Technical map of the Swabia administrative district showing Augsburg for explosive ordnance assessment and surveying by FONTANA-EOD

Explosive ordnance surveying in Augsburg for buildings and service connections

Project owners, designers and site managers planning ground works in Augsburg need an investigation scope that also covers work beyond the building itself. This includes service trenches, shafts, external foundations and preparatory works. FONTANA-EOD compares these areas with the city's information and existing reports, then carries out the agreed specialist work. Send the current plan with depths and reference elevations, together with the complete investigation results.

Design status

Compare the land-use plan, ground works plan and investigation reports.

Subareas

Show service trenches, shafts and foundations outside the building.

Documentation

Check the report to see which areas and depths were covered.

Discuss the construction area and additional ground worksExplosive ordnance assessment in Bavaria
Assess the construction project

Which parts of an Augsburg construction project belong in an explosive ordnance enquiry?

Alongside the building, describe service trenches, shafts, external foundations and any other planned ground disturbance. Include their locations, depths and reference elevations. The city's information and existing investigation reports are related to these areas. A result for the building footprint covers additional ground works only where its documented scope actually applies.

Project references

Selected project examples

Project site

Connect the site with the specific construction task

Schematic map of Bavaria with a blue-and-white lozenge shield and crown, alongside a tablet, white safety helmet, pen and notebook.

Relate the information from Augsburg to the planned ground works

The city directs enquiries about explosive ordnance to its civil protection and disaster management unit, with the cadastral plot number supplied. Keep the reply with your own plans and investigation reports. Planning information and explosive ordnance investigations actually carried out serve different purposes.

Augsburg is an independent city in the Swabia administrative district in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany. Project locations may include the city centre and old town, Lechhausen, Hochfeld, Pfersee, Göggingen, Kriegshaber, Oberhausen, and industrial and railway sites. For enquiries from the rural district of Augsburg or surrounding towns such as Gersthofen, Friedberg, Neusäß and Königsbrunn, identify the actual municipality. The city's information is distinct from the procedure for another municipality. The specific project address in Bavarian Swabia remains the basis.

Bavaria
Local context

Obtain explosive ordnance information for Augsburg

Assign the city's information to the cadastral plot

For a construction project in Augsburg, you can ask the city's civil protection and disaster management unit for explosive ordnance information by email. The city requires the cadastral plot number. Keep the reply with your plans and the reports on investigations actually carried out.

Distinguish the planning status from specialist reports

The City of Augsburg provides information on legally effective land-use plans through its geoportal and identifies the information office for inspection and enquiries. Documents for ongoing procedures are provided separately. These establish the planning status. Whether an area has already been investigated for explosive ordnance must be checked against the relevant investigation reports.

Compare the current ground works with the earlier commission

Even where the construction plans show a larger area, an earlier investigation commission may have covered only individual sections or particular ground works. Planning documents, existing investigation results and the ground works now proposed are therefore brought together for your project. A permit alone does not establish that an explosive ordnance investigation covers the planned ground disturbance.

The reconstruction atlas published by the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte describes attacks on MAN and Messerschmitt in Augsburg, and the heavy night raid of 25/26 February 1944 on the city centre, Jakobervorstadt and Lechhausen. This documented local history can help select historical source material. It does not establish present-day contamination on every property. When planning on former industrial, railway or post-war reconstruction sites, the actual history of use and known ground changes are examined for the specific area.

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 contractor carries out the agreed assessment, investigation and documentation within the necessary permits and competence. The report describes the work actually performed and its limits. In Bavaria, the competent public safety authorities and police take the decisions assigned to them where specific hazards arise. The explosive ordnance disposal service commissioned by the Free State supports the immediately necessary handling of legacy ordnance that has been found. Any required handover of recovered items is agreed in advance. This public task and the commissioned private investigation retain their respective responsible parties.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Consider the measurement conditions in each section

An open area and a confined space beside utilities may present different conditions. The appropriate approach depends on the investigation objective and actual site conditions. Describe known structures and access routes early. The results must identify areas where conclusions are limited.

Match the investigation methods to local measurement conditions

Determine what further work the new ground disturbance requires

Existing reports are first compared with the location and depth of the planned works. Useful findings remain part of the basis. Additional investigations address the question still unresolved. A change to a service connection therefore requires a specific technical comparison, rather than automatically repeating every service.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

Assess the building and additional ground works together

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

Provide the complete information and historical assessment

Supply existing assessments with the associated cadastral plots and maps. Their spatial allocation remains important even if property boundaries have since changed. For additional work areas, check whether the existing information covers them. A shared address alone does not extend the scope of an assessment.

Identify which conclusions relate to the building footprint and which cover a wider area. Information about a cadastral plot also remains tied to its actual conclusions and appendices. For a new utility route, check its position within the area already assessed. Request any missing legend or report section. Any boundaries still unclear must be resolved by a specialist before the affected ground works.

Arrange specialist assessment of historical evidence
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Show the ground works outside the building clearly

Utilities, shafts and external foundations may lie outside the building footprint already investigated. Mark their actual positions and depths. Temporary service connections are also assessed according to the ground works planned. This lets the designers identify which additional areas belong in the investigation commission.

State whether the connection will be installed with the main excavation or in a later phase. A separately contracted trench may need additional working space. Show this space on the same drawing, with the planned depth profile. The explosive ordnance investigation commission relates to the ground areas and depths still requiring assessment. Communicate changes before the affected works begin.

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

Hand over results by section

The report shows which areas and ground volumes were actually investigated. Different depths and limitations remain clear. The results are related to the relevant connection or external works for the site management team. A general area description does not replace this allocation when several companies perform different tasks.

For projects involving several trades, agree who receives the complete documents and answers questions about the current design. A shared project name does not replace allocation to the particular connection or foundation. The recipient needs the results plan, the limits of the conclusions and the tasks still outstanding. These prepare the next construction phase. For additional areas and depths, clarify separately which further specialist work is needed before ground works begin.

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.

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.

Discuss the scope and schedule
Tasks at the site

Service connections, shafts and external works in the ground works plan

01

Utilities serving the building

If utilities serving the building are to be installed or diverted, include their proposed routes and depths in the task description. An investigated building footprint does not automatically cover service trenches elsewhere. Identify the actual ground works even when another company will carry them out.

State any known existing utilities and access restrictions. A planned utility route may change between the open ground and its entry into the building. Record transitions and additional pits in the current plans. If installation is postponed, earlier results remain available for their original area. Determine the conclusions still needed for the new section.

02

Deeper shafts, foundations and shoring positions

A shaft, additional foundation or shoring position may require a different depth from the adjacent area. Mark these areas on the plan with their respective ground disturbance depths. A combined area figure without depth information makes it harder to judge whether an earlier investigation is sufficient.

Give each deeper point a clear identifier, location and reference elevation. Coordinate these details with the construction method actually planned. The investigation commission can then distinguish which evidence is already available for shallow trench sections and which is still needed for the additional depth. If the design changes, determine only the new requirement; suitable existing results remain part of the basis.

03

Ground works in external areas

The term external works alone does not specify the ground disturbance planned. Describe, for example, proposed soil replacement, foundations or new drainage elements where these form part of your project. This identifies the areas and depths that the investigation needs to consider.

Additional utility connections and drainage elements can also require their own ground areas and depths in transport or hydraulic engineering projects. Identify their actual locations. Report known earlier relocation of rubble, made ground or changes following demolition, with the available documents. This information supports the property-specific technical assessment and choice of method. Neither the project type alone nor an assumed ground change establishes contamination across the whole area.

04

Temporary connections and access routes

Temporary connections or changed access routes may require additional ground disturbance. If these works are decided later, include them in the technical coordination before they begin. Check whether the agreed investigation scope covers the additional sections.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Bring utility design and building construction together

If several designers or companies are involved, their proposed ground works should appear in a common set of documents. Communicate known changes to connections in good time. The explosive ordnance task is compared with the complete scope of work described. Identify who is responsible for providing the documents.

Also report preparatory investigation points, soil replacement and temporary construction stages. Clarify the necessary investigations and protective measures before the affected ground works. The parties agree who will establish the conditions needed for the specialist work. Identify any edge area not yet accessible by its location. Give the site management team the available findings and the outstanding task before that area is worked on later.

Identify additional depths separately

A shaft or foundation may extend deeper than an adjacent trench. Show this difference with its reference elevation. The technical assessment can then establish whether an earlier investigation covered the ground volume needed. Describing everything as external works does not adequately convey these different requirements. Where clearance work is carried out, keep the corresponding clearance record in the project file with the areas and depths addressed.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Describe every task before awarding the contract

Bring together the building, service connections and other proposed ground works. Add the city's information and existing results reports. Match the specialist service to the scope needed. Routes or depths not yet decided remain open and are clarified before the works begin.

If the building works are already prepared but the utility route will be decided later, describe the two tasks separately when awarding the contract. Relate the available evidence for the building to the proposed ground works. For the connection, the design identifies the eventual route, connection points and depths. If these details are not yet available, its investigation scope remains open. Once they are defined, check whether existing results apply or further work is needed. The report on the additional task uses the same plan identifier and clearly defined boundaries. This gives the utility contractor the information actually needed for the connection, including remaining limitations and conditions to resolve before starting.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Check again before changed external works

If a shaft is relocated or a foundation added, compare the change with the documented areas. Give the affected section its own location and depth reference. Results that already apply remain usable. Give the site management team the clarified investigation status before the planned works.

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 analysis relates suitable images and other records to a defined investigation area. For an Augsburg project, check whether this includes utility routes and other ground works outside the building. If historical questions remain, the necessary research or additional aerial photograph analysis is carried out under the agreed specialist commission. Its spatial and temporal coverage is documented. The absence of a recognisable aerial photograph indication is distinct from a technically investigated ground area. Findings are related to the current ground works and used to plan further investigation.

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

Geomagnetics measures the magnetic field passively. A target's magnetic effect determines whether it can be detected; electrical conductivity alone is insufficient. Utilities, fences and reinforcement can affect measurements beside a building. Identify these conditions before choosing the method. Assess a method suitable for open ground separately for the narrow space around a service connection. Interpretation considers anomalies in relation to the task and interference. Individual signal strengths do not identify explosive ordnance. Relate the conclusions reached and their limits to the area actually investigated.

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, evaluate the time-dependent electromagnetic response of conductive objects. Their suitability depends on the investigation objective and actual measurement conditions. For a connection among existing structures, consider metal installations, available working space and existing utilities. The technical commission identifies the area and required depth. Measurement data and interpretation use the same spatial reference. Whether further investigation is needed depends on the conclusions reached and the questions remaining. Equipment is not used simply because it was available in another section.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can reveal subsurface structures and reflections. Ground composition, moisture and built structures affect interpretation. For a new shaft or utility route, first establish what information is needed. A detected anomaly is not automatically explosive ordnance. Equally, an image without anomalies does not provide general evidence for any depth. Document the interpretation, its limits and the actual commission. Check whether results from another technical task are suitable for the explosive ordnance question before using them for further ground works.

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

Define the ground volume needed for deeper shafts, foundations, boreholes and shoring positions. If a surface investigation cannot provide the necessary conclusions, a suitable deep or downhole survey is planned by a specialist. Relate point locations, layout, depths and reference elevations to the construction documents. Utilities and the provision of suitable investigation access remain part of the assessment. A borehole clearance or technical evidence applies to the ground volume actually investigated. Compare any subsequently relocated point with that volume before works begin. Standard depths or an unchanged grid do not replace this spatial comparison.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

Where explosive ordnance investigation is needed during construction, plan it together with the construction sequence for the relevant section. The approach may include the necessary excavation in layers, specialist exposure of objects and additional surveying. Agree access, interpretation and communication of findings before the affected work. Visual observation during excavation alone is insufficient for detection. A connection area that becomes accessible later remains a separate outstanding task. Give the site management team the actual scope completed and the conditions for further works. Clarify new findings with the competent bodies through the agreed reporting channel.

Agree the approach during construction
Technical assessment

Compare existing reports with additional ground works

Area covered by the historical assessment

A Historical aerial photograph analysis must cover the locations of the planned ground works. If service connections or additional work areas are added later, check whether they fall within the assessment area. Even at the same address, the report and its plans must cover the work areas concerned.

Measurement conditions beside utilities and structures

A Surface survey in an open area and investigation beside existing utilities or structures may face different conditions. Choose the appropriate approach according to the investigation objective and actual conditions. The report must show which sections have limitations.

Investigation for deeper ground works

For deeper ground disturbance, clarify which ground volume needs investigation and how it can be accessed. A Downhole survey may be suitable if it meets the specific task. For work alongside construction, visual inspection of excavated material alone does not replace proper detection.

Prepare any necessary area clearance with a defined spatial objective and suitable working conditions. Coordinate findings and any recovery needed with the responsible parties. Where clearance work is carried out, keep the corresponding clearance record in the project file with the areas addressed. The services actually performed and their limits remain clear at handover.

Next steps

These details define the investigation commission

01

Mark each section

Distinguish the building, service connections and other ground works. In the initial enquiry, identify the project location and the conclusions needed. Check existing plans, statements and reports for currency, spatial reference, completeness and gaps.

02

Address outstanding historical questions

If historical questions remain unresolved, carry out the required research and aerial photograph analysis under the agreed specialist commission. Consider existing information and reports within their actual spatial scope. Relate additional findings to the current ground works area and use them to plan the investigation.

03

Add depths

State known ground disturbance depths and their reference elevations. Select the appropriate method according to the investigation objective, ground disturbance depth, ground composition, structures and actual measurement conditions. Clarify access and necessary preparations with the responsible parties.

04

Check existing conditions

Relate earlier reports to the proposed work areas.

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

Agree handovers

Provide results and outstanding tasks to the parties involved.

Documentation

The report must identify the areas and depths investigated

Findings and their scope

Traceable documentation shows which sections and ground volumes were investigated and which methods were used. It identifies results, areas not investigated and areas where interpretation was limited. The site management team can then see whether existing results cover planned connection works or further specialist clarification is needed.

Project responsibilities

For the planning assessment, identify the specific procedure and the responsible city department. Agree the private explosive ordnance investigation in relation to the proposed ground works and actual conditions. In Bavaria, the 2026 notice sets out responsibilities and tasks when ordnance is found. The commissioned state service supports immediately necessary measures involving legacy ordnance that has been found; the property assessment retains its own technical basis. The BFR KMR can provide technical guidance outside their federal scope. Local requirements applicable to the project must be clarified separately.

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

Identify the cadastral plot and work area together

A cadastral plot number helps assign information to the right property. The technical task also requires the actual areas and depths of ground disturbance. Mark areas outside the main structure too. If the property changes later, retain a clear record of the earlier area to which each assessment relates.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Keep the results plans for later service connections

New ground works may be planned even after the building is finished. Keep results reports and plans with their defined limits. Compare any later connection route with these records. An existing building alone establishes neither that an earlier explosive ordnance investigation took place nor its scope.

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 construction areas and sections in Augsburg

Does an entry in Augsburg's geoportal establish that an explosive ordnance investigation took place?

The city's planning resources provide information on planning status. Whether a specific investigation took place is established by its specialist report, including the area, method and result. A land-use plan does not replace this report.

Does investigation of the building footprint cover service connections?

Only where the documented investigation scope actually includes these areas and the planned ground works. Use the documents to check whether service trenches elsewhere or deeper shafts are also covered.

Do all external areas need the same investigation method?

The method depends on the specific ground works, existing findings and local investigation conditions. Describe the type, location and depth of the planned ground disturbance before agreeing the scope of services.

What happens if the utility route changes later?

Compare the new route with the documented investigation areas. Findings that still apply can remain in use; additional or different ground works may need further clarification. Communicate the change before the affected works begin.

How should a possible explosive ordnance find be reported?

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.

Is the cadastral plot number enough to describe the technical commission?

It helps identify the location. The actual areas and depths of ground disturbance and existing documents are also needed.

Which factors affect costs when building and connection works are separate?

The work required depends on existing information and information still to obtain, unresolved historical questions, the size and depth of the ground volumes concerned, access, utilities and other interference, preparatory works, suitable methods, interpretation and documentation. The building footprint, service trench and deeper shaft may require different tasks. Usable existing results are considered. Additional ground works and later access are agreed with the investigation scope actually needed.

How are measurement limitations beside utilities or structures communicated?

The report must identify sections that could only be assessed with limitations. Pass on these limits with the results plans so they are considered during the next ground works. Agree the further approach according to the investigation objective and actual conditions.

Project enquiry

Plan buildings, connections and external works together

Mark additional sections

Show utilities, shafts and external foundations with their depths.

Distinguish the settled construction design from options still open. Mark shafts, soil replacement, shoring positions and temporary connections with their respective reference elevations. State available utility information, actual access and the planned construction period. Identify the next conclusions needed in the enquiry. A coordinating person brings together technical questions between the building and external works designers.

Attach the information and reports

Compile cadastral plot references, plan versions and existing results.

Include later additions and their location plans. Identify each report by its date, issuer and investigation area. If an earlier commission covered only the building, additional ground works remain a separate question. Compare the existing results with the current plan. Relate the specialist work still needed to the areas and depths that remain unresolved. Identify the project location in Bavaria or specify a different federal state.

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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