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

Explosive ordnance surveying for external works in Kempten (Allgäu)

For project owners, designers and contractors in Kempten (Allgäu), preparation of paths, drainage and small foundations considers the actual ground disturbance. FONTANA-EOD reviews the available findings and carries out the agreed specialist services. Work away from the main area may also require its own investigation. Send the proposed work locations with their positions, depths and sequence, and existing reports with appendices.

External works

Show smaller ground works on the plan too.

Plan revision

Distinguish indications from results.

Execution

Clarify outstanding questions before ground works.

Discuss the project's technical requirementsExplosive ordnance investigation in Bavaria
Assess the construction project

Which external works belong in the ground disturbance plan?

Alongside paths and ground works, include individual foundations, utilities and drainage. Identify their locations, depths and proposed sequence. Compare existing reports with these work locations. An investigation result for a larger main area covers small, separate or deeper ground works only within its documented scope.

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.

Use Kempten's preliminary draft as early planning information

The preliminary draft for the leisure facility at Bachtelweiher contains indications for its specific planning area. The decision to prepare the plan and undertake early consultation was made in September 2026. Your external works need their own current design and existing specialist reports. Municipal planning information helps assign documents to their content and area covered.

Kempten (Allgäu) is an independent city in the Swabia administrative district in Bavaria, Germany. The specific project location determines the municipality. Plan 7213 describes the area north of Klingener Weg, south of the railway line, west of Bachtelweiher and east of the sports facility on Linggener Straße. This allocation helps obtain the right documents; it does not replace specialist assessment for other properties.

Bavaria
Local context

An early plan for Bachtelweiher includes explosive ordnance indications

Place the Bachtelweiher preliminary draft in its time context

Kempten's preliminary draft for land-use plan 7213, “Special Area for a Leisure Facility at Bachtelweiher”, dated 22 September 2026, contains indications of possible explosive ordnance and war-related contamination within the planning area. The text also identifies possible made ground and remains of earlier foundations. On 24 September 2026, the city council decided to prepare the plan and undertake early consultation.

Prepare smaller ground works according to their own scope

This is an early planning stage, rather than a report on a completed explosive ordnance investigation. For redevelopment, check which technical results are now available and which proposed ground works they cover. The indication concerns the project described at Bachtelweiher and does not support a general contamination statement for other leisure areas in Kempten.

During the Second World War, according to the Reconstruction Atlas of the House of Bavarian History, the station and Messerschmitt works in the Kottern factory were targets. Its account identifies damage in the Haubenschloss district on 3 August 1944. This documented local history helps select historical source material. It does not establish present-day contamination on every leisure site.

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?

Determine the appropriate investigation for each area

The method depends on the conclusions needed and actual conditions. A hard-surfaced section may have different limitations from a freely accessible area. Specialist planning considers these differences and explains the proposed scope. Document the results so their use for each ground disturbance remains clear.

Compare suitable specialist services

Add the work needed when the layout changes

If a light, fence or drainage element is relocated, state the new position and required depth. Comparison with earlier results shows the further work needed. A similar structure size does not replace spatial allocation. Suitable earlier work remains usable; address outstanding questions before the new ground disturbance.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

Record paths, foundations and connections in a shared design

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

Assign existing indications to the correct plan version

An early draft describes the findings available at that time and may propose further investigations. Obtain later reports too, where available. The historical assessment remains tied to its respective area. For the new external works, compare the specific ground disturbance with these findings without treating an intended measure as a service already performed.

Identify preliminary information by its date, issuer and area considered. If a technical report was prepared later, include its appendices. Clarify an outstanding question before the ground works that depend on it. The current design shows which areas are actually needed.

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

Consider different working depths together

Path construction, drainage and individual foundations may affect different ground volumes. Show these differences in the enquiry. Specialist planning can use them to define a clear investigation scope. Explicitly include additional points outside the main area so their small visible size does not cause them to be omitted from preparation.

For several separate commissions, state the proposed sequence. If individual points will be defined only later, keep them identified as unresolved design details. Once defined, compare them with existing investigation findings before ground works begin there.

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

Organise results by work location and section

Hand over complete reports with maps and limitations. Contractors must be able to identify which conclusions concern each ground disturbance. A general name for the external works is insufficient. If foundations or utilities move later, check whether existing results still cover the new ground volumes.

The results file brings together the report, location plan and design used. If changes arise later, retain a clear record of the earlier version. A contractor needs the conclusions for its specific task. Pass on unresolved remaining areas with the next step needed. A section already resolved remains clearly available alongside them.

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

Describe the work scope precisely outside buildings too

01

Draw path construction and ground level changes

A new path route or changed ground level may affect different ground areas from the existing use. Show the proposed cut and fill areas and depths. The term external works alone does not define a clear investigation commission. It must be possible to compare existing investigations with the actual ground disturbance.

Show transitions between new paths and existing ground too. Changed construction layers or additional excavation may affect the ground volume needed. Compare the conclusions required for this with existing reports. Identify areas not yet covered for additional specialist work. Subsequent construction follows the agreed plan version.

02

Record small foundations as separate ground disturbance

Lights, fences or technical equipment may need their own foundations. These may extend beyond otherwise shallow ground works. Mark such points separately on the plan. Whether an existing investigation result is sufficient depends on its location and depth references, rather than only the size of the visible structure.

State additional depth explicitly where the design defines it. If the location is initially unresolved, show possible positions separately. If a point is later moved, agree the new requirement before its construction. Evidence for the former location remains tied to that location.

03

Include drainage and utility services

Utility trenches and drainage facilities may extend beyond the main redevelopment area. Identify these sections with their proposed depths too. If connections are moved later, compare the changed route again. A complete location plan helps plan the services needed together without overlooking individual work locations.

Identify connection points, shaft areas and associated working spaces. A shared project name does not establish that every section was investigated together. Assign existing results to the actual ground volumes. Record changes with their areas and depths. This gives the drainage or utility contractor the relevant results.

04

Include preparatory works in the sequence

Removing old structures or exposing unknown buried installations may itself involve ground disturbance. Clarify in advance which preparations are technically appropriate. You do not need to clear a property yourself before making an enquiry. Photographs and existing plans initially help describe access and working conditions.

A photograph may explain the condition visible above ground. For earlier structures, include available records of existing installations. Unknown depths or buried structures initially remain identified as unresolved information. Before necessary preparatory works, clarify the investigation need and protective measures with a specialist.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Show area-wide works and individual points together

An overview can relate path areas to individual foundations and connection points. State the proposed depths for each point. This makes the full ground disturbance scope clear. Areas already investigated can be specifically assigned, while specialist planning explicitly retains the points still unresolved.

For several small work locations, use clear identifiers on the plan. Add known ground disturbance depths and later changes for each. An overview showing only the entire landscaping area may conceal these differences. Relate the commissioned specialist work and its results to the actual ground disturbance proposed.

Describe preparatory removal as a work step

Old hard surfacing or foundation remains may need attention before new construction. These activities may also disturb the ground. First describe the existing condition and proposed approach using documents. Technical coordination clarifies the prerequisites; general site clearance is not sufficient investigation planning. 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

Compile all proposed separate commissions

Bring the proposed earthworks together even if different companies will carry them out. Identify the sequence and existing findings. The initial discussion can then consider early works and dependencies. Give each separate commission a clear spatial reference and the results it needs.

Identify which company carries out which ground works and who maintains the common set of documents. Coordination also considers early investigation points or removal of existing structures. Clarify necessary investigations and protective measures before this ground disturbance. Contractors receive the available results for their next task with remaining limitations.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Keep the plan updated through to construction

External works often change during design. Keep the current version available and mark changes to areas or depths. Specialist planning checks the affected scope again. Pass results and remaining limitations to contractors before they work at the newly proposed locations.

For additional works, describe the scope and prerequisites explicitly. Coordinate necessary area clearance, investigation of findings or recovery work with the responsible parties. Where clearance work is actually carried out, keep the corresponding clearance record in the project file with the areas addressed. Results handover identifies the specialist service actually performed and its limits.

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 findings to a defined area. For redevelopment, check whether it covers the proposed external works. Where historical questions remain, carry out necessary research or additional aerial photograph analysis. Relate its results to the current ground works. A general planning note is distinct from an actual assessment for the property. Also consider technical investigations already available. The specialist assessment describes the findings reached and conclusions still needed for paths, utilities or individual foundations.

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

Geomagnetics measures the magnetic field passively. An object's magnetic effect determines whether it can be detected; conductivity alone is insufficient. Fences, existing foundations and utilities may affect measurements for external works. Record these conditions for each work location. Interpretation assesses anomalies alongside interference; a signal alone does not identify explosive ordnance. A neighbouring investigation may provide usable information without covering the newly proposed foundation point. Relate results and limitations to the ground volume actually investigated.

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, evaluate the time-dependent electromagnetic response of conductive objects. Assess their suitability for the investigation objective and actual conditions. Drainage sections and freely accessible path areas may have different structures and interference. Specialist planning considers these differences. Collected data receive a clear assessment with a spatial reference. Sections not sufficiently investigated remain identified. If a small installation moves later, compare its new ground volume with existing conclusions and determine the additional need.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can show subsurface structures and reflections. Ground composition, moisture and structures affect interpretation. For external works, determine the information needed at each location. A visible structure does not automatically identify explosive ordnance. Equally, an image extract without anomalies does not establish general conclusions for other depths. Document the specialist interpretation with its actual limits. Check the purpose and usability of results from another investigation before construction relies on them.

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

Small above-ground structures may need their own deeper foundations or connections. For the investigation commission, identify these points with their locations, depths and reference elevations. If surface investigation cannot provide the conclusions needed, a specialist plans a suitable deep or downhole survey. Clarify access and prerequisites in advance. Evidence remains tied to the ground volume actually investigated. Compare any later relocation of a light or fence with the existing results. A similar design does not replace this spatial comparison.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

Coordinate any necessary explosive ordnance investigation during construction with the individual external works. The approach may include the necessary excavation in layers, specialist exposure of objects and additional surveying. Visual observation of ordinary excavation alone is insufficient for detection. Clarify necessary prerequisites and protective measures before the affected ground works. Each contractor receives the results relevant to its task. Areas not yet investigated remain identified by location. Pass new findings to the responsible parties through the agreed reporting channel for specialist handling.

Agree the approach during construction
Technical assessment

Turn a planning note into an appropriate investigation commission

Place historical indications in their spatial context

The Historical aerial photograph analysis is considered together with other available information. Existing reports on earlier use and technical investigations may supplement the assessment. The relationship to the proposed work area matters. A general warning in a land-use plan does not identify the appropriate method for every individual location.

Clarify measurement conditions on site

The Surveying must be able to achieve the proposed investigation objective under the actual conditions. Structures, hard surfacing or interfering materials may play a part. Describe known obstructions in the initial enquiry. Investigation limitations belong in the results and must not be silently omitted during later construction.

Relate measures to the redevelopment

A Clearance plan can assign the necessary investigation and clearance work to the proposed construction sections. Preparatory ground disturbance is considered too. Observation during excavation alone does not replace a necessary prior investigation. A separate method during construction can be considered only after specialist assessment of the prerequisites.

Next steps

From landscape design to specialist results handover

01

Prepare a shared ground works plan

Combine paths, foundations, utilities and drainage in a location plan. State the proposed depths and current design status. Clearly identify options not yet decided. This helps distinguish settled work areas from possible later extensions to the commission. In the initial enquiry, identify the project location and conclusions needed. Check existing plans, statements and reports for currency, spatial reference, completeness and gaps.

02

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.

03

Obtain the applicable plan and its appendices

Kempten's land-use planning information covers each plan's content and area. The address and cadastral plot help with a property-specific enquiry. Check explanatory statements and relevant appendices too. An early plan may contain indications but is distinct from the later procedural status and actual investigation results. 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

Hand over the complete existing results

Send reports with maps and documented limits. If an appendix is missing, request it before applying the result to a new area. Identify works carried out since the investigation too. This allows earlier documents to be related clearly to the present design.

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

Resolve outstanding points before the next ground works

Contractors need clear conclusions for their work area. Address outstanding areas or depths with a specialist before the affected ground disturbance. If individual installations are arranged differently later, pass on the new plan. Earlier coordination does not automatically apply to a changed location or deeper ground disturbance.

Documentation

Separate private specialist services from public authority tasks

Findings and their scope

For Bavarian construction projects, the current notice distinguishes preliminary property investigation from state disposal of explosive ordnance that has been found. The state service does not provide a general precautionary search for construction projects. Local hazard response generally lies with the municipalities. If explosive ordnance is actually found, notify the police immediately.

Project responsibilities

FONTANA-EOD supports the technical preparation of services needed for your Kempten project. The BFR KMR and their principles for planning and documentation are among the technical sources used. Their direct scope covers federal properties; this does not create a blanket additional duty for private properties. The specific commission needs its own clear scope.

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 ground disturbance behind a small structure

A post, shaft or technical connection may extend deeper than surrounding path construction. Describe the below-ground scope precisely enough. The specialist assessment considers location and depth alongside existing findings. A small visible surface alone does not establish whether the ground disturbance has already been investigated.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Distinguish early consultation from investigation results

A plan prepared for consultation supports further coordination of a project. Read its indications with their date and spatial scope. Whether a specialist service was performed later is established by the relevant reports. For new works, bring both document types together without confusing their different purposes.

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 leisure sites and early planning indications

Has a leisure site in long-term use automatically been investigated?

No. Existing use does not establish that a particular subsurface investigation took place. Before new ground disturbance, clarify which reports are available and whether their conclusions cover the proposed working areas and depths.

What can be established from the preliminary draft at Bachtelweiher?

It contains indications for the specific project's planning area. The September 2026 version is an early draft. It establishes neither a confirmed explosive ordnance find nor evidence of a completed investigation.

Do small foundation points need to be identified too?

They should be included in the enquiry where ground disturbance is planned. Their locations and depths may differ from the other external works. The investigation scope needed therefore requires a separate comparison.

Is a note in the land-use plan sufficient for construction?

A planning note does not replace a necessary investigation result. Obtain the existing specialist reports and have their conclusions compared with the planned ground disturbance. Areas still unresolved must remain clear.

How should I respond to a suspicious object?

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.

What information on hard surfacing and structures does specialist planning need?

Describe known obstructions and access conditions using existing plans and photographs. These may affect measurement conditions and must be considered when selecting a suitable investigation. Agree necessary preparations in advance; you do not need to clear the property yourself before making an enquiry.

Which factors affect costs for many small external work locations?

The work required depends on existing information and information still needed, unresolved historical questions, areas and depths, the number and locations of individual work points, access, structures and interference, necessary preparatory works, suitable methods, interpretation and documentation. Usable earlier results are considered. Additional or relocated foundations and changed utilities may require a different investigation scope. Match the services to the ground works actually proposed.

What still needs checking when a path route changes?

Whether new areas or depths are affected and whether the existing investigation results still cover them.

Project enquiry

Prepare the first technical discussion

Bring the external works together

Draw paths, points, drainage and utilities.

Mark additional points and provisional options. For individual commissions, identify known depths, access and the proposed sequence. Ground works not yet defined remain identified as unresolved information. Technical coordination follows the next conclusions needed and the ground volumes actually proposed.

Add the sequence

Assign early works, depths and reports.

Attach the available reports with maps and their respective plan versions. Explain known later surface changes and relocated work points. A coordinating person brings design questions together. State known prerequisites and limitations in the enquiry; agree outstanding technical tasks before the affected works. 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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