Schematic map marking Darmstadt, beside a tablet, hard hat, notebook and pen.

Explosive ordnance surveying in the Darmstadt administrative district

A site has been identified for a project, but the location and depth of the future earthworks are not yet fully defined. That distinction matters for explosive ordnance assessment. FONTANA-EOD helps you use the available plans and findings to establish a technically appropriate investigation scope.

Define the plans

From proposed use to the actual earthworks.

Assign the documents

Relate statements and reports to the correct area.

Enquire about an investigation

Agree services for the defined ground works.

Enquire about a projectExplosive ordnance assessment in Hesse
Assess the construction project

Which records are needed for specific ground works in southern Hessen?

For explosive ordnance assessment in the Darmstadt administrative district, the actual construction areas and depths of ground works are compared with the existing findings. A regional plan may help establish the broad location. The technical brief, however, requires a sufficiently detailed site plan, the associated specialist records and identifiable changes from earlier plan versions.

Documented location references

Reference projects in the Darmstadt administrative district

Select a project location on the map or in the location list. The associated entries lead to the protected reference overview.

19 locations · 68 assigned reference entries

Reference projects in the Darmstadt administrative districtGeographical outline with confirmed location references from the project records. No precise ordnance find or site coordinates. Wiesbaden – 13 reference entriesOffenbach am Main – 1 reference entryFrankfurt am Main – 17 reference entriesRüdesheim am Rhein – 2 reference entriesHanau – 5 reference entriesDarmstadt – 7 reference entriesGroßkrotzenburg – 2 reference entriesNeu-Isenburg – 2 reference entriesRaunheim – 3 reference entriesAssmannshausen – 2 reference entriesHeddernheim – 1 reference entryGravenbruch – 1 reference entrySprendlingen – 1 reference entryGeisenheim – 4 reference entriesHeusenstamm – 1 reference entryLampertheim – 4 reference entriesGelnhausen – 4 reference entriesBürstadt – 1 reference entryBischofsheim – 1 reference entry

The points indicate the locations associated with documented references, not exact find or construction site coordinates. Several entries may relate to one project. References without a reliable location are available in the complete reference overview.

Map sources: © BKG (2026), VG250 / GN250, Data licence Germany – attribution 2.0. Area outline projected for display. Selection and project assignment: FONTANA-EOD.

Project references

Selected project examples

Project site

Connect the site with the specific construction task

Schematic map with a coat of arms, alongside a tablet, safety helmet, notebook and pen.

Identifying the project location and responsible bodies

The technical explanatory report for Riedleitung Süd dated February 2022 describes a renewed enquiry following substantial changes to the pipeline route. For your project, the corresponding check establishes which existing assessment belongs to which plan version and whether it covers the current ground works. The report remains an example of that planning stage at the time. The Darmstadt administrative district is the southern administrative region within Hessen. Each project identifies its municipality, site or route and forthcoming ground works. Local building control and public order matters are coordinated with the respective responsible bodies. The explosive ordnance clearance service based at the Darmstadt regional administration, by contrast, carries out its duties for the whole state of Hessen. For sites outside the administrative district, the actual project location remains decisive; the Hessen overview helps identify the regional context.

Information on explosive ordnance surveying in Offenbach, Hanau, Rüsselsheim am Main and Bad Homburg vor der Höhe supports preparation of your project enquiry. Documents and planned ground disturbance on the respective property are decisive.

Hesse
Local context

Relating historical evidence to regional planning

Relating local wartime history to the construction site

Municipal historical accounts document severe air raids on Frankfurt am Main in 1944 and Darmstadt in 1944. These local wartime impacts and subsequent construction are assessed spatially for a present-day project. Existing records, wartime aerial photographs and technical analyses are related to the specific site or route section. Documented former uses and ground changes are compared with the forthcoming ground works. Investigation planning depends on which findings are available for the site and which questions still require specialist clarification.

Distinguishing regional planning from a specific site

The southern Hessen regional plan links state planning with municipal land-use planning. The Darmstadt regional administration describes it as a wider-area planning document whose maps do not identify individual parcel boundaries precisely. Within the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main urban area, the regional plan and regional land-use plan are combined. When interpreting a map, it must therefore be clear which information and scale are being considered.

Describing the proposed ground works precisely

Explosive ordnance matters are the responsibility of Hessen’s explosive ordnance clearance service, based at the Darmstadt regional administration. It operates statewide. Its official information requires an accurate site, cadastral or detailed plan with marked boundaries for a site-specific enquiry. Regional land-use planning and this specialist enquiry serve different purposes.

Relating the records to construction

When developing a site, distinguish early between a possible use, a specific plan and the available findings about the ground. A development area shown on a plan is not evidence of a completed explosive ordnance investigation. Equally, the absence of an investigation for an area that is not yet defined does not, without further assessment, establish the scope of a necessary survey.

Riedleitung Süd: changes at the planning stage at the time

Riedleitung Süd between Allmendfeld and Wolfskehlen illustrates why a revised pipeline route may require further clarification. The Hessenwasser technical explanatory report dated February 2022, published by the Darmstadt regional administration, refers to an explosive ordnance statement from 2018. Following substantial route changes, it announces a renewed enquiry to the regional administration during detailed construction planning. Surveys are planned for suspected contamination areas identified close to the construction works. For your own planning, therefore, compare the route assessed earlier with the earthworks now proposed and identify the changes in the specialist enquiry. The report describes the approach planned at the time, not the pipeline’s current investigation status.

Working together

Distinguish the tasks of client, designers and specialist contractor

Client and operator

The project owner describes the project and provides existing project documents. The operator adds requirements for use, access and timing. A coordinating contact agrees the tasks assigned to them with those responsible. Before commissioning, the missing information, who obtains it and the decision the result is intended to prepare are recorded clearly.

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. Official requirements and decisions are clarified with the respective responsible bodies. The documents required for a specific procedure depend on the location and project. The technical report describes the specialist service completed; its findings are not presented without assessment as general permission for further ground works or as an authority’s decision. Hessen’s explosive ordnance clearance service arranges removal and, where necessary, defusing and destruction of explosive ordnance. Preparation of the commissioned specialist work takes these state responsibilities and the required notifications into account. The results documentation is assigned to the specific activity, its location and responsible persons.

Investigation task

Which specialist task comes next?

Defining the investigation from the ground works

Trenches, excavations and individual foundations are described with their respective depths. Specialist planning relates these details to the available findings. The suitable approach is determined only then. A wider-area land-use plan establishes neither the investigation depth nor a particular technical method for an individual construction project.

Compare specialist services for the planned groundworks

Comparing conditions across the site

Buildings, utilities and access may vary within a project. For the technical investigation, conditions are assessed in each section. Interpretation limits are identified. A suitable method for an open section does not automatically become the appropriate solution for an adjoining built-up area.

Compare investigation methods
Project types

From the regional context to specific ground works

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

Using the overview and detailed plan together

A regional map helps place the site in its wider context. Add a site plan showing the proposed work in sufficient detail. Each document retains its purpose and original accuracy. The investigation brief relates to the specifically described ground works and the findings available for them.

Document findings and their limitations
Illustration: two people review plans and documents at a table beside a construction vehicle.

Following up the requirements in a statement

Assign every existing assessment to its associated area and plan version. Results reports show how requirements have already been addressed. Outstanding questions remain explicitly visible. A shared project name brings the records together organisationally, but does not replace a comparison between the area actually investigated and the proposed ground works.

Document findings and their limitations
Illustration: two people review plans and documents at a table beside a construction vehicle.

Preparing the handover by section

Where a project is carried out in several parts, each section needs the appropriate set of records. The results plan, actual investigation scope and forthcoming ground works are handed over together. Changes receive an identifiable version. Site management can then have the existing findings checked for continued applicability and establish the additions needed for the next work.

Coordinate the sequence and tasks
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
Prepare the construction project

Preparing the plans for an initial specialist assessment

01

Marking the required area

Alongside the regional map extract, include a sufficiently accurate property or site plan. Mark where construction, excavation or drilling is proposed. If only parts are to be developed initially, distinguish them from possible later extensions. This ensures that follow-up questions refer to the same area. For the initial enquiry, also mark access roads, site facilities and preparatory ground works where they form part of the project. Specify which section is needed first. The specialist contractor can then relate its questions and the required findings to the same ground works area.

02

Distinguishing proposed use from ground works

The terms commercial, residential or transport do not establish how deep the ground works will go. Describe the work actually proposed. This may include foundations, utility trenches or connection pits, for example. Depths not yet defined are recorded as outstanding information rather than replaced by a blanket value. Identify the structural element, location and proposed depth range together. Specialist planners can then check existing results for coverage. Options not yet decided remain identifiable with their status. The investigation scope is agreed for the design actually being pursued.

03

Including statements in full

Provide any existing letter from the explosive ordnance clearance service with its associated plan. Add earlier investigation reports, including the presentation of results and limitations. Only this context shows which findings already exist and whether they cover the work planned today. The date, file reference and plan revision relate the documents to the construction task. Tell the specialist contractor about missing appendices or areas covered only in part. The offer and results handover record which outstanding questions the specific commission is intended to address.

04

Including preparatory work

Exploratory boreholes or preparatory earthworks may disturb the ground before main construction begins. Include these steps in the enquiry. The technical assessment concerns the respective ground works; it is not determined solely by the name of the future building. State when investigations, connection works or other preparatory ground works are proposed. Access, known utilities and operational conditions are agreed with the responsible parties. Investigation and technical handover are prepared accordingly for the section needed first.

Project documents

Documents that establish the next step

Keeping different plan versions identifiable

Record which option is being pursued and which drawing relates only to earlier planning. An older report may remain useful if its coverage fits the new ground works. The comparison identifies specific matches and differences. Merely changing a plan title does not answer the technical question. The results file relates the site plan, areas and depths to the methods, survey conditions and professionally assessed findings. Areas addressed remain distinct from those outstanding. For commissioned clearance work, the evidence file includes the clearance record with its associated location and results information. Planning staff and site management can compare the next activity with this documented scope.

Recording responsibilities clearly within the project

Official information, technical planning and the commissioned specialist service are treated as distinct tasks. Their results and requirements remain available with dates and spatial references. Agree the responsible contact for outstanding questions. An expected response is not incorporated into the investigation brief as if it had already been received. For a staged handover, the report and associated plans are passed on together with the outstanding tasks. Access limitations or interference remain assigned to the relevant area. New contractors or project participants then receive the records needed for their task and the actual stage of work reached.

Construction sequence

Coordinate investigation and construction sections

Defining what is needed during preparation

Compile the current ground works plans and all available explosive ordnance records. Mark undecided options, missing depths and access that remains unresolved. The initial discussion describes what technical findings are needed. The scope, prerequisites and form of results can then be agreed in understandable terms. The project enquiry includes the address, site plan, construction stage, ground works depths and the technical finding needed first. Existing statements and complete reports are included with their appendices. The parties establish who will obtain missing information and what preparatory work is required before construction.

Coordinate the construction phase with us

Repeating the comparison when plans change

A revised route or additional construction area is passed to the specialist planners with the current plan. The existing spatial coverage is compared against it. Results that still apply remain included. For new areas or those affected differently, outstanding tasks are defined before the changed ground works begin. Scheduling takes account of new access, revised depths and the intended handover point. For supplementary work, the additional question and affected section are identified and the evidence required is agreed before that section is constructed.

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

From the plan version to a suitable investigation method

Defining the investigation objective

The existing findings are compared with the proposed areas and depths. Where a clearance plan is needed, it describes, among other things, the objective, conditions and proposed approach. Specialist planning cannot replace a missing construction plan with unconfirmed assumptions.

Checking survey conditions

Surfaces, utilities, metal installations and access can affect which survey is suitable and what it can establish. Conditions need not be the same throughout a large development area. Differences are taken into account for the respective sections.

Keeping outstanding areas identifiable

A section to be planned later remains in the overview with its outstanding information. Once the ground works are defined, its investigation needs are assessed. Existing results may be used where their documented scope fits. Automatically repeating or extending them would be equally indiscriminate.

Next steps

What to compile for an enquiry

01

Compare the project enquiry and documents

Describe the proposed use and the earthworks already defined. Identify draft plans and later options. For the initial contact, provide the project address, construction stage and forthcoming ground works. The existing official information and technical reports, with their appendices, are checked for the current plan version, spatial coverage and unresolved questions. The initial discussion establishes what findings are needed for the next ground works and which documents are still missing.

02

Supplement historical information

Where supporting information is missing, the necessary historical research or aerial photograph analysis is carried out for the specific construction area. Available records, wartime aerial photographs and earlier maps are connected to today's location and the investigation question. Recorded war impacts, changes of use and documented ground changes are located spatially. The findings are analysed for further investigation planning; existing information that is already sufficient may continue to be used.

03

Agree the investigation objective and method

Mark the areas in the enquiry. Add depths or vertical references where these have already been planned. The suitable method is determined from the investigation objective, ground works plan, existing findings and local conditions. Access, installations and possible interference are taken into account. The specialist contractor, planners and site management agree the preparation, scope of services and required handover date. Necessary official notifications are assigned to the specific activity.

04

Compare design changes and carry out the investigation

Include the existing official statement and complete technical reports. Note any missing appendices. Specialist personnel carry out the agreed survey or professionally specified supervision using the agreed method. Data and findings are recorded with their location and the actual scope of work. Access limitations or interference remain documented. Unexpected conditions are communicated through the agreed contacts and assessed professionally before the approach is changed.

05

Have recorded data and findings assessed by specialists

The specialist contractor assesses recorded data and findings according to the investigation objective, method and actual conditions. A measurement anomaly is interpreted without identifying it as a particular object solely because it occurs. The stage reached, interference, outstanding areas and additions required are documented in the report with associated plans. The assessment describes the technical conclusions reached and questions needing further clarification.

06

Hand over the results file and clarify the next decision

Agree with us which investigation can be offered and what further information or preparatory work is needed. The report and site plans relate methods, assessed findings, areas covered and limitations to each other. Planners and site management compare the next ground works with this record. Necessary additions or further consultation with the authorities are clarified before the affected works. The documentation remains available for later plan changes and newly involved contractors.

Documentation

The evidence must match the investigation completed

Findings and their scope

After an investigation, the documented scope matters: which area was considered, the depth or vertical reference to which the findings apply and the limitations. These details are compared with the later earthworks. A general map of the entire development area must not replace the individual results plans.

Project responsibilities

For local questions, the pages on Darmstadt, Frankfurt am Main and Wiesbaden supplement this preparation. The statewide framework is explained in the Hessen overview. A place or area name alone establishes neither suspected explosive ordnance contamination nor a finding that a site is unaffected.

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

Map scale limits the conclusions it supports

An overview can show the project in its regional context. Specific ground works require additional precise location and depth information. Further enlargement does not change the original data. Documents are therefore selected for their purpose and used together, rather than treating an overview as evidence accurate enough for construction.

Understand investigation reports and their limitations

An announced investigation is not yet a result

Planning documents may describe work proposed for later. Further construction preparation also checks whether completion of that work has been documented. The results report identifies its scope and limitations. Both stages remain distinct in the project file so that site management works from a traceable basis.

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
Person wearing an orange high-visibility vest on a marked construction area with small piles of soil
Person wearing an orange high-visibility vest with a MALÅ survey cart on grass
Questions from planning

Questions about site development in southern Hessen

Does a construction area shown on the regional plan establish that it is free from explosive ordnance?

No. Regional planning describes spatial uses and development. Findings about explosive ordnance depend on site-specific information and, where applicable, documented investigations. A map symbol does not replace that specialist assessment.

Is the explosive ordnance clearance service in Darmstadt responsible only for southern Hessen?

No. The explosive ordnance clearance service based at the Darmstadt regional administration is responsible for the whole state of Hessen. The official information explains the request for aerial photograph analysis and how this differs from an investigation commissioned from a specialist contractor.

Can preparation begin before all construction stages are defined?

Yes. Existing records can be collected and the first specific ground works described. Areas and depths not yet defined remain explicitly outstanding. Their investigation needs are assessed once the necessary planning details are available.

Is an extract from a regional overview map enough?

It helps with initial orientation. Precisely relating the site to the planned ground works, however, requires a suitable site or detailed plan. Hessen’s explosive ordnance clearance service requires such a plan with marked boundaries for its enquiry.

What happens if a suspicious item is found during preparatory work?

Stop work in the affected area immediately. Do not touch or move the object; keep your distance, leave the danger area and keep others away. Notify the police immediately on 110. A routine project enquiry is not a reporting channel for an urgent find.

Is a regional plan sufficient as a site drawing for the technical investigation?

The specific work areas need to be shown in sufficient detail. A regional overview can supplement this, but does not replace suitable ground works plans.

What does an announced renewed enquiry in a report mean?

Initially, it describes an intended step. Whether the enquiry and necessary work subsequently took place must be checked against the corresponding records.

How do additional construction areas affect the work and costs?

They are marked on the new plan and compared with the existing evidence. This establishes what additional specialist work is needed. Work and costs depend on the area or number of points, ground works depth, available records, access and survey conditions. Necessary preparatory work and results documentation are agreed within the scope of services. Scheduling identifies the section needed first and the prerequisites to be met before construction.

Project enquiry

Submit your site development plans for assessment

Add detailed plans

Show construction areas, depths and the chosen option together. Send us the site plan, current planning status and available explosive ordnance records. In particular, identify the next proposed ground works. Together, we assess which investigation scope fits and what outstanding information is needed before commissioning.

Assign documentation

Include existing assessments and results with their associated site plans. Also tell us which earthworks are to begin first and which areas are not yet accessible. Necessary preparatory work and handover of results can then be coordinated in good time.

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.

Send a project enquiry Call now Send documents Select services