areas and the actual ground disturbance. An omitted preliminary investigation does not automatically justify this approach. Visual observation alone is insufficient for detection; areas addressed and those outstanding remain documented.

Agree the approach during construction
Technical assessment

Adapt investigations to each construction stage

Historical evidence for the planned construction area

A Historical aerial photograph analysis adds explosive ordnance-related evidence to the existing documents. Old land-use plans or a commercial area's name do not replace this specialist assessment. Check which findings are available for the specific area and which questions remain outstanding.

Accessible areas and areas with investigation restrictions

A Surface survey requires suitable conditions. If buildings, installed structures or interference restrict investigation of parts of the area, the result must identify this. Where demolition makes previously covered areas accessible, their further investigation requirements must be assessed.

Prerequisites for clearance during construction

A clearance operation for explosive ordnance during construction must be justified by the technical task and site conditions. An omitted preliminary investigation does not automatically justify clearance during construction. The DGUV distinguishes merely watching an excavation from the appropriate specialist approach required; a person's presence alone does not provide sufficient investigation evidence.

Required area clearance is prepared separately for the task actually to be addressed. The clearance concept and clearance record relate to the agreed and completed scope. If a further ground volume becomes accessible only later, it remains separately identified until addressed. For the results handover, differing investigation statuses and outstanding prerequisites are assigned to the relevant sections.

Next steps

From the as-built plan to investigation for the next construction stage

01

Gather as-built records

Bring together land use, installed structures, plans and earlier reports. The initial contact identifies the project location and conclusion needed. Existing plans, statements and reports are checked for currency, spatial reference, completeness and gaps.

02

Address outstanding historical questions

Where historical questions remain, the research and aerial photograph assessments required are carried out within the agreed specialist commission. The KMBD's existing preliminary investigation is considered in relation to the project for which it was requested. Additional findings are assigned to today's ground disturbance area and used in investigation planning.

03

List the work steps

Distinguish preparatory work from later construction work.

04

Agree the investigation

Define methods, accessible areas and outstanding tasks. The appropriate method is selected according to the investigation objective, ground disturbance depth, ground structure, installed structures and actual measurement conditions. Access and required prerequisites are clarified with the responsible parties.

05

Perform the agreed investigation

The agreed survey or appropriate investigation during construction is carried out on the defined areas and points. Measurement data and observations receive clear position and elevation references. Uninvestigated areas, restricted access and relevant interference are recorded.

06

Assess and document findings

The collected data and findings are assessed against the investigation objective and actual measurement conditions. The assessment takes account of interference and limitations. The report and plan appendices document the technical assessment, areas addressed and their position, elevation and depth references. Required further tasks follow from this.

07

Document the handover

Assign the results from each section to the following work. For the subsequent construction sequence, distinguish completed investigations from specialist tasks still required. Designers and construction managers compare the next ground disturbance with the areas, depths and limitations handed over.

Documentation

Which results apply to the next construction stage

Findings and their scope

The note “area checked” is not sufficient for the next construction stage. The report must clearly identify the investigated area, underlying task and limitations of the result. Alongside completed services, identify areas not yet investigated and the prerequisites for investigating them later.

A result includes the construction conditions present on the investigation date. If only an accessible strip or particular foundation area was addressed, adjoining covered volumes remain separately identifiable. After further demolition, the new task is related to this status. Report and drawing versions are kept together for every addition so that construction management can follow old results and newly added areas.

Project responsibilities

For Baden-Württemberg, the KMBD publishes the division of tasks between landowners, private specialist companies and the state service. Official handling of finds remains separate from the commissioned investigation and documentation. The commission records which investigations FONTANA-EOD carries out and documents. Outside their direct scope, the BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; the project's particular requirements still need separate consideration.

Working approach

How FONTANA-EOD works

Document the agreed specialist service clearly

FONTANA-EOD describes the agreed task for each groundworks activity. The investigation report shows the work performed with its area, result and limitations. Existing conclusions are used for the next construction stage within their original context. Areas not yet addressed remain identifiable. Construction management compares the next ground disturbance with this status and agrees required additions with the responsible specialists.

Discuss the investigation task

The task before the equipment

Redevelopment is translated into specific groundworks. These may include removal of old foundations, renewal of connections and a deeper new foundation. Existing findings and the conclusions needed are identified for these tasks. The appropriate method depends on the actual construction stage. An investigation planned for later is coordinated with the work that takes place before it.

Keep limitations visible

Inaccessible areas are identified with the reason for the restriction. After an agreed change to existing structures, the remaining investigation requirements for that area are assessed. Earlier results retain their documented scope. The new task is defined for the next groundworks. The project file connects each status so that subsequent parties can distinguish investigated volumes from those still outstanding.

Clarify changes before intervening in the ground

If demolition or the new construction design changes, the specialists affected receive the revised version. Retained and removed components, and additional ground volumes, are identified. FONTANA-EOD compares the changed ground disturbance with the agreed specialist task. Relevant results remain considered; additional tasks are agreed before they are carried out. Additions receive a clear reference to the relevant construction section.

Hand over the report and plan together

For handover, the results report, site plans and actual investigation scope are provided together. Recipients among the project owner, designers and construction management are identified. Outstanding tasks and their prerequisites pass to the next construction stage. Complete earlier appendices remain available when contractors change. The relationship between the structures present at the time, the investigation carried out and forthcoming groundworks is clearly preserved.

Understand the results

Use technical statements for the next decision

Do not shorten historical conclusions

A summary passage may have an important limitation in the following paragraph. Read the complete context, including appendices. For your own construction task, also consider any later investigations available. Current requirements follow from the actual ground disturbance, not a single phrase.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Keep the old cadastral date identifiable

An older planning drawing may remain important even if property boundaries or buildings are shown differently today. Its provenance and the version used remain clear. Its technical assignment to today's construction area is expressly checked. A new printout does not automatically update the underlying spatial information.

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
Four people in orange high-visibility vests in front of two excavators on a construction site.
Person with a yellow survey cart on a footpath in front of a hedge.
Questions from planning

Questions about redevelopment in Esslingen

Does former industrial or railway use already establish suspected explosive ordnance?

The land-use name alone is insufficient. Specialist assessment of the available historical and project-specific findings is required. The development of Neue Weststadt does not establish the explosive ordnance situation on another plot.

Should demolition before new construction be included?

Yes, where it involves ground disturbance of its own. Planned work on underground foundations, utilities or other components belongs in preparation with its location and depth. Investigation requirements follow from that work and existing findings, not solely the later building.

Can an old development plan drawing be adopted as a current site plan?

The City of Esslingen notes that development plan drawings contain the cadastre from when they were prepared. For the specific investigation, the area and today's design must be clearly assigned. Provide a suitable map base and clearly mark the specific investigation area.

How should areas that cannot initially be investigated be handled?

They must remain identifiable with the reason for the restriction. For these areas, clarify which preparation or additional investigation is required after the construction area changes. An outstanding area must not be included in the conclusion for areas already investigated without technical evidence.

What should happen if a suspicious object is encountered during work?

Stop the affected work. Do not touch, move or relocate the suspicious object, and do not uncover it further. Leave the danger area, keep others away and call the police on 110 from a safe distance. Do not take the object to a police station. Follow the competent authorities' instructions. Identification and further handling remain reserved for KMBD specialists.

How are the construction conditions relevant to the investigation recorded?

Describe which buildings, foundations and installed structures will still be present at the intended investigation time. Assign these details to the current drawing revision and identify expected changes. Method planning relates to these specific conditions and the ground disturbance forthcoming in each construction stage.

What documents does the next trade receive after an investigation?

Hand over the results report with its site plans, actual investigation scope and remaining limitations. Establish the connection to the next groundworks. Outstanding tasks remain identifiable so that a later construction section is not planned solely on a general completion notice.

Which cost factors matter between demolition and new construction?

The work involved depends on existing historical and technical findings, the size and depth of affected volumes, reliable as-built and ground disturbance plans, access, preparatory work, suitable methods and interference, and analysis and documentation. Initially covered areas and later additional investigation are considered with their respective scopes. Changed demolition or new construction tasks are agreed before the affected groundworks. Specialist services and preparatory construction work remain distinguishable in the quotation.

Project enquiry

Agree investigation between demolition and new construction

Present the construction stages together

Send demolition details, retained structures and new groundworks.

Include the current site plan with reference elevations and existing historical assessments. Earlier specialist reports are supplied with complete appendices and drawing revisions. Mark known later ground changes, utilities to be retained and initially inaccessible volumes. Identify the conclusion needed first for each section. Provide the project owner's, construction manager's and coordinating contact's details for queries.

Show investigation limits

Clearly assign reports and areas not yet addressed.

Relate planned groundworks to existing results. Where there is a new depth, additional foundation or changed access, show the change on the plan. Describe the sequence and known requirements for site use. The investigation is coordinated with these prerequisites. At the transition to the following construction stage, complete documents and outstanding tasks are passed on together. Identify the project location in Baden-Württemberg or the different federal state concerned.

GPR on a construction site
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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