Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Ordnance surveying in Pétange
Several buildings may share a basement extending beyond their above-ground footprints. The complete proposed excavation therefore matters to the ordnance assessment. FONTANA-EOD clarifies with you whether existing investigations cover this area and the planned depths or need to be supplemented. Send the combined basement plan, sections and complete results appendices.
Use the complete floor plan.
Include working spaces.
Compare area and depth.
Assess the construction project
Which area matters for a shared basement?
Show the entire excavation, including connections between buildings, working spaces and access ramps. Include deeper individual points in the sections. Compare existing reports with this actual intervention area. Separate building floor plans or individual construction contracts do not, by themselves, establish complete coverage of the shared basement.
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Relate Pétange, Rodange and Lamadelaine to the construction task
The municipality of Pétange lies in southwestern Luxembourg. Its planning documents cover projects in Pétange, Rodange and Lamadelaine; Op Hëlprécht is located in Rodange. Alongside the project name, provide the settlement, address and affected plots. Relate different planning and construction phases according to the actual intervention area.
The local example shows that basements may extend beyond above-ground structures. For your project, bring together the actual excavation and results available for it. Plan approval does not establish that an ordnance investigation has been carried out. Technical preparation therefore clarifies the specific area and depth covered, regardless of the number of buildings planned.
For connections or construction access towards France and Belgium, also clarify which side of the national border the intervention lies on. Further locations are listed in the regional overview. For cross-border projects, clarify each project location and its applicable requirements separately. Shared project management expands neither geographical investigation coverage nor an authority's jurisdiction.
For the regional context of your construction project, the south-west Luxembourg overview provides further local information.
Local context
Liberation in 1944 and today's excavation planning
The basement and actual excavation at Op Hëlprécht
American troops liberated Pétange on 9 September 1944. The Grand Ducal account of the 80th anniversary also commemorates Lieutenant Hyman Josefson, who died in the fighting. This local wartime history provides a specific chronological reference for research. For a construction site, compare transport routes, buildings and available records from that time geographically with today's plots. Record later development, fill and utility installations as further stages. The assessment establishes which evidence is reliable for the planned excavation and which questions still require investigation.
The municipality of Pétange provides the approved PAP “Op Hëlprécht” in Rodange. The included ministerial letter is dated 19 March 2025. The written plan permits a shared basement for buildings A, B and C. For lots 2 and 3, the basements may also extend beyond the ground-floor footprints.
Prepare the complete basement area technically
A drawing of the above-ground buildings does not necessarily show the full later ground intervention. Investigation preparation also requires the basement and excavation plans. The PAP describes construction planning; it does not establish that an ordnance investigation has been carried out. Check whether a specific report is sufficient against the actual intervention.
The written plan also permits raised building bases and a basement partly emerging above sloping ground. The term basement therefore does not define a uniform depth below the existing surface. For the investigation, compare planned formation levels and the actual ground surface using a traceable elevation datum. Include an older report with the reference it used at the time.
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 approved Op Hëlprécht plan describes the permitted shared basement. The municipality of Pétange's PAP documents assign the approved plan versions provided to the respective projects.
The BFR KMR guidelines on clearance planning explain how the task and approach relate; the guidance on geophysics describes measurement conditions and method limitations. The BFR documentation requirements relate the evidence to the actual scope of services. The Luxembourg Army describes the authorities' handling of found ammunition.
The BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; locally applicable requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately.
For work in Luxembourg, check the locally applicable requirements for the specific activity before carrying it out. The Guichet.lu portal explains occasional and temporary service provision in Luxembourg and posting of employees. The necessary notifications and evidence relate to the type of service and personnel deployment. German technical guidance does not replace these Luxembourg requirements. German permits and certificates of competence under the Explosives Act belong to the German regulatory framework. The permitted scope of activity in Luxembourg is determined by the applicable local prerequisites and required coordination.
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. Documents needed for an official procedure are determined by the site, project and requirements of the competent body. The technical report describes the specialist service completed with its documented area, depth and service scope. The respective competent bodies make official decisions.
In Luxembourg, the Service de déminage de l’Armée luxembourgeoise, SEDAL, deals with found ammunition. The army identifies its tasks as identification, assessment, neutralisation and destruction. The police receive urgent danger reports on 113. For the planned specialist investigation, tasks, contacts and necessary prerequisites are agreed before work begins. Site management keeps these contacts available to those involved and refers any find to the responsible state authorities.
Investigation task
Which specialist task comes next?
Relate adjoining areas on technical grounds
Compare the boundaries of earlier investigations with the entire proposed area. Even a narrow gap between two documented areas must remain identifiable. This defines the additional task. Continue to use suitable existing results, but do not combine them into a conclusion about an uninvestigated gap simply because they adjoin it.
Compare the existing investigation scopeClarify investigation conditions before work starts
Identify known utility lines, foundations and access restrictions. Agree a suitable service against the findings needed. If some areas become accessible only later, include their investigation in the programme. Site management must be able to identify the technical prerequisites before each task and the documented limitations to be considered.
Compare investigation methodsProject types
Prepare the whole connected excavation
Relate historical assessments to the entire area
Provide existing aerial photograph analyses and other historical findings with their maps. Check their relevance to the complete basement area, including spaces between the buildings. Earlier assessments of parts of the site may help but must be traceably assigned to locations. A collection of individual reports does not establish a fully assessed shared excavation through its number alone.
The geographical comparison also requires legends, capture dates and the boundaries of the area investigated at the time. If a shared underground car park was added later, mark the additional spaces between buildings on the overall plan. The technical planners can then identify which parts existing findings cover and which require further work. Naming the entire construction project in an old report is insufficient on its own.
Arrange specialist assessment of historical evidence
Determine technical services from the ground interventions
Account for differing formation levels, shafts and ramps in investigation planning. The technical planners compare existing results with these tasks and local conditions. Installations and restricted access may affect what can be established. Develop a suitable approach for the actual scope, even where several buildings belong to one construction project.
Identify the elevation datum for each depth and the corresponding drawing revision. A depth measured below the former ground surface can be reused after excavation or filling only with a traceable elevation comparison. Agree the findings needed for each excavation formation level or deeper individual point. Pass on changes in position or elevation before the affected works.
Compare specialist services
Relate results across contract boundaries
The documentation shows investigated areas, depths and remaining limitations. Site management receives a traceable overview relating them to the shared excavation. Keep the complete individual reports available. If different clients or contractors are involved, clarify who will provide the records needed for connection areas and how outstanding tasks will be addressed.
For handover, a combined results plan can bring together the areas and references to the corresponding individual reports. Keep the investigation type, depth reference and limitations of each service identifiable. This gives site management a basis for sequencing the works. Link remaining gaps to a specific technical task and responsible contact.
Document findings and their limitationsPreparation
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 reliable programme distinguishes tasks already technically resolved from prerequisites still outstanding. If an area will be only partly accessible, account for this when commissioning work. Results handover and assessment also need time in the construction programme. Agree timing and the work required once scope, access, documents, construction conditions and the date a decision is needed are clarified.
Discuss the scope and scheduleTasks at the site
The investigation area starts with the excavation plan
01
Show the basement plan rather than only the buildings
Show the basement and above-ground structures together. A connected basement may affect spaces between buildings that appear as open areas on the site plan. The technical planners must be able to identify where excavation is planned and where existing ground is to remain untouched.
02
Include working spaces and access routes
The basement's outer edge is not always the excavation boundary. Depending on the construction method, working space, slopes or access ramps may extend beyond it. Identify these proposed areas. Dimensions not yet determined are unresolved design questions for coordination and must not be treated as already investigated.
03
Show differing depths in sections
An underground car park, lift shaft and utility connection may have different formation levels. One general depth conceals these differences. Include sections or clear elevation information so the proposed investigation properly covers each intervention and its limitations can later be documented clearly.
04
Identify areas covered by earlier commissions
The number of older reports alone does not establish complete coverage. Check whether their investigation areas adjoin and whether their conclusions apply to the same depths. Keep any gap between two assessed areas visible in the current design.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Include working space beyond the basement edge
The finished basement's outer edge does not always define the excavation boundary. Show the planned additional areas and their depths. Account for construction methods or dimensions still undecided during coordination. The technical planners should be able to base their conclusions on traceable interventions rather than assume an undefined working area is fully covered. If excavation walls, shoring or tieback anchors are planned, include their positions and ground interventions in the records as well. Specify the support actually proposed and its required working areas. Clarify unresolved construction alternatives before the affected works and check their additional investigation requirements.
Make deeper points visible on the shared floor plan
Lift shafts, equipment pits or individual connections may have different formation levels from the rest of the basement. Identify these points clearly and include sections. A general depth for the entire excavation can conceal such differences. Preparation therefore uses the actual details of each intervention and their combined layout. The ordnance survey report links the investigation brief, measurement data, assessment of findings and results plan. For clearance work actually carried out, the clearance record describes areas, depths and scope. The conclusion relates usable results and outstanding tasks to the next construction phase.
Construction sequence
Coordinate investigation and construction sections
Base the enquiry on the shared excavation
Send the basement plan, excavation sections and existing reports together. Identify separate contracts and their boundaries. State the groundworks planned first. The technical planners can then relate the investigation needed to the actual overall layout and identify unresolved areas that may not have been sufficiently visible in separate drawing extracts.
Check extensions before the affected ground intervention
If the basement grows or a ramp changes, pass on the revised drawing. Relate existing results to that change. Additional requirements follow from the actual difference in area and depth. Site management receives the appropriate documentation before using the changed areas; suitable results for unchanged areas remain usable.
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
Which services may suit the construction site
Relate historical findings to the construction area
A historical aerial photograph analysis can contribute to the assessment of the property. Its geographical coverage must match the entire proposed excavation. Findings for one structure cannot simply be extended to a larger shared basement. The evidence assessed and specific limits of the results are decisive.
If sufficient historical evidence is missing, commission the necessary research, including suitable aerial photographs, as a separate technical task. Relate former uses and wartime effects to today's property. Assess maps, reports and aerial photographs for their dates, origins and geographical information. Justified suspicion leads to an appropriate investigation objective; account for remaining information gaps in the next steps.
Tailor measurements to the actual intervention
A survey must be planned according to the technical question and site conditions. Existing installations, interference from metal and restricted access may affect what can be established. Agree in advance which areas can be assessed under which conditions and which areas initially remain unresolved.
Method selection accounts for target objects, soil structure, moisture and interfering metal objects. Geomagnetic surveys, electromagnetic methods and ground-penetrating radar measure different physical properties and may complement one another depending on the task. Greater intervention depths may require a deep survey. Borehole clearance relates to the agreed position, proposed depth and technical service actually carried out. Keep the associated limitations identifiable on the results plan.
Account for shared structures in the sequence
A clearance plan can link the necessary technical services with individual construction phases. For a shared underground car park, separate contracts should not leave investigation gaps. Explicitly coordinate which technical prerequisites must be met before each intervention with the project owner and site management. The technical scope of explosive ordnance recovery is coordinated with the responsible authorities for the project in Luxembourg.
For ordnance supervision during excavation, coordinate the agreed technical duties with the excavation sequence, access arrangements and site management. Before area clearance or recovery, clarify the activities permitted in Luxembourg and the responsibilities of the public authorities. Leave a suspicious object undisturbed; stop work in the affected area and notify the police or SEDAL. Assign technical investigation, the authorities' handling of finds and subsequent construction resumption to their actual respective scopes.
Next steps
Prepare the first enquiry for Pétange
Identify the local plans clearly
The municipality publishes approved PAP NQ plans for projects in Pétange, Rodange and Lamadelaine. Identify the applicable plan and version used. A report for a project with the same name or a neighbouring property must not be adopted without checking its geographical relevance. At first contact, agree the project location, next groundworks and date by which a decision is needed.
Provide a consistent set of drawing revisions
Where possible, bring basement plans, excavation sections and connection designs together in a traceable set of revisions. If the documents carry different dates, explain which parts remain applicable. This allows discrepancies to be resolved before commissioning rather than discovered during groundworks. The records review also covers existing ordnance results. Where historical evidence is incomplete, arrange the necessary research, including suitable aerial photograph analysis.
Hand over existing investigations completely
A results report includes maps, appendices and a description of the service performed. A forwarded extract or short email cannot replace these details. Identify missing records and state who may still be able to provide them. On this basis, select the suitable method for the investigation objective, soil and interference. Carry out the agreed survey or technical supervision and assess the scope and limitations of its results.
Check later extensions again
If an underground car park grows or a shaft moves, the investigation requirements may change. Report these changes before the affected ground intervention. Usable results remain part of the evidence; additional requirements follow from the actual difference rather than simply a new drawing date. Hand over the report, maps and, where applicable, clearance record. Use these to establish the results that can be used and technical steps needed before the next intervention.
Documentation
Distinguish technical results from public duties
Findings and their scope
For your project in Pétange, FONTANA-EOD discusses with you the technical services needed and prerequisites for a possible commission. These include the specific investigation scope and necessary coordination in Luxembourg. A private technical conclusion does not replace decisions by other responsible authorities.
Project responsibilities
SEDAL is responsible for found ammunition. The Luxembourg Army describes the public service's tasks as including the identification, neutralisation and destruction of ammunition. German rules on responsibilities cannot be transferred to it. Technical guidance such as the BFR KMR also has no direct legal applicability in Luxembourg.
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
Keep shared components identifiable in each contract
Use unambiguous identifiers for the basement, ramps and connection areas. Individual detail drawings must be locatable on the overall plan. This keeps related groundworks visible even under separate contracts. Relate existing investigation reports to these areas so a contract boundary does not create an unjustified assumption about coverage of the neighbouring intervention.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsKeep complete reports available for the shared site management team
An overview of existing results helps coordination but does not replace maps and limitations. Site management needs the associated appendices for geographical comparison. Identify missing records with the responsible contact. Later changes can then be checked specifically to establish which conclusions remain valid and which questions remain unresolved for the new intervention.
For the shared site management team, record which report belongs to which drawing and who supplied each version. Identify a supplement by its date and the areas changed. This allows an added measurement area, new ramp or deeper shaft to be located specifically later and checked against the technical findings actually available.
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 planned groundworks and the investigation results needed for them. Operating conditions for industrial and infrastructure projects are coordinated with the technical planners involved.
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 larger basements and excavations
Is the ground-floor plan sufficient for an enquiry?
Not if the basement or excavation extends beyond it. Provide the actual planned groundworks with their positions and depths. An additional excavation drawing enables comparison with older investigations. Agree investigation requirements before the proposed groundworks. The process combines records review, necessary research and method selection with investigation, assessment and documentation.
Does an investigation for one building cover a shared underground car park?
Only insofar as its results also cover the car park's area and depth. Check this using the complete report. Areas between buildings or beyond the investigated boundaries may need further technical assessment.
Does PAP approval establish that an ordnance assessment has been completed?
No. Approval of construction plans must be distinguished from a technical investigation of the ground. Establish separately whether ordnance reports exist and what scope they cover.
Does a larger excavation require the whole area to be investigated again?
No general conclusion can be drawn. Compare usable results with the revised area and new depths. This establishes whether additional services are needed and their extent.
Where should I report suspicious ammunition found in Pétange?
Leave the object undisturbed, keep your distance and stop work in the affected area. From a safe distance, notify the Luxembourg police on 113 or SEDAL. Do not take the object away or transport it yourself.
Which factors determine effort and costs?
The excavation's size and depth, historical evidence, access and interference determine the work involved. Method selection, measurements, interpretation and documentation also contribute, as does further investigation of findings where necessary. Agree technical services according to the findings actually needed. Usable results from earlier contracts help limit supplementary work to the outstanding areas and depths.
Is one depth sufficient for an underground car park and lift shaft?
Only if it correctly describes the proposed interventions. Show different formation levels individually and compare them with the results. Soil structure, installations and interfering metal objects affect method selection and measurement limits. Agree what can be established for each deep point and its proposed construction.
How should missing appendices be handled for shared site management?
Identify the missing records with the responsible contact. A results overview does not replace the maps and limitations of complete reports. Keep these appendices available for geographical comparison and later assessment of changed interventions.
Project enquiry
Prepare the first technical discussion
Show the entire area
Show the basement, excavation, ramps and deeper points together. Include the address, plots, elevation datum and applicable drawing revision.
Relate individual reports
Identify investigation boundaries and missing appendices clearly. Provide known utility lines, access, construction dates and missing results appendices.
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.
