Technical map view of the Lower Franconia administrative district with Würzburg marked for explosive ordnance investigation and surveying by FONTANA-EOD

Explosive ordnance surveying in Würzburg for new foundations

For redevelopment in Würzburg, the planned foundations, excavations and connections are compared with existing knowledge of the previously used site. Geotechnical reports and explosive ordnance results retain their separate purposes. FONTANA-EOD reviews the available information and carries out the agreed specialist work. Project owners, developers and site managers receive a basis for the specific ground disturbance planned. Send the current plans and complete earlier reports with their appendices.

Existing assets

Record the previous use.

New construction

Specify new ground disturbance precisely.

Report

Check the scope of each finding.

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

How are new foundations prepared on a site already in use?

Show the position and depth of the planned foundations and connections. Existing explosive ordnance reports are related to that volume of ground. Previous use as a car park or a reference to an earlier investigation does not establish its scope. The complete results and the conditions for the new groundworks are decisive.

Project references

Selected project examples

Project site

Connect the site with the specific construction task

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

Distinguish the Würzburg examples by the areas they cover

The Frauenland 04.14 draft and the city's information on Hubland quarters IV and V concern different documents and tasks. An investigation mentioned there is considered within its own geographical scope. For the specific construction project, the relevant reports are brought together with the current plans for ground disturbance.

Würzburg is an independent city in the administrative region of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The city and district of Würzburg remain distinct when identifying the relevant municipality. For your own project, state the project address, plot and volume of ground actually needed. An example in Hubland does not provide investigation results for other city districts or surrounding municipalities.

Bavaria
Local context

When a site in use becomes a new construction area

Read the Äußeres Hubland draft according to its purpose

For Äußeres Hubland, Würzburg provides plans for a drugstore with student accommodation under the Frauenland 04.14 procedure. The explanatory statement dated 28 August 2026 describes a largely sealed or partially sealed site and earlier placement and redistribution of soil. These details concern that planning area. On their own, they establish neither suspected explosive ordnance nor investigation results relating to explosive ordnance.

Address geotechnical and explosive ordnance questions separately

The draft also covers geotechnical matters and coordination of existing utilities with later construction. The different specialist questions must remain distinct for your own construction project too. A geotechnical report may, for example, assess foundations without making any statement on explosive ordnance contamination. Each question needs evidence that actually relates to the planned ground disturbance and that particular issue.

The city recalls Würzburg's destruction in the bombing raid of 16 March 1945 in its own historical account. This specific local context is among the potential historical evidence for a property assessment. It does not establish current contamination on every construction site. For redevelopment, available historical findings are brought together with later changes actually known and existing specialist investigations.

Use the results of investigations already reported

The city gives a specific reference to investigations already completed in Hubland quarters IV, “Kürnacher Berg”, and V, “Am Gerbrunner Tor”. These areas included the former motor pool, used in 2018 as a car and coach park for the state garden show. Alongside demolition and removal of sealed surfaces, the city expressly reports an explosive ordnance investigation there. For new foundations or connections, the corresponding results should therefore be requested and compared with your own ground disturbance. The city overview specifies neither investigated depths nor individual cleared construction areas. It does not replace the investigation report or establish that all of Hubland is free of explosive ordnance.

Working together

Distinguish the tasks of client, designers and specialist contractor

Client and operator

The project owner describes the proposed work and provides the available project documents. The operator adds requirements for use, access and timing. A coordinating contact makes cooperation easier but does not automatically take on every other party's duties. Before commissioning, record clearly which information is missing, who will obtain it and which decision the result is intended to support.

Planning and construction management

The specialist designers describe areas, depths, construction methods and changes. Site management coordinates the planned sequence with the construction contractors and agreed specialist works. Results are assigned to the respective intervention. A technical plan change is communicated early enough for its effect on the survey task to be assessed before construction. Organisational construction stage boundaries remain distinguishable from technical survey boundaries.

Specialist company and competent bodies

The private explosive ordnance specialist carries out the agreed investigation and documentation scope. Official requirements and decisions are clarified with the competent authorities concerned. The documents needed for a particular procedure depend on the location and project. The technical report describes the specialist service performed; its conclusions are not presented unchecked as general authorisation for further groundworks or as an authority's decision.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Define the investigation objective before choosing the method

Identify the volume of ground for which findings are needed. Surfaces, existing structures and known utilities are considered when selecting the method. A method commonly used elsewhere does not determine the approach here. Clarify the findings that can be obtained and any restrictions for your own project.

Choose suitable methods for the volume of ground required

Compare alternative foundation designs

Different foundations can affect different areas and depths. Show the options separately while the decision remains open. The specialist assessment can then determine the further investigation needed for each. When an option is selected later, it remains clear which results are being used specifically for that design.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

From previous use to the specific foundation planned

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

Trace the site's earlier development

Available historical documents and information on later changes supplement the property file. They are classified by period, area and investigation question. A reference to fill material alone does not answer the explosive ordnance question. The specialist assessment describes which findings can be used for the ground disturbance planned today.

Separate known changes from assumptions. A plan may mention earlier redistribution of soil without describing its precise origin and location for every current construction task. Pass on the complete available as-built documents. If information is missing, identify the outstanding question. Further specialist work addresses that question and the planned ground disturbance.

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

Specify the new volume of ground clearly

A foundation or connection may extend below a surface previously in use. State the planned depths and their datum, and mark the areas on the plan. The investigation is designed for that task. Preliminary drilling and additional construction areas also form part of the comparison.

Working spaces, retaining structure locations and preliminary exploratory works may be needed alongside the excavation. Show these too. If the foundation design remains undecided, label the options clearly. The planning team can then see which volumes of ground already have usable results. Before the affected works begin, relate the option subsequently chosen to the relevant results.

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

Link investigation results to the plan version

The report should show which areas were actually covered. Identify the corresponding plans and appendices. If foundation points are moved later, compare their new positions again. Usable earlier results are retained; additional questions receive an explicitly defined scope of work.

Label a reference to a report without its appendices as such. File results plans obtained later in the same project file with their date, issuer and area investigated. If construction plans change, retain the link to the earlier version. The site management team receives the usable scope and the questions to be clarified before each work activity.

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

Plan the transition from existing use to new construction clearly

01

Distinguish new ground disturbance from previous use

A paved area may have been used for a long time without explosive ordnance investigations that can be used for today's construction project. Record the planned earthworks rather than inferring clearance from previous use. Their position and depth are decisive. Include the preparation of new connections too.

If paving is removed and replaced by an excavation, the planned preliminary work forms part of the task description. Clarify the investigations and protective measures required for that work before it begins. Describe the earlier use according to what is actually known. Previous operation without incidents is not reinterpreted as new technical investigation evidence.

02

Read the available reports according to their purpose

Check which question a report answers and which investigations were actually carried out. Information about bearing capacity, infiltration or pollutant contamination must not be interpreted as explosive ordnance results. Equally, an explosive ordnance investigation does not replace a geotechnical report. The specialist planning teams must exchange their results so that missing findings are identified in time.

Compare the existing specialist reports and their purposes. A shared plot number may help locate the documents; their findings are nevertheless considered separately. Spatial overlap does not establish that the same question was investigated. Technically usable information can be exchanged while missing findings on explosive ordnance remain visible as an outstanding task.

03

Take utilities into account in the investigation

Existing utilities affect both the planning of new ground disturbance and the investigation conditions. Include available utility records and mark planned diversions. The specialist commission should show which sections are accessible. Unclear or contradictory information must be clarified before the affected work.

State whether utilities will be retained, diverted or connected only after the new construction. Unresolved utility positions affect access and further planning. The specialist contractor needs the available information to assess the investigation's suitability. Agree any further utility checks and who is responsible before the affected works.

04

Communicate foundation changes early

If a structure is moved or a different foundation type is selected, the areas requiring assessment may change. Record position and planned depth of ground disturbance on the current plan. Results already usable are taken into account. Plan additional investigations where the new design is not sufficiently covered by the existing findings.

For a relocated excavation, compare both the new footprint and the working space needed. Retain earlier evidence with its original plans. Identify additional areas clearly. If the new design is already covered, the corresponding results can be used; otherwise, prepare the specific additional work before it is carried out.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Obtain the documents behind a reference to an investigation

A city overview may show that an investigation has already been completed. The specific construction decision needs its full report and plans. Obtain these documents where available. Only the specialist comparison establishes which findings actually concern the planned foundations or connections.

Clarify who can provide the report mentioned and its site plan appendices. Distinguish the situation before demolition from later investigations. For redevelopment, bring together the work actually completed and the new plans. Coordination identifies accessible areas, outstanding tasks and when the next specialist decision is needed.

Include site preparation in the plans

Removing paving or making an additional exploratory opening may itself disturb the ground. Describe the planned preliminary work in your enquiry. Its sequence is agreed on technical grounds with the investigation needs. A more accessible surface must not be assumed to be already assessed. Where clearance work is carried out, retain the corresponding clearance record in the project file with the areas and depths addressed.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Compare the existing site and new construction before commissioning

Send a site plan of the current area and the proposed construction plans. Add existing reports and known later changes. The initial discussion establishes the information available. Missing information is identified before the scope and prerequisites of further specialist services are agreed.

When awarding the work, describe existing results according to their actual usability. Define outstanding questions and affected areas for additional services. If the foundation design may still change, state this planning stage. A quotation can then reflect that scope rather than assume results for a volume of ground not defined until later.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Check the findings again if connections change

A relocated utility or additional shaft may lie outside the areas previously considered. Communicate the change with its position and depth. The comparison takes account of existing results. Necessary additions are described for the newly affected volume of ground and agreed before the corresponding work.

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 to a defined area and suitable image dates. Further historical documents supplement the assessment. For redevelopment, the earlier area analysed is compared with the excavation, foundations and connection routes. Where historical questions remain, the necessary research or supplementary aerial photograph analysis is carried out. Its findings can help prepare further investigations. A reference to earlier soil placement alone does not establish suspected explosive ordnance. An area already technically investigated is also distinguished from one assessed only historically. The usability of the results is described for the current project.

Understand aerial photograph assessment

Magnetometric survey

Geomagnetic surveying measures the magnetic field passively. An object's magnetic effect determines its detectability; conductivity alone is insufficient. On a previously paved site, reinforcement, utilities and other metal structures can interfere with measurements. For new foundations, these conditions are assessed alongside the investigation objective. Interpretation considers anomalies and interference. An individual anomaly is not conclusively identified explosive ordnance. Areas that cannot be investigated sufficiently and the resulting outstanding tasks remain clear in the report.

Understand the scope of magnetometry

Electromagnetic methods

Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, use the electromagnetic response of conductive objects over time. Their suitability for the required findings is assessed against the specific measurement conditions. Planned deep ground disturbance on a paved area is given a spatial reference. Existing structures and available access are considered. The survey method is coordinated with existing findings. Specialists derive the conclusions that can be reached, and their limits, from the data collected. Naming a method alone does not extend the scope of an earlier investigation to new foundations or different depths.

Understand electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Under suitable ground and measurement conditions, ground-penetrating radar can show reflections and structures below ground. Ground composition, water content and existing structures affect interpretation. Structural information useful for foundation design is assessed for what it can establish about explosive ordnance. The purposes of the specialist investigations remain distinct. A radar image does not automatically identify explosive ordnance or provide general evidence for any depth. Usable observations, interference and remaining limits are documented. The commission defines the additional findings required for the specific volume of ground.

GPR and limitations

Deep-ground and downhole surveys

New foundations may affect deeper ground than previous use as parking spaces. For the necessary investigation, state the position, depth and elevation datum of the planned foundations or boreholes. If the required findings cannot be obtained from the surface, a suitable deep or borehole survey is planned by specialists. Access and its prerequisites are clarified in advance. Investigation results remain tied to the areas addressed. Compare a relocated or deeper foundation with those results again. Requirements from another property are not adopted as standard without checking.

Prepare deep interventions

Survey during construction

A necessary explosive ordnance investigation during construction is coordinated with the actual progress of the works. It may require excavation in layers, specialist exposure of objects and additional surveying. Agree the prerequisites with those responsible before the affected ground disturbance. Observing ordinary excavation alone is not proper detection. Where an area is initially only partly accessible, the sections investigated remain identifiable. Findings are assessed and communicated through the agreed reporting channel. Changes to the excavation or additional working spaces are incorporated into the specialist commission before work on them.

Agree the approach during construction
Technical assessment

Clarify investigation needs before construction begins

Include the history of use

The Historical aerial photograph analysis can provide information for assessing an area. It is considered alongside other available findings and existing investigations. A land-use plan may provide an entry point into the property file, but it is not technical explosive ordnance documentation. The scope and limits of the existing evidence must remain clear.

Choose a suitable survey method

If Surveying is necessary, its planning follows the investigation objective and local conditions. Sealed surfaces, existing structures or metal interference can affect the findings that can be obtained. Necessary and permissible preparation is agreed in advance. Ground must not be disturbed merely to make a later investigation easier.

Fit the necessary services into the sequence of work

A Clearance plan can bring together the necessary work stages and construction plans. These include the investigation objective, affected areas and planned handovers. Merely observing ordinary excavation does not replace proper specialist assessment. Whether an approach during construction is suitable requires separate assessment.

For necessary clearance works, define the scope and handovers according to the specialist task. This may include area clearance, investigation of findings and recovery needs. Where clearance work is actually carried out, the corresponding clearance record documents its areas and results. The competent bodies are involved where required. The recipient receives both the record of the work completed and its remaining limits.

Next steps

How to prepare an enquiry for your Würzburg project

01

Compare previous and proposed use

Briefly describe how the site is used today and what is planned. Add a site plan showing all proposed groundworks. A short explanation of the excavation, foundations and connections helps the initial discussion. Design options still unresolved can be shown separately. The initial discussion identifies the project location and the findings needed. Existing plans, statements and reports are checked for currency, spatial relevance, completeness and gaps.

02

Address outstanding historical questions

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

03

Include the complete available results

Provide reports with their appendices and maps. Also identify known earlier ground disturbance or investigations already completed. If only a brief reference from a planning statement is available, make this clear. The corresponding specialist report may contain much more precise information needed for a sound assessment. A suitable method is selected according to the investigation objective, depth of ground disturbance, ground composition, existing structures and actual measurement conditions. Access and necessary prerequisites are clarified with the parties responsible.

04

Agree outstanding questions before commissioning

The initial comparison clarifies what information is missing and which specialist services the project needs. Also agree planned dates and access arrangements. The scope follows the technical question. A particular method or fixed duration cannot be inferred from the city name alone.

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

Keep results linked to the plans

Pass the relevant results to all parties whose groundworks rely on them. The corresponding plan version must be clear. Changes to a connection or foundation must not move work outside the investigated area unnoticed. If limits remain unresolved, further coordination is required before the affected ground disturbance.

Documentation

What the private specialist commission covers

Findings and their scope

The current Bavarian notice distinguishes responsibility for construction projects from the state's handling of found explosive ordnance. Property-specific preliminary investigation and necessary investigations must be organised for the particular project. According to the notice, there is no central Bavarian explosive ordnance register that generally replaces this assessment.

Project responsibilities

FONTANA-EOD helps you coordinate the explosive ordnance services needed in Würzburg. The competent security authorities and private specialist contractors have different duties. The BFR KMR provide technical principles for planning and documentation; outside their direct federal scope, they do not establish a general obligation for additional investigation. A draft plan for another site does not replace information about your own property.

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

Use a general overview to find the detailed evidence

A brief publication may point to more detailed documents. Record the area and procedure to which it relates. Obtain the reports relevant to execution separately. This keeps helpful preliminary information distinct from the actual technical results on which the work depends.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

Record the datum for each depth

The investigation and foundation plans must be relatable to the same volume of ground. State whether a depth is measured from the existing surface or a later construction stage. Take changes in ground level into account. Unclear elevation data need specialist clarification before a result is used.

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 sites in use and new ground disturbance

Does the Äußeres Hubland draft plan establish the presence of explosive ordnance?

No. The information discussed here concerns the planned change of use and ground composition within the specified area. It is not used to infer explosive ordnance contamination. That question requires its own suitable evidence.

Has an existing car park automatically been investigated sufficiently?

No. Use as a car park alone does not establish whether an explosive ordnance investigation took place or which area and depth it covered. Usable results must be compared with the new project.

Is a geotechnical report sufficient to answer the explosive ordnance question?

Only if it actually contains suitable, traceable results on that issue. A report on bearing capacity or ground composition does not automatically answer the question. Check the investigation purpose, scope and appendices.

What should be available before coordinating a survey?

A site plan of the groundworks, planned depths, available investigation reports and information on utilities or existing structures. Design options still unresolved and known obstacles should be identified in the enquiry.

What should I do if a suspicious object is found?

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.

How are restrictions caused by paving or existing structures considered?

Specialist planning assesses which findings can be obtained under the existing conditions and what preparation may be needed. Affected areas and remaining limits must stay clear. Ground disturbance for preparation is agreed with specialists in advance, rather than altering the site first for a later assessment.

Which cost factors matter when redeveloping a site already in use?

The work required depends on the information available, historical research still needed, the areas and depths to investigate, paving and existing structures, access, preliminary work, suitable methods, interpretation and documentation. Usable earlier results are considered. Additional foundation points or relocated connections may require a different investigation scope. The necessary scope is agreed for the groundworks actually planned.

Should removal of paving be included in the enquiry?

Yes, where it involves groundworks. The type and extent of that preliminary work should be described together with the later ground disturbance.

Project enquiry

Prepare the first technical discussion

Mark the foundations on the plan

Show foundations, connections and preliminary work with their depths.

Add planned preliminary work, access and known utilities. Describe existing paving and how it will be handled. If several foundation options remain, show them separately. State the next findings needed and the current construction period. Specialist coordination follows the available knowledge and the work about to take place.

Send the complete results

Include reports, appendices and known changes to ground levels.

Also include earlier plan versions where needed to understand a report. Distinguish references to documents from specialist documents actually available. Identify a person in the enquiry who can coordinate questions about the current plans. Submit changes in elevation or footprint with the revised version before the affected works take place. State the project location in Bavaria or the different federal state concerned.

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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