Project pathway
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Are you planning groundworks in Munich as a client, consulting engineer or site manager, and already have aerial photographs or investigation reports? We compare the dates, areas and questions covered by those documents with your planned works. FONTANA-EOD helps you establish which findings remain useful and what still needs investigation. Please send a site plan, excavation depths and the complete reports, including their appendices.
State the origin and dates of photographs and reports.
Mark excavations, service routes and foundation points on the plan.
Record the areas covered and the outstanding questions identified in the report.
An explosive ordnance assessment for a construction project in Munich combines suitable historical evidence with the proposed works. We compare the dates, provenance, study area and purpose of existing documents with the current design. The city's aerial imagery dating from 1976 can show later site conditions; an explosive ordnance assessment needs periods and sources that can answer that particular question. The specialist assessment establishes what further investigation is needed for the planned areas and depths.
Explosive ordnance survey – Munich – Regerstraße/Franziskanerstraße – tram track construction Munich
Service period: 2026-08
Service areas:Surface surveys: GPR, TDEM and magnetometryMethod used in this project: Ground-penetrating radar

The city's imagery dating from 1976 can help explain how a site developed later. Historical explosive ordnance assessment requires suitable periods and supporting records. We therefore assess an image or report by what it can actually establish, rather than by its description as historical. The official register of municipalities lists Munich as an independent city and the state capital in Upper Bavaria. The city must be distinguished from the district of Munich. For projects in the surrounding area, the project address determines which municipality is responsible. You can find further project locations in the regional overview.
To identify the location, you can specify a district such as Altstadt-Lehel, Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Maxvorstadt, Schwabing-West, Schwabing-Freimann, Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, Bogenhausen, Sendling, Obersendling, Moosach or Ramersdorf-Perlach, together with the exact address. For industrial and railway sites, mark the affected plots or corridors. For enquiries concerning the district of Munich, Unterföhring, Garching bei München, Ottobrunn, Unterschleißheim or other locations in the metropolitan region, the municipality and responsible authority are identified separately. These details establish where the enquiry relates to; the assessment of suspected ordnance depends on the evidence for the actual site.
The Reconstruction Atlas of the House of Bavarian History records bomb strikes on the Munich Residenz in October 1943 and March 1944, followed by extensive destruction and fire on 24/25 April 1944. Further damage occurred in December 1944 and February 1945; work to secure the buildings and clear rubble had already begun in 1944. Research relates this local building history to the specific project location and subsequent changes. For railway corridors with stations, track layouts, underpasses or bridges, and for former industrial and barracks sites, suitable records and aerial photographs are used to examine documented uses and wartime impacts.
GeodatenService München offers current and historical aerial photographs dating from 1976. These images can illustrate a site's later development. They do not directly show its condition during the Second World War. Preliminary explosive ordnance assessment therefore relies on photographs from suitable periods and other historical sources that can answer the relevant questions.
The city's published assessment report for Manzostraße 79 dated 13 May 2020 identifies nine aerial photographs for that construction project, taken in March 1943 and between April 1944 and June 1945. It describes a mainly agricultural site in 1945 and a substantially changed situation with school buildings and sports facilities in 2018. Those findings apply to the area investigated in that report. A different property requires an assessment of its own sources and planned groundworks.
The Bavarian notice on explosive ordnance hazard prevention refers to historical aerial photographs, property records and archives. It also makes clear that Bavaria has no central register of sites affected by explosive ordnance. The absence of an entry on a general map is therefore not an investigation result. For your project, the available sources, the actual site and any documented previous investigations are considered together.
For the commissioned work, the applicable technical requirements, permits, competence and responsibilities are clarified. The actual scope of work is what matters. Tasks and interfaces are described for the project and checked against the required authorisations.
The risk assessment, work areas and communication arrangements must suit the planned activities. Specialist explosive ordnance work is coordinated with the other construction activities. Site organisation, traffic safety and other technical assessments retain their own responsible parties. Joint coordination assigns the relevant specialist work and responsibilities to the affected construction sections.
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.
The aerial imagery provided by Munich's GeodatenService describes photographs dating from 1976. For property research and the responsibilities of the parties involved, the Bavarian notice dated 13 August 2026 is the relevant reference. Historical assessment uses sources suited to the particular question.
The BFR KMR guidelines on clearance planning describe how to prepare the specialist work. The sections on geophysics support the choice of method, while those on documentation support the handover of results. The DGUV FAQs on explosive ordnance clearance explain technical questions about carrying out the work.
The BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; locally applicable requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately.
The permits, competence and responsibilities required for the specific activity are assessed 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.
The client describes the project and provides the available project records. The operator adds requirements for use, access and timing. A coordinating contact brings the parties together; individual tasks remain assigned to the named parties. Before commissioning, it is clearly recorded what information is missing, who will obtain it and what decision the result is intended to prepare.
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.
The private explosive ordnance specialist carries out the agreed investigation and documentation work. Requirements and decisions of public authorities are addressed with the responsible bodies. The documents needed for a particular procedure depend on the location and project. The technical report describes the work carried out, including its documented area, depth and scope. Decisions reserved for public authorities are made by those authorities.
The Bavarian notice distinguishes general hazard prevention from project-specific property research. Public safety authorities and the police carry out their assigned duties; the state-appointed explosive ordnance disposal service acts within its defined remit. Clients and contractors investigate suspected explosive ordnance relevant to their work and arrange the necessary specialist services. The private specialist researches, investigates and documents the agreed scope. The responsible authorities are involved if ordnance is found. The report limits its findings to the areas actually assessed or investigated.
Historical assessment and technical investigation provide different kinds of evidence. The existing findings are considered alongside the planned groundworks to identify the question that still needs to be addressed. The investigation method is then selected according to the objective, depth and actual site conditions.
Identify further specialist work from the outstanding questionAccess, installations and surface conditions can affect an investigation. The report describes the scope actually achieved and its limitations. These findings are compared with the groundworks that follow. A site visit alone does not establish that all planned areas have been adequately investigated.
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For aerial photographs, the date and area covered are crucial. Reports should include the author, date and appendices. Unknown details are identified as such. This allows the specialist assessment to establish what a document supports and what further information is needed for the particular property.
The comparison uses the complete report, including all plans and appendices. The investigation boundary, the dates of the aerial photographs and a clear account of outstanding questions are particularly important. A document concerning the neighbouring property can support the research, but its findings must be considered in light of the area it actually covers. If parts are missing, the original author or client is asked for the complete set. The current design retains its own date so that older and newer findings can be distinguished.
Document the provenance and scope of the evidence
Show excavations, connections and foundation points on the current site plan. Add depths and any known changes to the site. These details are compared with the earlier investigation boundaries. The same street name or an unchanged address does not establish that the affected ground remains unchanged.
The enquiry also covers service connections, excavation support, piled foundations, underground car parks and preparatory working areas where these form part of the project. In a densely built-up area, different groundworks may take place alongside or after one another. Describe the volumes of ground affected and how they fit into the construction sequence. For a change of use, include any available information on former industrial or barracks sites. For municipal transport, utility or urban development projects, identify the affected construction sections and their handovers. This allows the specialist design to relate investigation requirements to the actual work.
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The documentation retains both usable findings and outstanding questions. Extracts remain linked to their original report. This makes clear what evidence is already available for the next groundworks. Additional investigations address the remaining requirements without discarding earlier findings indiscriminately.
For a site in Munich with suspected explosive ordnance, the next specialist task is determined from the available findings. This may involve further historical research or a technical investigation. State which decision is needed for the next construction section. A sound finding covering part of the work remains usable within its documented scope. Unresolved areas or depths are assigned their own investigation task. The agreed approach records which findings must be available before the relevant groundworks and who will hand them to site management.
Document findings and their limitationsFirst 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 taskRequired 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 programmeA realistic programme distinguishes technically resolved work from prerequisites that are still outstanding. If only part of a site will be accessible, the commission must take this into account. Handover and assessment of the results also need time in the construction programme. The schedule and effort are agreed once the scope, access and prerequisites are clear. This coordination brings together the specified scope, access, documents, site conditions and the date by which a decision is needed.
Discuss the scope and scheduleSend the complete existing report, including appendices, author and date. For individual images or map extracts, the provenance and date are important. An extract from a presentation may omit the area shown or the limitations of the investigation. Mark unknown details rather than inferring them from the document's appearance.
A digital file may contain several versions of a plan. Identify the plan revision and the corresponding report. Older parcel numbers or changed property boundaries are checked against the current site plan. Clear section names help identify corridors; point numbers identify individual boreholes or foundations. The report retains its geographical and technical context. If a reduced presentation graphic lacks a legend or boundary, obtain the complete appendix first. This provides a traceable basis for the investigation.
Place the earlier report's site plan alongside the current design. What matters is whether the investigated area matches the planned groundworks. A report covering a neighbouring site or another construction section is not automatically evidence for the current work area. Clarify uncertain boundaries before using the report.
When comparing the site with its earlier condition, also check whether it has since been developed, demolished, filled or excavated. Include any available records. Later construction alone establishes neither a documented ordnance find nor documented absence of explosive ordnance.
Describe known excavations or filling by location, period and available records. If ground levels have changed, identify the level datum used for any earlier depth. If the new works go deeper or affect a different volume of ground, give the revised description to the specialist designers. Records of rubble clearance, demolition and later infrastructure works can add to the site history. These findings are assessed alongside existing investigation reports for the relevant stage of work. The documented scope of earlier specialist work remains clear.
State which work is planned next. This might be an excavation, a service connection or individual foundation points. Provide locations, depths and level datums. The property address alone does not establish the required investigation.
Records of demolition, filling or excavation can help compare past and present site conditions. State known works and their dates. This does not automatically establish that an explosive ordnance investigation took place: actual reports and findings must support that conclusion. The evidence trail includes the initial information, a site plan showing parcels, work areas or corridors, and historical records. Survey data and detection results are linked to the assessment of findings. Where clearance was actually carried out, the clearance record documents the scope completed. The conclusions identify further work for unresolved areas.
A reduced image may lose its legend, boundary or scale. Request the complete plan if these details are missing. Before the extract is used to assess the groundworks, its relevance is checked by a specialist. A visually plausible extract does not replace a traceable link to the investigated area.
Send existing reports as completely as possible. Identify the current construction task and any known changes to earlier plans. The specialist review determines which findings can still be used. Missing evidence or investigations are then related specifically to the planned groundworks.
The scope and intended outcome are agreed alongside the survey conditions. Existing services, reinforcement, foundations and metallic interference can affect interpretation. Ground conditions and moisture also matter when choosing a method. Whether surface investigation is sufficient or investigation at depth is needed depends on the task and the depth of the planned ground intervention. A borehole clearance is recorded with its position and documented depth interval. Investigation, interpretation and any follow-up examination of findings are planned as related services. The report and site plan state their limitations.
Additional investigations are documented with their date, area and purpose. Earlier reports retain their original limitations. Site management can see which documents together cover the current design. Later changes can be assessed against this documented position.
A tender specification describes the required specialist work, including area, depth, available background information and access conditions. Offers can then address the same task. Where needed, a clearance concept links the suspected hazard, investigation methods and construction sequence. Area clearance or examination of a finding is assigned a defined scope and the necessary interfaces. Suitable explosive ordnance supervision of excavation is planned with its work area and procedures. Protective measures and coordination with other trades are related to the actual activity. Changes are communicated to the responsible parties before they are carried out. Any required ordnance recovery is coordinated with the responsible authorities.
Historical aerial photograph assessment and other old records help place the basis for suspicion in its spatial context. The available images, their evidential value and the limits of the area considered matter. The absence of an identifiable indication must be distinguished from a technically surveyed ground area. The assessment is considered together with the planned intervention and other available findings. It can support the choice of a survey, but is not a measurement of the present-day subsurface or confirmation for all future works.
Understand aerial photograph assessmentMagnetometric methods detect magnetic anomalies. Whether they can address the specific survey task depends, among other things, on the expected objects, ground conditions, interference and required survey area. Fences, utilities or existing structures may affect interpretation. A measurement signal is therefore not described as ordnance solely because of its strength. Method, interpretation and any further investigation are planned as a connected specialist task.
Understand the scope of magnetometryElectromagnetic investigations can be suitable for particular metallic targets and site conditions. Their suitability must be explained for the task, rather than inferred simply from the availability of equipment. Interfering installations, accessible areas and the findings required must also be considered. Results are documented with their location and survey conditions. The specialist assessment determines whether a supplementary method is needed; this remains a project-specific decision.
Understand electromagnetic surveyingUnder suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide information about subsurface structures and reflections. Ground conditions, moisture, installations and the particular survey task affect interpretability. An anomaly is not automatically ordnance, and an area with no apparent anomalies is not general evidence for arbitrary depths. The specialist interpretation and its limits are documented with the instruction. A survey for another purpose is not adopted without checking as ordnance evidence.
GPR and limitationsFor deeper groundworks, it may be necessary to establish whether a surface investigation can provide the required findings or another approach is needed. Preparation includes the location, depth, borehole layout and existing services. Creating access for the investigation must also be properly planned by specialists. A general depth figure or standard grid cannot replace that work. Findings remain limited to the areas actually investigated and the method used.
Prepare deep interventionsIf a necessary preliminary investigation cannot be completed, the specialists assess whether a planned approach during construction is suitable. This includes coordinated investigation, interpretation and communication of findings within the intended work sequence. Visual observation of excavated material is not an interchangeable substitute for a necessary survey. Site management needs a clear description of when specialist work will take place, how new findings will be handled and which areas remain unresolved.
Agree the approach during constructionA historical aerial photograph analysis describes the material used, the area considered and the findings derived from it. If a source is missing or can only be interpreted to a limited extent, that limitation forms part of the assessment. Possessing an old aerial photograph alone cannot replace specialist interpretation and geographical identification.
A surface survey is planned according to the investigation objective and actual conditions. Accessibility, terrain and interfering installations can affect the investigation. The report must also identify areas that could not be investigated or could only be interpreted to a limited extent. A completed site visit does not establish that the whole site has been investigated.
If the planned works extend beyond the ground already assessed, the additional requirement needs specialist review. Whether a downhole survey or another approach is suitable depends on the task and conditions. Visual inspection of excavated material alone cannot replace proper explosive ordnance detection.
Compile reports, appendices and known sources. At the initial discussion, we establish the location, next groundworks and information needed. Document review relates existing reports and plans to the proposed groundworks.
Show the investigation area and current groundworks on the plan. Where evidence is missing, historical research and aerial photograph interpretation are carried out. The choice of method takes account of the suspected hazard, target objects, depth interval, interference and access.
Identify unknown image dates, site boundaries or depths. The agreed survey or suitable supervision covers the specified areas. Assessment relates the findings and investigation limits to the construction task.
Agree any necessary additions and the required reporting. The report and location plans, together with a clearance record where clearance was carried out, document the work completed. The next decision establishes further investigation or coordination for unresolved areas.
The report should show which sources were used, which areas were investigated and the methods applied. Limitations and outstanding questions remain part of the documentation. If new areas or different excavation depths are added later, the report is compared with the revised design to establish whether the previous investigations are sufficient.
Under the applicable Bavarian notice, clients and construction contractors are responsible for investigating suspected explosive ordnance relevant to their work. Property research and project-specific assessment are commissioned as private specialist services. The explosive ordnance disposal service appointed by the Free State carries out its assigned duties in response to specific hazards from old ordnance. The investigation report relates its findings to the areas and depths actually investigated.
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 taskWe 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.
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.
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.
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.
The findings, plans and explanations complement one another. Keep them together and pass on the complete set for the next design stage. Any missing appendix is identified. A specialist can use an extract only if its context and scope are known.
The project file links the commission, historical source material and technical findings. The survey report and location plans document the methods, areas and depths investigated, assessment of findings and survey limitations. Where clearance was carried out, the clearance record adds its completed scope. Site management receives these documents together with outstanding tasks for further groundworks. The context remains available when designers or contractors change. Later additions are filed with their date and the area they cover. Before reuse, earlier findings are compared with the newly proposed construction task.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsState which construction decision needs to be supported and which groundworks are planned. The specialist design can then establish the scope required. This turns a collection of older documents into a traceable basis for the work. Remaining uncertainties stay part of the coordination. Known demolition, filling, excavations and other groundworks are reported so that past and present conditions can be compared. Old and new reports are retained together so that their areas and purposes remain identifiable.
Understand the service scope
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
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


Historical assessment, technical investigation and follow-up work answer different questions. Describe the planned groundworks and the findings needed in your enquiry. The requirements of industrial and infrastructure projects must be included in the preparation.
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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 documentationThe service described there provides photographs dating from 1976. They can document later site conditions but cannot replace sources from the periods relevant to the explosive ordnance question. Any further documents required depend on the historical question for the particular site.
No. It may contain important findings. Its study area, source material, original purpose and relevance to the current groundworks must be checked. A document's age alone does not establish whether further investigation is needed. Clarify investigation requirements before the affected works begin. Document review, any necessary historical research and method selection lead to investigation, assessment and documentation.
The two services provide different kinds of evidence. Historical assessment identifies the questions that require further work. Whether a technical investigation is needed, and its extent, are established from the project and available findings. Methods, ground conditions, interference and accessible areas limit the technical conclusions; the report states these conditions.
The appointed service carries out its assigned duties in response to specific hazards from old ordnance. Property research and project-specific assessment are commissioned privately. The report describes the areas actually assessed or investigated and their limitations.
Stop the affected work immediately, keep your distance and keep other people away. Do not touch, move or uncover the object further. Notify the police, using 110 for an urgent find, and follow official instructions. Do not attempt your own examination or recovery.
The date, provenance, geographical coverage or legend may be missing. These details are clarified before the material is used for specialist assessment.
The report and location plans document the areas, depths, findings and investigation limitations. A clearance record is included where clearance was actually carried out. Further outstanding tasks are identified for the next groundworks.
Usable documents, the research required, areas and depths, access and interference determine the work involved. Interpretation, documentation and examination of findings form part of the agreed scope. The costs of privately commissioned preventive work must be distinguished from tasks commissioned by the state under Bavarian arrangements.
Submit the author, date and all appendices with your enquiry. Include conditions imposed by authorities, aerial photograph assessments and utility plans, identifying their revisions.
Mark locations, depths and known site changes on the plan. Add the address, parcels, work areas, corridors and borehole positions, together with the construction schedule, project status and contact person.
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.