Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Explosive ordnance surveying in Bamberg for energy facilities and grid connections
For an energy facility in Bamberg, foundations, operational areas and an off-site connection cable may require different investigations. FONTANA-EOD compares the planned ground works with existing findings and carries out the agreed specialist services. Project owners, developers, designers and site managers receive results for the areas and depths actually investigated. Send the location plan for the facility and grid connection, ground disturbance depths and available reports with their appendices.
Include foundations and ancillary areas.
Consider the cable route up to the connection point.
Locate indications precisely.
Assess the construction project
Which areas belong in the preparation for an energy facility?
Describe the facility area and associated cable routes with their respective ground works. Include foundations, cable trenches and any launch or reception pits. Allocate the available findings to each section. Investigation at the future facility site covers an off-site connection only if it falls within the documented investigation scope.
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Relate Bamberg's planning documents to your own site
The K 12 example combines a facility area with an off-site grid connection and historical indications from the surroundings. Your project needs its own ground disturbance boundaries. Municipal planning documents help place these in context; the investigation scope, specialist commission and results handover are also agreed for the specific construction task.
Bamberg is an independent city in the Upper Franconia administrative district in Bavaria, Germany. The city and rural district of Bamberg are distinguished when identifying the relevant municipality. Proposal K12 concerns the north-east of the city around Kramersfeld and Gartenstadt, between Breitenau airfield and the former postal site. This specific location helps assign the documents to the correct area; it does not describe contamination on other properties in Bamberg.
Local context
The battery storage park's connection belongs in the planning
Distinguish the facility area and connection in the K 12 example
Bamberg's proposal VO/2025/9413-61 for the Nord-Ost battery storage park concerns a facility area between the airfield and the former postal site. For the grid connection, it describes a proposed alternative cable route across the airfield. The proposal concerns preparation of land-use plan K12, rather than a completed construction project or explosive ordnance clearance.
Place indications from the surroundings in their spatial context
In its explosive ordnance section, the proposal identifies the former military use of neighbouring Breitenau airfield. Bomb craters are suspected in a neighbouring area on aerial photographs dated 9 April 1945. This indication concerns the surroundings; it is not a confirmed find on every part of the planning area. Such indications must be located for the investigation.
Requirements
Clarify technical requirements and responsibilities within the project
Relate requirements to the specialist task
For commissioned activities in Germany, the relevant technical requirements and questions of permits, competence and responsibility are clarified. The scope of services actually intended is decisive. Permits, competence and responsibility are assigned appropriately to the planned activities, specific tasks and coordination between them.
Link occupational safety to the construction sequence
Risk assessment, work areas and communication must suit the proposed activities. Ordnance specialist works are coordinated with the other construction activities. Operational organisation, traffic safety and other specialist technical inspections retain their own responsible parties. Joint coordination brings the information together without equating the different tasks.
Use technical findings correctly
A measurement anomaly first requires specialist assessment; its appearance alone does not identify it as explosive ordnance. If an object is genuinely suspected to be ordnance, the prescribed reporting procedures and the measures set by the responsible authorities apply. Investigation reports specify the work completed and its limitations, so that results are not extended to unexamined areas or later design changes.
Local procedure: City of Bamberg: Nord-Ost battery storage park, proposal VO/2025/9413-61 · City of Bamberg: land-use plans.
Planning and documentation: BFR KMR: principles of clearance planning · BFR KMR: geophysics · BFR KMR: documentation · DGUV: explosive ordnance clearance FAQ · Bavaria: protection against explosive ordnance hazards, notice of 13.08.2026
The BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; locally applicable requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately.
Permits, competence and responsibility for the specific activity are considered under the Explosives Act and the First Ordinance to the Explosives Act. The risk assessment under Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act relates to the planned activities. The DGUV Information 201-027 covers preventive investigation and clearance of conventional explosive ordnance and defines its scope. Its references to DGUV Rule 113-003 concern particular activities involving explosives; they are not applied indiscriminately to every construction-site investigation.
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?
Define the investigation objective for each ground volume
The specialist design compares historical findings, existing results and the proposed ground works. Access and local measurement conditions inform the choice of method. Deeper works or works elsewhere may create a different task. The commission should clearly identify the conclusions needed and the limits of the proposed method.
Compare methods for the ground areas and depths concernedCheck a changed connection design again
If the cable route is moved, deepened or supplemented with an excavation, submit the change with earlier reports. This allows existing work to be reused where appropriate. Determine additional investigations for the areas still unresolved. Belonging to the same energy project alone does not extend the scope of earlier results.
Compare investigation methodsProject types
Prepare the facility and connection according to their respective investigation needs
Assign the history of use to each section
A connection may cross areas with a different history of use from the facility site. Show the planned areas together on the location plan. Assign historical indications with their sources and spatial limits. An indication of suspicion nearby no more replaces investigation of your own ground works area than an earlier investigation elsewhere.
Identify which information concerns the current facility area and which concerns the connection areas. Each historical indication retains its source and the spatial conclusion given there. Complete reports without location appendices where possible. Any boundaries still unresolved remain open. Prepare further investigation in relation to the planned ground works and the findings actually available.
Arrange specialist assessment of historical evidence
Coordinate facility construction and cable installation
Foundations and cables may require different depths and working methods. Identify these differences in the initial enquiry. Preparatory excavations and additional earthworks also belong in the task description. Define the investigation scope from these specific ground works and check its coverage again if the route changes.
The design also includes temporary working areas where ground works are planned. Give each installation option its own identifier. Consider the available results for each route. Once an option is chosen, relate the commissioned investigation to the agreed design. Communicate changes to areas and depths before working on them.
Compare specialist services
Hand over results documents section by section
The report should show which conclusions apply to each part of the facility or cable route. Keep the underlying plan version available. Areas not investigated and remaining limitations stay identified. For the next construction section, compare the evidence needed with the actual spatial and depth scope of the works.
At handover, make clear whether a section has only been assessed or has already undergone technical investigation. Provide the complete associated reports. Use the design actually selected for a later construction section. Pass on any outstanding task with its location and the clarification needed before work begins.
Document findings and their limitationsPreparation
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 taskCoordinate 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 programmeAgree 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 scheduleTasks at the site
Assess the facility area and cable route as parts of the same project
01
Include the connection from the outset
For a technical facility, works outside the site itself may form a substantial part of the project. Provide the proposed link to the grid connection point as well. Investigation within the facility fence alone does not automatically cover additional cable sections. Keep route options still open clearly identified.
Identify the proposed grid connection point and available route information. Make any unresolved details clear in the enquiry. The necessary specialist work can then be coordinated with the current design stage. Compare a later design decision with the previous investigation scope before installing the cable.
02
Record structures with their ground disturbance depths
A container-based facility may need different foundations, cable trenches and other installations. Explosive ordnance assessment concerns the actual ground disturbance, rather than only the facility's above-ground dimensions. State the proposed depths and working spaces. Preparatory works such as geotechnical investigation points must also be included in the programme.
Distinguish the above-ground layout from the excavations and ground disturbance actually needed. This also applies to ancillary facilities and preparatory investigation points. Clarify the necessary investigations and protective measures before the affected ground works. Describe additional depth or a different working space explicitly, rather than inferring it from the container footprint.
03
Relate indications from the surroundings to the correct area
A historical image or report may contain indications beyond the property boundary. Assess these technically without treating them as a confirmed find across the whole surrounding area. Conversely, a present-day boundary does not automatically limit the earlier history of use. Reliable spatial allocation and the specific investigation commission are what matter.
For the technical assessment, compare the location of an indication with your own route and proposed depths. Distance alone is not used to define an investigated area's boundary. If the source describes only a suspected circumstance, retain that distinction. Add further findings to the project information according to their origin and what they establish.
04
Resolve route changes before installation
If a cable is relocated or a connection rerouted, a section not previously assessed may be added. Compare each new option with the existing investigation maps. Record known utilities and access restrictions too. They affect planning and can limit how an investigation is carried out.
Identify an alternative route by its start and end points and any additional pits. Check whether the reports already in use also address this route. Access and necessary preparatory works may differ from the earlier option. The parties agree the new requirements before the affected ground works and update the associated plan version.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Identify route options early
While several connection routes remain under consideration, clear option identifiers help. State which route should be examined more closely and which details remain provisional. Findings for one option are not transferred to another without checking. Once a decision is made, the specialist designers and contractors receive the same current plans.
For a preliminary investigation commission, record which option it concerns. If no decision has been made, describe the differing ground areas and depths. Suitable existing findings remain available. Once an option is selected, the contractor receives the documents that actually relate to the proposed cable route, including their limitations and outstanding tasks.
Add further excavations to the area overview
A cable may require ground disturbance beyond its route. Add these areas with their locations and depths as soon as the technical design defines them. Naming an installation technique does not fully describe these conditions. Explosive ordnance assessment concerns the ground volumes actually affected, including preparatory and finishing works. 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
Start with a shared project overview
Combine the facility area, connection, foundations and additional working areas in a clear plan. Add the available documents and proposed sequence. The initial comparison shows which information is already available for specialist design. Identify missing details specifically so they can be obtained before further detailed design.
Identify separately awarded contracts and the person maintaining the common set of documents. A quotation can distinguish existing results from specialist work still needed. If the connection will be installed later, agree its prerequisites separately. Determine the next conclusions needed from the specific design.
Agree the handover between construction sections
If different companies construct the facility and connection, each needs the results relevant to its work. Agree who brings together the current plans and complete reports. Communicate changes with their scope. Before the next ground works, check whether the existing investigation actually covers their location, depth and conditions.
Method selection
Select methods according to the task and survey conditions
Historical records and aerial photographs
Historical aerial photographs are analysed for the defined area and combined with other available sources. For a facility with an off-site connection, check whether the findings also cover the cable route. If historical questions remain, carry out the necessary research or additional aerial photograph analysis. Relate the results to the current ground works. A suspected bomb crater nearby is distinct from a confirmed finding on the construction site. The specialist assessment describes the extent of existing findings and the investigations still needed. A present-day property fence does not replace this spatial allocation.
Understand aerial photograph assessmentMagnetometric survey
Geomagnetics measures the magnetic field passively. An object's magnetic effect determines whether it can be detected; electrical conductivity alone is insufficient. Existing utilities or structures along a cable route can affect measurements. Match the investigation to the objective and actual conditions. Assess measurement anomalies with their sources of interference rather than automatically identifying them as explosive ordnance. The results plan shows which section was covered. Areas still requiring investigation for off-site connections remain identified even if the facility area has already been investigated.
Understand the scope of magnetometryElectromagnetic methods
Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, evaluate the time-dependent electromagnetic response of conductive objects. Their use considers the objective, ground volume and actual measurement conditions together. An investigation suitable for the facility area may not provide the same conclusions along the connection. Include metal installations, restricted working space and access in the planning. Specialist interpretation assesses the collected data. Document the conclusions reached and limitations for each cable section. These define the further clarification needed for the planned ground works.
Understand electromagnetic surveyingGround-penetrating radar
Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can reveal subsurface reflections and structures. Ground composition, water content and existing structures affect the conclusions possible. For a proposed cable connection, clarify what information the ground works require. A radar anomaly does not automatically establish the presence of explosive ordnance. An image without anomalies likewise does not replace assessment of other depths or sections. Document the interpretation with its limits. Check whether findings from another technical task are actually suitable for the explosive ordnance question before relying on them for construction.
GPR and limitationsDeep-ground and downhole surveys
Foundations, cable trenches and additional launch or reception pits may affect different ground volumes. For deeper ground disturbance, define the locations, depths and reference elevations. If surface measurements cannot provide the necessary conclusions, plan a suitable deep or downhole survey. Consider the necessary preparations and access. Relate results to the ground volume actually investigated. If a route is moved, check which conclusions still apply and what further work is needed. Evidence for the depth at a foundation is not transferred to a distant connection pit without a spatial comparison.
Prepare deep interventionsSurvey during construction
Plan any necessary explosive ordnance investigation during construction with the relevant work section. The approach may include the necessary excavation in layers, specialist exposure of objects and additional surveying. Agree the conditions before the affected ground works. Visual observation during ordinary excavation alone is insufficient for detection. If the facility and cable are built separately, both contractors receive the results relevant to their task. Inaccessible areas remain identified as outstanding tasks. Clarify findings and their further handling with the competent bodies through the agreed reporting channel.
Agree the approach during constructionTechnical assessment
Connect historical indications with technical investigation
Turn an indication into a specific investigation question
The Historical aerial photograph analysis assesses available images and recognisable indications for the investigation area. Additional records may explain earlier use. This identifies the questions still to resolve for the construction project. Mention of a bomb crater alone replaces neither spatial analysis nor any necessary technical investigation.
Consider measurement conditions along the cable route
The Surveying must be matched to the investigation objective and conditions in each area. The facility area and cable route may have different interference sources, surfaces and access. Specialist planning considers these differences. Areas where interpretation is not possible remain explicitly unresolved until the further approach is agreed and the required conclusions are reached.
Coordinate measures with the construction sequence
If further services are needed, a Clearance plan can describe their scope and sequence. Facility foundations and cable installation do not necessarily progress together. Allocate results to their respective work sections. Visual observation during excavation alone does not replace a necessary preliminary investigation; a clearance method used during construction requires its own specialist assessment.
For necessary clearance work, agree the scope, preparations and handovers separately. This may include area clearance, investigation of findings and necessary recovery work. Where clearance work is carried out, keep the corresponding clearance record with the results plan in the project file. The work actually performed remains traceable with its spatial scope and limits.
Next steps
What an enquiry for facilities and cable routes needs
Show the complete project on the plan
Combine the facility area, proposed grid connection and options still open in a clear location plan. State property boundaries and reference points. A drawing showing only the container positions may omit substantial earthworks. The plan need not be final, but should show its design status. In the initial enquiry, identify the project location and conclusions needed. Check existing plans, statements and reports for currency, spatial reference, completeness and gaps.
Address outstanding historical questions
Where historical questions remain open, necessary research and aerial photograph assessments are actually carried out within the commission agreed by specialists. Existing assessments are considered with their respective subareas and conclusions. Additional findings are assigned to the present area of ground disturbance and used in investigation planning.
Obtain the current planning documents
The City of Bamberg provides legally effective land-use plans online from 15 February 2002 onwards. Earlier plans can be requested by identifying the property precisely. Check which version applies to your project. An indication of permitted use does not replace investigation of the ground for explosive ordnance. 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.
Attach existing specialist reports
Submit the complete available aerial photograph analyses, technical investigations and associated maps. A brief summary may omit important spatial limits. Identify known structures, utilities and access restrictions too. These allow the remaining scope of services to be agreed more precisely than the property address alone.
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.
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.
Pass changes on to everyone involved
After an investigation, the site management team should be able to see which areas and ground works the results cover. Check changes to foundations or cables before construction. Areas not investigated must not appear completed at handover. Keep the documentation available with the associated plan version.
Documentation
Clarify responsibilities for the Bamberg project
Findings and their scope
Under the current Bavarian notice, project-specific preliminary investigation of properties remains a separate task. The state explosive ordnance disposal service does not provide this as a general property investigation. Local hazard response generally lies with the municipalities; if explosive ordnance is actually found, notify the police immediately.
Project responsibilities
FONTANA-EOD discusses the technical investigation needs and suitable services with you. The BFR KMR can serve as a technical basis. Their direct scope concerns federal properties; this does not create a general additional obligation for every private facility. Planning follows the specific construction project and available findings.
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 taskThe 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
Assess the location and meaning of an indication together
A distance figure alone does not define an investigation boundary. Technical assessment needs the associated plan, the location of the indication and what it establishes. Provide the complete documents, including appendices. The specialist assessment can then determine what the information means for the proposed ground works and which question remains unresolved.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsDistinguish provisional and agreed designs
Identify the design status of your route drawing. An option initially supports coordination and may not represent the eventual construction design. Once a decision is made, compare existing findings with the selected route. Keep this allocation clear in the results records too, so older options are not accidentally used as the current basis.
Understand the service scopeDesign and findings
Documents for the next construction decision
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 assessmentSpecialist 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
Further technical topics
Further technical information for your project
Determine the specialist service from the planned groundworks
Historical assessment, technical investigation and further work answer different questions. The service overview helps distinguish these tasks in an enquiry.
Compare servicesCoordinate the project sequence with everyone involved
Preparation connects the commission, site work and handover of findings. Changes to the project can then be incorporated into technical coordination in good time.
Process and documentationQuestions from planning
Questions about facility sites and off-site connections
Does the indication for the battery storage park establish a find across the whole planning area?
No. The proposal describes historical indications from the surroundings. Their spatial relevance requires specialist assessment. It contains no completed investigation or clearance for every part of the project.
Is investigation within the facility fence sufficient?
Only if it covers every ground disturbance relevant to the commission. An off-site connection cable may affect additional work areas. Compare these separately with the existing findings.
What helps when the cable route has not yet been decided?
Provide the possible options with their locations and proposed ground works. This helps identify early which sections existing investigations cover and which additional questions an option raises.
Can a land-use plan replace explosive ordnance assessment?
No. The land-use plan regulates permitted planning use. Existing indications and specialist reports may provide important information, but their relevance to the specific ground works must still be checked.
How should a suspicious find be handled?
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.
Which factors affect costs for a facility area and off-site cable?
The work required depends on existing findings, unresolved historical questions, the areas and depths of ground disturbance, access, hard surfacing and interference, necessary preparatory works, suitable methods, interpretation and documentation. Useful earlier results are considered. A changed cable route or additional excavations may require a different investigation scope. The agreed services are based on the work areas and conditions actually needed.
Do the facility area and cable route have to share the same measurement conditions?
No. Surfaces, access and interference sources along a route may differ from those at the facility site. Specialist planning considers these conditions when selecting an appropriate approach. Areas where interpretation is insufficient remain clearly identified and are resolved separately.
What happens if the connection changes later?
Compare the changed ground areas and depths with existing findings. Agree additional specialist services before the affected works begin.
Project enquiry
Prepare the first technical discussion
Show every section
Draw the facility, cable route and additional excavations.
Add foundations, ancillary facilities, working spaces and known ground disturbance depths. State the proposed sequence for facility construction and cable installation. Mark sections not yet accessible. Clearly identify design details still open. For technical coordination, relate the next conclusions needed to the ground volume concerned.
Identify the plan version
Assign the options, depths and existing reports.
Attach the complete results appendices and associated plan versions. Identify known changes to the surface, structures and route options still open. A coordinating person answers questions from the designers involved. Compare later changes with the available investigation findings before the affected works. Identify the project location in Bavaria or specify a different federal state.
Project process and documents
Project process and documentsMethods and technology
Methods and technologyIdentify the project location and region
Select a regionAssess the use and construction task
Describe the project settingAgree further specialist services
Clarify the recovery task
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.
