Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Explosive ordnance surveying in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe
Are you planning alterations, demolition or new construction in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe? The explosive ordnance assessment compares existing records for the site with the new groundworks. Send us the current site plan and available reports; FONTANA-EOD agrees the technical work required with the project owner, designers and site management.
Check the records of previous work.
Mark new groundworks on the site plan.
Clarify areas and depths that remain unresolved.
Assess the construction project
Trace previous groundworks through the records
For an explosive ordnance assessment before construction in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, we compare existing construction records and investigation reports with the plan for the new groundworks. Documented previous work, unclear information and additional areas remain distinguishable. This establishes what technical clarification is still needed for alterations, demolition or a new foundation.
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Check the condition stated in the Bad Homburg development plan
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the administrative seat of the Hochtaunuskreis district and lies in the Darmstadt administrative district in Hesse. The explanatory statement for Plan 137 distinguishes certain documented groundworks associated with post-war development from other areas. For your project, the first step is to check which previous groundworks can be traced through records and which requirements apply to the property concerned. The presence of a building today does not replace this evidence or comparison with the new plans. To identify the property, provide its current address, parcel number, construction area and depth of groundworks. For work in a surrounding municipality, local responsibility follows the actual project location. The KMRD at Darmstadt Regional Council, which is responsible throughout Hesse, handles the official explosive ordnance information request. Further project locations are available in the regional overview. For projects between the Frankfurt urban area and the Taunus, specify site access and the exact location of the groundworks.
Local context
Compare previous groundworks with the current plans
Keep the statement in Plan 137 within its area of application
The explanatory statement for Bad Homburg Development Plan No. 137, “Hessenring, Marienbader Platz, Frölingstraße, Im Hasensprung”, dated 17 November 2021 makes a specific distinction: it states an exemption from explosive ordnance clearance measures for areas where post-war development has already involved groundworks to a depth of at least five metres. It describes a need for investigation in other affected areas. This statement belongs to that plan and its underlying information. It cannot be applied to all of Bad Homburg or on the basis of a building visible today alone.
The city’s account recalls the bombing of Bad Homburg on 8 March 1945. It records damage in the city centre and as far as Frölingstraße near the railway station. During property research, this historical information is compared with contemporary maps, aerial photographs and subsequent changes to the site. The technical questions that remain open for planned groundworks are identified from this comparison. The information assigned to the property and the current KMRD statement remain decisive. Statements from a development plan are recorded with their area of application, date and associated appendices.
Check the records of the previous groundworks
The first step for your project is therefore to establish which previous groundworks are actually documented. A basement floor plan can help, but it does not automatically describe the full extent of the former excavation or adjacent areas. Missing information should be included as unresolved questions in the technical assessment. Based on the available records, FONTANA-EOD can agree with you which information is needed for further planning.
Requirements
Clarify technical requirements and responsibilities within the project
Relate requirements to the specialist task
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.
Link occupational safety to the construction sequence
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.
Use technical findings correctly
A measurement anomaly first requires specialist assessment; its appearance alone does not identify it as explosive ordnance. If an object is genuinely suspected to be ordnance, the prescribed reporting procedures and the measures set by the responsible authorities apply. Investigation reports specify the work completed and its limitations, so that results are not extended to unexamined areas or later design changes.
The Explanatory statement for Plan 137 dated 17 November 2021 distinguishes previous deep groundworks from further investigation needs within its area of application. The city’s development plan overview can be used to find the relevant documents by plan number or address.
The BFR KMR guidelines on clearance planning describe preparation of the technical work. The guidance on geophysics explains investigation methods; the documentation requirements support the handover of results. The KMRD at the Darmstadt regional administration explains the statewide property information service and the involvement of a specialist contractor.
The General Provisions for Hesse require explosive ordnance clearance work to be carried out under the constant supervision of a responsible person holding a certificate of competence under Section 20 of the Explosives Act. The notification guidance published on the Regional Council website requires the permit holder’s signature and lists, among other documents, a site plan, the permit under Section 7 of the Explosives Act and the certificate of competence of the supervisor on site. The client, responsible person, start of work, working hours and KMRD file reference must be notified in good time. Project preparation establishes who compiles this information and passes it to the relevant parties. If areas or construction stages change, their relationship to the planned technical work remains traceable. The project owner and site management coordinate the commissioned investigations with the rest of the construction programme.
The BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; locally applicable requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately.
Permits, certificates of competence and responsibilities 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 activities planned. The DGUV Information 201-027 covers preventive investigation and clearance of conventional explosive ordnance and defines its scope. Its references to DGUV Rule 113-003 concern particular activities involving explosives; they are not applied indiscriminately to every construction-site investigation.
Working together
Distinguish the tasks of client, designers and specialist contractor
Client and operator
The 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.
The KMRD at Darmstadt Regional Council is responsible for all of Hesse. On request, it evaluates wartime aerial photographs and issues a statement describing potential contamination and the work required. Technical investigation or clearance of the property is prepared with a suitable specialist contractor. Defusing, blasting and removal remain the responsibility of the KMRD or persons it commissions. If an item is found, the local public order authority or police are notified; they involve the state service. The scope of work, responsible persons, required evidence and work notifications are agreed before the work begins.
Investigation task
Which specialist task comes next?
Identify the unresolved question by comparing the existing site and the plans
Existing evidence is first read for its actual purpose and coverage, then compared with the new groundworks. Only then is the additional assessment required determined. An existing building establishes neither the extent of a previous investigation nor a particular method for the new commission.
Compare existing evidence with the planned groundworksAccount for surveying conditions in a built-up area
Foundations, utilities and structural remains can affect an investigation. Technical planning takes these conditions into account when choosing the approach. Limits of interpretation are recorded with their spatial extent. The suitability of an additional service is checked against the specific groundworks, rather than inferred from a general description of the existing site.
Compare investigation methodsProject types
From the visible site to a traceable comparison of groundworks
Distinguish the plans from the work actually carried out
Check whether an old drawing shows the planned or the as-built condition. Additional reports and sections may be important for interpretation. Each document is identified by its date or revision. An earlier plan alone does not establish which area was actually excavated or technically investigated.
Document findings and their limitationsEstablish the spatial extent of earlier evidence
Read existing investigation reports together with their site plans and stated depths. Limits and restrictions must also remain clear. Buildings visible today can help with orientation, but the documented spatial reference is decisive for the technical assessment, particularly where the new groundworks extend beyond the previous building footprint.
Document findings and their limitations
Highlight new structures on the current plan
Mark extensions, connections and changes in foundation depth separately. The comparison shows where the plans go beyond the existing evidence. The additional work is defined by that difference. Existing results remain usable where their documented spatial and technical scope actually matches the project.
Compare specialist servicesPreparation
Prepare the scope and commission together
Establish what needs to be known before commissioning the work
First establish which decision the commission needs to support. Is the task an initial assessment of existing documents, an investigation of a specific area or examination of an anomaly that has already been assessed? These tasks require different evidence. A general wish for safety does not define an investigation that can be carried out. The enquiry therefore specifies the groundworks, location, depth and available findings. Suitable specialist work and the required reporting are then agreed on that basis.
Define the specialist taskCoordinate preparatory work with the investigation
Required access and survey conditions are clarified before the site visit. This may include keeping areas clear, obtaining service information and coordinating with other trades. The method and site determine which preparations are actually needed. Changes to the surface or additional groundworks are not undertaken unilaterally simply to prepare for a survey. Their sequence is agreed with the specialist designers and responsible parties.
Clarify preparatory work in the programmeAgree a clear scope and schedule
A 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 scheduleTasks at the site
What the existing buildings can establish
01
Compare old construction records with today’s plans
Compile existing site plans, sections and reports. Check whether they describe the as-built condition or only an earlier design. Clearly identifiable property boundaries and elevation references help with technical interpretation. A drawing labelled “existing” is not sufficient on its own to reliably establish previous groundworks.
02
Establish the scope of previous investigations
An investigation report should identify the area investigated, the depths considered and the limits of its conclusions. Check its appendices too. A brief letter without a site plan cannot replace complete evidence. If the work carried out is unclear, obtain technical clarification before incorporating the information into the new construction plans.
03
Mark new structures outside the existing footprint
An extension, new connection or deeper foundation may affect areas not covered by the old records. Mark these differences on the current plan. This allows a focused check of which existing results can be reused and where further investigation is needed. An extension does not automatically require all previous work to be repeated.
04
Obtain the complete relevant official statement
A development plan may refer to a statement from the explosive ordnance clearance service and its appendices. Obtain these documents if they apply to your property. The city offers a search by plan number or address. Then check the documents’ spatial reference and date or revision before treating individual sentences as requirements for the commission.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Distinguish documented information from unresolved assumptions
The combined overview shows which document supports each statement. Missing sections or unclear elevation references are identified explicitly so that technical planning can account for the uncertainty. A brief summary must not turn an assumed former excavation depth into a confirmed basis for the new groundworks.
Hand over the results with the plan revision used
The report is linked to the version of the groundworks plan on which the assessment is based. Later changes can then be compared directly. Site management receives the complete appendices and the remaining limitations. A general statement about an address does not replace the spatial relationship between the investigation, the existing site and the new work. Where clearance has been carried out, the clearance record also refers to this plan revision; it documents the areas treated, methods, findings and outstanding tasks.
Construction sequence
Coordinate investigation and construction sections
Document the construction history before the first discussion
Compile available construction drawings, sections and technical reports. Add the proposed groundworks to the current site plan. Identify documents that are still missing. This establishes which previous work can be traced and which new question needs a technical answer for the project.
Update the comparison before extending the groundworks
If the excavation, connection or foundation changes, submit the new plan to the technical planners. They check existing coverage against the specific change. Any additions required receive a clear purpose. Existing results remain documented with their original limits and are not silently extended to additional areas.
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 assessmentMagnetometric 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 magnetometryElectromagnetic 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 surveyingGround-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 limitationsDeep-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 interventionsSurvey 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 constructionTechnical assessment
Determine investigation needs from the records
Have historical information assessed by specialists
The Historical aerial photograph analysis can provide information for the explosive ordnance assessment. Its result must be assignable to the property in question. Information on post-war development and later ground alterations supplements this basis. Different findings should be assessed together; a single record of a building does not by itself resolve an existing suspicion.
Where historical information remains unresolved, the necessary research and aerial photograph evaluation are commissioned for the specific area. Existing building files, construction records, former uses and indications of later ground alterations are assessed together. For a suspected explosive ordnance area in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, the assessment establishes which parts have already been technically evaluated and where further information is needed. The commission states the question to be answered and the records available for it. Newly found reports are interpreted according to their original investigation purpose. The results and remaining uncertainties form the basis for selecting the subsequent methods.
Coordinate the survey with the groundworks
For Surveying the investigation objective and local surveying conditions must be established. Foundations, utilities or other sources of interference may limit interpretation. A surveying method should therefore not be selected solely from the name of the proposed structure. Technical planning must be able to explain which areas the approach will cover and which questions will remain open.
The method selection depends on the information required, the depth range needed and the actual surveying conditions. Ground composition, made ground, foundations, metal utilities and structural remains are taken into account. For excavations, shoring, piled foundations and deep connections, specify the position and depth of each intervention. Any deep surveying or borehole clearance required is assigned to this task. Documented survey limitations remain spatially identifiable. Technical planning determines which supplementary method is suitable for an unresolved area. If starting points, access or foundation depth change, the existing investigation is compared with the revised plans.
Plan demolition and groundworks separately
Demolishing a building and carrying out the subsequent earthworks may involve different requirements. The Clearance plan should assign the required measures to the areas and work steps concerned. According to the DGUV FAQ, visual observation during excavation alone does not meet the state of the art. Whether explosive ordnance clearance alongside construction is suitable requires a reasoned decision based on the specific project.
For tendering, research, technical investigation and any subsequent work are described with their respective tasks. State the available information, the areas and depths affected, and the reports and site plans required. Access, occupied parts of buildings, operational use and proposed construction stages form part of the site conditions. Technically justified excavation supervision is coordinated with the investigation objective and workflow. Tenders can then be compared against the same tasks and execution conditions. Site management receives the areas covered and outstanding questions before dependent work begins. Changes to the excavation, connections or construction method are passed to the technical planners before execution.
Next steps
Keep the assessed information connected to the work on site
Initial contact and document review
Identify the site plan revision on which the technical assessment is based. If dimensions, boundaries or depths change later, the comparison must be repeated. This prevents a decision for an earlier design from being transferred unnoticed to the subsequent construction work. The initial contact records the project and the decision needed. The document review assigns existing explosive ordnance reports, official statements and construction records to the planned groundworks and identifies missing information.
Clarify historical information and methods
Not every question about previous development can be resolved immediately. Record which information comes from construction records and which still needs confirmation. An identified uncertainty can be accounted for in the commission. If it disappears in a general summary, it may later be mistakenly treated as resolved. Where information is missing, the necessary historical research and aerial photograph evaluation are planned. Method selection takes their results, the proposed depth and actual site conditions into account.
Investigate and assess results
The report should identify which parts of the property were investigated and how far its conclusions extend. Remaining restrictions belong in it too. A general note for the whole address offers site management little help if only a defined area was actually investigated. The commissioned survey or suitable supervision investigates the agreed areas. The results are assessed with their limits of interpretation and assigned to the relevant groundworks.
Document and coordinate follow-on works
If an excavation is enlarged, for example, pass the new plan to the responsible technical planners. First check whether the existing coverage is sufficient. Any additions required should be clearly described before the revised groundworks begin. Reports and site plans document the technical work carried out. The decision on subsequent work identifies where further investigation, additional records or consultation with the authorities are required before the next activities.
Documentation
Responsibility and technical commissions in Bad Homburg
Findings and their scope
In Hesse, the explosive ordnance clearance service at Darmstadt Regional Council is responsible for explosive ordnance matters. For an enquiry about possible contamination of a property, it needs a precise plan with marked boundaries; an online application for aerial photograph evaluation is also provided. Existing official statements and their plans must be included in project preparation.
The General Provisions for Hesse specify site plans at a scale of 1:1,000 for areas investigated or cleared of ordnance. A copy is submitted to the KMRD after the work is completed. The investigation commission, spatial reference, methods, assessment of results and remaining restrictions are brought together in the project file. For clearance work, this includes the clearance record stating the scope actually completed. Agree these documents and their recipients when commissioning the work. A report remains usable with the construction plan used, even if site management or the contractor changes. Later changes are added with their own plan revision. Where area clearance or Recovery is required, the task, area and responsibility are clarified before execution. The Clearance documentation describes the area, depth and service scope actually covered.
Project responsibilities
FONTANA-EOD carries out the agreed investigation and documentation tasks. The relevant authorities make the official decisions. In your enquiry, state the task you wish to commission and which records are already available. For projects outside their scope for federal properties, the BFR KMR are used as technical guidance.
Working approach
How FONTANA-EOD works
Document the agreed specialist service clearly
We assess the planned groundworks against the available documents and their design revision. Before attending site, we agree with you what needs to be investigated, which areas are accessible and what findings are required. If the design or site conditions change, we check whether the agreed scope remains appropriate. The report states what was actually investigated and the limits of the findings. This allows designers and site management to see which findings they can use and where questions remain.
Discuss the investigation taskThe task before the equipment
We first establish the investigation objective: which question must it answer? We then select a technically suitable method. The availability of a particular device or experience on a similar neighbouring site is not enough to justify the choice of method on its own.
Keep limitations visible
Inaccessible areas and limited conclusions are identified. They do not disappear into a total area figure. Designers and site management can then decide specifically which areas still need attention and when a suitable survey becomes possible.
Clarify changes before intervening in the ground
A new location, additional depth or different construction method is compared with previous results. A familiar project name does not replace this comparison. Feedback is provided before the affected work so that an outstanding question can be included in the sequence.
Hand over the report and plan together
The technical conclusion remains connected to its location references and appendices. A brief summary helps orientation but does not replace the documented survey scope. This basis is retained even if site management or contractors change.
Understand the results
Use technical statements for the next decision
Elevation information needs a clear reference
Read depth information together with the associated plans and explanations. Different elevation references can make comparison difficult and therefore require technical clarification. A single number without context does not adequately describe the earlier groundworks. The new plans must make clear which ground volume is actually meant.
For the other affected areas, the explanatory statement for Plan 137 specifies an investigation depth of up to five metres with the reference GOK IIWK. This information is checked together with the plan and the associated KMRD statement. Compare existing ground levels, sections, information on the former excavation and subsequent changes to ground levels. Technical planning establishes how these records relate and which evidence is missing. A changed elevation reference can matter for the comparison even if today’s building footprint appears unchanged. The clarified relationship remains documented with the plan revision used.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsA basement floor plan shows only part of the construction history
It can explain the position of structures, but it does not automatically contain all information on former excavations or investigations. Add available construction records and reports. The technical assessment considers their actual contents. Adjacent new areas are included in the comparison with their own location and depth. Extensions, additional connections, relocated structures and different foundation depths are highlighted on the current as-built plan.
Understand the service scopeDesign and findings
Documents for the next construction decision
Historical evidence and the current design
Aerial photograph interpretation is related to the actual groundworks. Its purpose and geographical scope remain distinct from a technical investigation of the ground as it is today.
Understand aerial photograph assessmentSpecialist reports for site management
The findings, their locations and limitations are handed over together. This makes clear to those carrying out the work which area has been investigated and which task remains outstanding.
Assess investigation reports
Further technical topics
Further technical information for your project
Determine the specialist service from the planned groundworks
Historical assessment, technical investigation and subsequent work answer different questions. In your enquiry, describe the proposed groundworks and the information needed for them. For projects in the industrial and infrastructure sector add the operational constraints.
Compare servicesCoordinate the project sequence with everyone involved
Preparation connects the commission, site work and handover of findings. Changes to the project can then be incorporated into technical coordination in good time.
Process and documentationQuestions from planning
Questions about construction on existing sites in Bad Homburg
Is an existing basement sufficient evidence of previous groundworks?
A basement can provide an indication. What matters, however, is traceable documentation of its position, construction and depth, together with existing investigation reports. These must allow a relationship to the groundworks now planned to be established.
Does the five-metre statement in Plan 137 apply to every property?
No. The quoted statement comes from the explanatory statement for a particular development plan and depends on the previous groundworks described there. Its applicability to a specific project must be established from the relevant records.
Does an extension require the whole property to be investigated again?
The investigation scope follows from comparison of the new groundworks with the existing evidence. Additional requirements may be limited to particular areas or depths; existing results are taken into account with their limitations. Foundations, utilities and metal installations may limit interpretation and are considered when selecting methods. The report and site plans document the areas actually covered and the remaining restrictions.
Which documents should I compile for an enquiry?
The current site plan showing the proposed groundworks, records of the existing site and construction records, and official statements and investigation reports with their appendices are helpful. Identify missing information explicitly. Agree investigation requirements before the groundworks concerned and clarify outstanding requirements in the KMRD statement with the responsible authorities.
What should you do if a suspicious object is found?
Stop work. Do not touch or move the object and keep others away. From a safe distance, call the police on 110 and follow the authorities’ instructions.
Why distinguish a design drawing from a construction record?
A design initially describes a plan. For groundworks actually carried out in the past, traceable information on the as-built condition is needed.
What should be done when elevation references differ?
The reference systems and associated explanations are technically compared. A single depth figure is not transferred to the new groundworks without this context.
Which cost factors determine preparation and investigation?
The work involved depends on the research required, the area and depths concerned, access and surveying conditions. Agreed interpretation and documentation are additional factors. In your enquiry, identify the official statements and technical reports already available and the tasks still required. Any fee for the official aerial photograph information service is considered separately from the cost of private technical services.
Project enquiry
Prepare the first technical discussion
Attach construction records
Send available sections, site plans and complete investigation reports.
Mark new groundworks
Show extensions and depth changes relative to the existing site.
Project process and documents
Project process and documentsMethods and technology
Methods and technology
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.
