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

Explosive ordnance surveying in Neu-Ulm

Alterations may reach ground previously undisturbed through foundation strengthening, additional foundations or new utilities. FONTANA-EOD helps project owners, designers and site managers in Neu-Ulm compare this ground disturbance with existing explosive ordnance documents. Send plans of existing structures, new foundation details and complete reports so usable results and additional specialist services needed can be identified.

Existing assets

Assign reports and earlier ground works.

Alterations

Identify new areas and depths.

Investigation

Define the commission to suit the design.

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

What details does explosive ordnance assessment need for alterations?

Show the new ground disturbance inside and outside the existing building. Include strengthening works, additional foundations, utilities and preparatory investigation points. State their locations and depths, and attach existing reports with maps. The specialist assessment compares their scope with the current design and considers actual access conditions.

Project site

Connect the site with the specific construction task

Map of Bavaria with a blue-and-white lozenge shield and crown, a tablet, white FONTANA-EOD helmet and notebook.

Relate Neu-Ulm's planning notes to your own project

Plan M 81/3 explicitly identifies foundation strengthening and addresses the investigation and coordination needs of its area at that time. Your building's own requirements are assessed. The city planning department provides plan inspection and information; specialist planning adds the specific relation to the location, depth and conditions of your ground works. Neu-Ulm is a major district town in the district of Neu-Ulm, in the Swabiaadministrative district, and belongs to the Free State of Bavaria. For a property within the city, assign municipal documents using the address, cadastral plot and plan version. For a project in another municipality, clarify responsibility there. Neighbouring Ulm is in Baden-Württemberg; for projects crossing the border, record the municipality and federal state for each project part. Further project locations are listed in the regional overview; the specialist commission concerns the ground works actually proposed.

Bavaria
Local context

Air raids on Neu-Ulm and assessment of present-day foundations

Foundation strengthening in the specific plan M 81/3

The text of land-use plan M81/3, “Im Starkfeld/Finninger Straße, Partial Amendment 3”, dated 12 February 2024, addresses explosive ordnance for its planning area. Alongside new buildings, it explicitly identifies foundation strengthening as ground disturbance. For these works, the planning text requires prior aerial photograph analysis and describes further steps depending on the result.

The planning text describes repeated Second World War bombing of its area and surroundings. The Neu-Ulm City Archive documents the heavy air raids of 1 and 4 March 1945. For the raid of 10 September 1944, it identifies Wehrmacht installations in Neu-Ulm and Reichsbahn facilities in Ulm as the main targets. This local wartime history forms part of the information for historical preliminary investigation. To assess the present construction area, analyse available aerial photographs and land-use records for the specific area and combine them with later specialist reports.

Consider existing structures and new ground volumes together

The requirements belong to this specific plan and its status at that time. For another property, first clarify which documents and requirements actually apply. An enquiry for works to existing structures should nevertheless show more than the building outline: new ground disturbance depths and individual structural locations help determine the conclusions needed.

The February 2024 text also provides for early contact with the city and documents on proposed works for the planning area described. For a present-day project, obtain the applicable planning documents and investigation status now reached. Evidence missing at that time may have been supplemented by later results. The project owner provides the complete documents with the new ground works so the city and specialist designers can determine their respective contributions.

Working together

Roles and responsibilities at the location

Client and operator

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.

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 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.

In Bavaria, municipalities generally provide local hazard response as public safety authorities. Where urgent action is needed, the police take the necessary measures. The explosive ordnance disposal service commissioned by the Interior Ministry supports response to specific hazards from legacy ordnance that has been found. The München disposal unit is responsible for the district of Neu-Ulm in the Swabia administrative district. Prepare project-specific research and property investigation as separate specialist commissions; distinguish them from the commissioned service's activities involving legacy ordnance that are free of charge under the Bavarian notice.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Plan the investigation around existing-site conditions

Access, utilities and structures remaining in place may affect the work. Include these details in the initial enquiry. Specialist planning selects a suitable approach for the specific investigation objective. The report must show which areas were investigated with meaningful results under these conditions and what limitations apply.

Compare suitable specialist services

Relate a design change to its ground volume

For a relocated or deeper foundation, the actual changed location and depth matter. Provide the new plan with earlier results. Suitable findings can then remain in use. Additional services address the outstanding need rather than being determined solely by the description of the alterations.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

Prepare alterations according to their actual ground disturbance

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

Trace the areas investigated earlier

An existing building may have different foundations and have been built in several phases. Compile available investigation reports with their associated plans. Spatial allocation is decisive for the next comparison. The current building footprint does not establish which ground volumes were actually investigated earlier.

Obtain changes and additions for earlier construction phases too. A location plan may define the earlier investigation differently from the current building footprint. The associated appendices and elevation references therefore matter when using a report. Where details are unclear, trace the documented scope through the original records. Identify missing information specifically. The enquiry can then consider usable earlier findings and limit the outstanding task to the new work locations.

Assign earlier investigations spatially
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Relate the commission to the new work locations

Strengthening may affect a small area while extending deeper than the existing foundation. Describe each proposed ground disturbance precisely enough. Specialist planning considers conditions at the building and identifies the conclusions needed. Agree preparatory services and necessary access before the affected work begins.

During alterations, several trades may affect different ground volumes. Assign foundations, building connections, drainage and preparatory boreholes to the relevant plans. A common plan version prevents a specialist contractor considering only the visible extension while early works are due to begin elsewhere. The tender describes the investigation task, available documents, access and expected results handover. Construction options still open remain clear and are technically defined before the affected ground disturbance.

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

Hand over results for the relevant construction phase

The site management team needs a clear relationship between the report, current design and forthcoming ground disturbance. Hand over the complete documents, including limitations. Areas not yet investigated remain identified. If strengthening works change during detailed design, compare the new scope with existing results before the work.

Allocation by work location helps results handover. Contractors must be able to identify which plan and report apply to their forthcoming ground works. If changes occur, pass on the affected documents updated together. Investigation areas still unresolved remain clear even if neighbouring structures are already built. The specialist assessment identifies the service performed and its limits. This determines the next step needed for the ground volume not yet investigated.

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 reliable programme distinguishes tasks already technically resolved from prerequisites still outstanding. If an area will be only partly accessible, account for this when commissioning work. Results handover and assessment also need time in the construction programme. Agree timing and the work required once scope, access, documents, construction conditions and the date a decision is needed are clarified.

Discuss the scope and schedule
Tasks at the site

Which changes to existing structures matter for assessment?

01

New foundations beside old structures

An additional extension may lie outside an area investigated earlier. Even within the existing building footprint, a new foundation may reach different depths. Show old and new structures together on the plan. Only this relationship allows assessment of whether an existing report actually covers the proposed works.

02

Strengthening beneath existing buildings

Foundation strengthening often affects a small area but may extend beyond the earlier foundation. The term alterations says little about this. The proposed work locations, depths and access conditions are decisive for specialist planning. Describe which structures and utilities must remain in place during the works too.

03

Utilities and preparatory investigation points

The subsurface is affected before the eventual main excavation. Geotechnical investigation points, new building connections or drainage pipes may require earlier ground disturbance. Include these items in the enquiry and identify early dates. An investigation result for the later structure does not automatically cover preparatory works elsewhere.

04

Obtain earlier investigations with their appendices

An earlier results note may be useful if its spatial scope remains traceable. Maps, depth information and documented limitations are needed too. If these details are missing, supplement the original document. A building's long-term operation alone does not establish conclusions for additional ground disturbance.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Draw new and existing structures distinctly

Identify which parts remain in place and where additional ground volumes are affected. Sections can show the difference between old and new foundations. Unresolved depth details remain identified as such. This allows a specific investigation commission without inferring broader conclusions from a general alteration drawing.

Include early investigation points in the programme

Exploratory boreholes may take place before construction itself and need their own spatial allocation. State their positions, depths and dates. Clarify the prerequisites before this ground disturbance. A later commission for the new building area does not automatically describe every preparatory task within the existing building. Assign a clearance record for clearance work actually performed to the relevant points and work areas too. It documents methods, findings and outstanding tasks so its conclusions can be compared with later construction.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Start by comparing old and new

Collect plans of existing structures, the current design and existing investigation results. Add known gaps, such as unknown foundation depths. The initial discussion checks which information is already usable. For missing details, clarify how they can be obtained or considered technically before defining a specific commission.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Prepare the next ground works individually

For strengthening in stages, the sequence may affect access and measurement conditions. Assign the conclusions needed to the planned work locations. Project participants receive the current plan with the relevant reports. Outstanding tasks remain clear until specialist clarification; progress on neighbouring works does not resolve them.

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 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 assessment

Magnetometric survey

Magnetometric 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 magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Electromagnetic 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 surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under 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 limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

For 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 interventions

Survey during construction

If 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 construction
Technical assessment

Focus the investigation on the new ground disturbance

Clarify the construction area's earlier history

The Historical aerial photograph analysis and other available records help assess possible wartime impacts. Consider existing technical results too. Preliminary investigation should define the questions for the present ground works more precisely. It is distinct from any technical investigation needed later and does not prescribe its method in general.

If underlying information is incomplete, the necessary Historical aerial photograph analysis is brought together with building files, land-use information and existing explosive ordnance reports. Historical images may show changes and indications now covered by existing structures. Their dates and recognisable coverage are considered in the analysis. Later earthmoving and investigations already documented also belong in the assessment. This establishes a reasoned question for the proposed foundation details. Record the remaining limits explicitly where image or file information is missing.

Consider conditions at the building

The Surveying must fit the investigation objective and local conditions. Existing structures, utilities or restricted access may affect measurements. Clarify these points before commissioning a method. The report must show which areas could be investigated with usable results and where limitations remain.

The choice of Surveying considers expected targets, ground composition, metal interference and the investigation depth needed. At an existing building, consider existing foundations, utilities and the working space actually available too. For deeper localised ground disturbance, check whether the proposed investigation reaches the required ground volume or further work is needed. Any necessary deep survey or borehole clearance receives a clear location and depth reference. Agree the preparations possible with a specialist before the ground disturbance they involve.

Coordinate construction phases and specialist services

A Clearance plan can relate the necessary measures to the construction phases. It describes which conclusions must be available before a particular ground disturbance and how outstanding areas are addressed. Observation during excavation does not replace a necessary prior investigation. Special methods during construction need their own specialist assessment and suitable conditions.

The agreed Excavation supervision describes suitable specialist work within the planned sequence. For necessary area clearance, define the spatial scope, access and protective measures. Any necessary Ordnance recovery is prepared with the responsible parties for the specific task. If a suspicious object is encountered, stop the affected works and notify the police immediately. Contractors receive clear contacts and the information needed for their work section. Document the services performed with the associated findings and limits.

Next steps

From existing-structure plans to a clear investigation commission

01

Describe the construction project specifically

Provide a location plan and proposed sections. Draw new foundations, strengthening and utilities, even if they lie inside an existing building. Identify the current plan version and proposed dates. Clearly mark options still open so they are not treated as an agreed work scope. Record the project location, construction task and technical decision needed in the initial enquiry.

02

Identify the land-use plan for the property

The City of Neu-Ulm provides land-use plans online and allows inspection at the city planning department. The cadastral plot number, address or location plan helps identify the right documents. Read the associated texts alongside the plan drawing. A note in the explanatory statement does not replace an investigation report that may have been prepared later. Document review includes complete explosive ordnance reports and their appendices. Where underlying information is incomplete, carry out historical research and aerial photograph analysis.

03

Compare the scope before commissioning

Compare the new design with existing reports. Which areas and depths coincide, and which structures are additional? Record these questions in the enquiry. The commission can then consider usable existing results while addressing work not previously covered. Method selection considers targets, ground conditions, interference and required depth. The agreed surveying or suitable supervision addresses the defined scope; findings and measurement limitations receive specialist assessment.

04

Pass design changes to the specialist designers

If foundations are moved or deepened, the conclusions needed may change. Agree such changes before the ground disturbance concerned. The site management team should receive the current plan with the associated results. A report remains tied to its documented investigation scope even if the construction project keeps the same name. The report and results plans document the services performed. The next decision determines further specialist needs before the affected subsequent ground works.

A clearance record documents clearance work actually performed and its scope. Keep the investigation report, assessment and results plan available together. For a later extension, compare this documentation with the new ground disturbance. Use the specified elevations and areas so a depth figure remains traceable after ground level changes. Give the site management team the current technical allocation for the next construction section. Relate an additional commission to the outstanding question and evidence needed for it.

Documentation

Tasks during investigation and when an object is found

Findings and their scope

The Bavarian notice dated 13 August 2026 distinguishes project-specific preliminary investigation from hazard response involving legacy ordnance that has been found. Private specialist contractors carry out the commissioned property investigation. Local hazard response generally lies with the municipalities. Report an actual find to the police immediately.

Project responsibilities

FONTANA-EOD supports coordination of the investigation and clearance services needed for your Neu-Ulm construction project. The BFR KMR describe technical principles for planning, investigation and documentation. They apply directly to federal properties. For private projects, they do not create a blanket additional investigation duty; the specific circumstances and requirements for the planned works are decisive.

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

Define what the alterations actually involve

An investigation commission must make clear whether ground will be removed, foundations deepened or a utility newly installed. Describe these activities on the plan and in the sequence. A small visible structure may need its own below-ground disturbance. The conclusions needed follow this scope and the findings available.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Pass the correct version to contractors

If foundation details change, the new drawing should be clearly dated. Record which investigation was checked against it. Keep the complete reports available. This helps prevent an older location drawing remaining in use even though the forthcoming ground disturbance now concerns different ground volumes.

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 alterations and existing foundations

Does an existing building prove that the ground has been investigated?

No. Use of the building does not establish which areas and depths were previously investigated for explosive ordnance. For new ground disturbance, compare existing reports and their spatial scope with the current design. Agree the need before the proposed ground works. The process combines document review, necessary historical research, method selection and investigation or suitable supervision with assessment and documentation.

Why does foundation strengthening matter for assessment?

It may reach ground areas not covered by an earlier investigation. The specific Neu-Ulm plan M81/3 explicitly identifies such ground disturbance too. Whether your project needs investigation, and what kind, must be clarified using its own documents.

Can I reuse an earlier investigation for an extension?

Yes, where its conclusions fit the new works. Have the locations, depths, methods and limitations compared. A result for a neighbouring construction section cannot automatically be applied to the extension.

Do geotechnical boreholes already belong in the enquiry?

Yes, if they are part of the planned ground disturbance. State their proposed positions, depths and dates. Preparatory investigation points may have their own investigation need, limited in relation to the later construction works.

What should you do if a suspicious object is found?

Stop work, do not touch or move the object, and keep other people away. Notify the police immediately from a safe distance on 110. Further measures follow their instructions. The municipality carries out its local public safety tasks; the police and commissioned explosive ordnance disposal service carry out their respective hazard response tasks.

Which cost factors should be considered for alterations?

Research needs, the number and location of work points, ground disturbance depths, access and the appropriate method affect the work required. Interpretation, documentation and, where necessary, investigation of findings are additional factors. Usable existing reports help limit the additional commission to the questions still unresolved. Describe the services for the actual conditions at the existing building.

Why should access conditions be stated?

They may affect how a suitable investigation can be carried out. Specialist planning considers them alongside the investigation objective needed. Existing utilities, reinforcement and metal interference may limit measurements and interpretation; explain the achievable results for the actual conditions.

How are areas with investigation limitations handed over to the site management team?

Identify the affected areas in the results documents and retain the documented limitations. For the next construction phase, make clear which conclusions are usable and which question remains unresolved. A general statement that an investigation is completed is insufficient.

Project enquiry

Prepare the first technical discussion

Show old and new

Provide plans of existing structures and new foundation details together. Add the cadastral plot, plan version and appendices to earlier investigation results.

Assign work locations

Identify locations, depths, access and early investigation points. Assign the conclusions needed to the construction phases and identify changes to the earlier design.

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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