Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Explosive ordnance surveying and disposal in Göttingen
For project owners, planners and site management, FONTANA-EOD assesses what an explosive ordnance indication in the records means for their construction project in Göttingen. We relate the complete letter and existing investigation reports to the planned areas, working spaces and ground works depths. Send the current plans and mark undecided options so that missing information and required investigations can be agreed before earthworks.
Include the letter and associated plans.
Define construction boundaries and depths.
Agree the required investigation before ground works.
Assess the construction project
Turn the indication into a specific investigation task
An explosive ordnance indication in the construction records must first be assessed for its content and spatial reference. For your project in Göttingen, we relate it to complete reports and the planned areas and depths. Missing information and necessary investigations are agreed before the next ground intervention.
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Site and existing requirements
Specify the actual project location with a site plan and the affected land parcels. Existing information, conditions and reports are assigned to this area. Göttingen is in Lower Saxony in the Braunschweig administrative area. The City of Göttingen is responsible for explosive ordnance hazard prevention within the city; information and existing reports are assigned to the specific site and ground works. For projects in the city centre and central districts, Geismar, Weende, Grone, Nordstadt or Weststadt, identify the available records. For enquiries from Rosdorf, Duderstadt, Nörten-Hardenberg, Northeim, Hann. Münden or the district of Göttingen, the responsible body is determined from the specific municipality and project location.
Local context
From the building file to the investigation brief
Local starting point
The City of Göttingen describes the preliminary review of building applications as checking documents for completeness. The specialist services affected are involved and additional records requested where needed. Which additional details a specific project requires must be clarified in that procedure. This does not establish a blanket explosive ordnance finding about a property.
Documented local case
The Lower Saxony KBD Annual Report 2021 describes an operation on Godehardstraße in Göttingen: several suspected locations had been identified on wartime aerial photographs in October 2020. Subsequent surveys found unexploded bombs; the disposal operation took place at the end of January 2021. To prepare your own construction project, the original aerial photograph assessment and later investigation reports should therefore be brought together with their site plans. It must be checked whether these records actually cover the planned ground works areas and depths. The finds on Godehardstraße at the time establish nothing about another site or its present conditions.
Implications for construction planning
If the site plan initially shows only the building outline, survey planning may still lack foundation depths, working spaces or utility connections. Identify these outstanding points before commissioning. An explosive ordnance indication requires specialist assessment; copying it into the next plan version does not replace that assessment. For urban infill areas, records of earlier alterations, new construction phases and changes to the ground are assigned to the current construction section. The same applies to railway and route corridors around the station, older commercial and infrastructure sites with changing uses, and development and conversion sites. Mark additional ground works for parking areas, utility facilities, service routes, chambers and excavations on the site plan with their depths.
Requirements
Clarify technical requirements and responsibilities within the project
Relate requirements to the specialist task
For the commissioned activities, the relevant technical requirements and questions of permits, competence certification and responsibility are clarified. The actual planned service scope is decisive. A general company designation does not replace checking that the tasks and interfaces are described appropriately for the specific project.
Link occupational safety to the construction sequence
Risk assessment, work areas and communication must suit the proposed activities. Ordnance specialist works are coordinated with the other construction activities. Operational organisation, traffic safety and other specialist technical inspections retain their own responsible parties. Joint coordination brings the information together without equating the different tasks.
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.
Local procedures: City of Göttingen: preliminary review of building applications.
Planning and documentation: BFR KMR: principles of clearance planning · BFR KMR: geophysics · BFR KMR: documentation · LGLN: explosive ordnance contamination on sites – who does what? · DGUV: explosive ordnance clearance FAQ
The BFR KMR guidelines are used as technical guidance; the applicable local requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately. Their defined remit concerns federal projects; their application to other projects is clarified for the specific project.
For work in Germany, the permit, certificate 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 planned activities. The DGUV Information 201-027 covers preventive investigation and clearance of conventional explosive ordnance and defines its scope. Its explanations concerning DGUV Rule 113-003 relate to specific activities involving explosives; they are not applied indiscriminately to every investigation for construction. § 7 SprengG concerns the commercial permit for activities requiring authorisation, and § 20 SprengG the certificate of competence of responsible persons. Under § 1b SprengG, searching for munitions that have been found also counts as handling.
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 contractor performs the agreed investigation and documentation work. Official requirements and decisions are clarified with the respective responsible bodies. The records needed for a specific procedure depend on the location and project. The technical report documents the specialist work carried out and its area, depth and limits of conclusions. The responsible bodies make official decisions concerning subsequent groundworks.
As the municipality, the City of Göttingen is responsible for local hazard prevention. Lower Saxony’s explosive ordnance disposal service supports the municipality with hazard investigation and its assigned recovery and disposal tasks. Commercial specialist contractors carry out the commissioned technical investigations. For the project, contacts, existing official conditions, reporting channels and handover of assessed findings are clarified.
Investigation task
Which specialist task comes next?
First assess the existing findings
Aerial photograph analyses, official correspondence and earlier technical reports are related to the current project. What matters is which question each document answers and which spatial area it covers. Analysis of historical imagery must be distinguished from technical investigation of the present ground. If findings are missing or do not match the planned construction task, the further investigation needed is agreed with the specialists.
Assess historical documentsRelate the investigation to the area and depth
For the technical investigation, a suitable method is selected according to the objective, depth, ground and interference. A standard device alone does not define an appropriate service. The agreed scope identifies accessible areas and required results documentation. Even for a partial investigation, it must remain clear which area is actually investigated and which questions still require clarification afterwards.
Compare investigation methodsProject types
Distinguish building application records from investigation steps in Göttingen
Application plans with construction details still unresolved
A building application may describe the extent of the building while retaining structures, drainage or additional excavations are developed only later. The ground works actually proposed are decisive for explosive ordnance assessment. Show which parts are already defined and which remain options. Checking an application for completeness is a different task from technically investigating the ground.
The plans identify defined ground works and undecided construction options on a shared site plan. Defined parts include their depths and necessary working areas. For outstanding questions, identify the further planning information the explosive ordnance specialist needs. Later refinements are compared with the existing investigation scope. The additional task may be limited to an individual connection or an enlarged boundary area. Site management receives the plan relevant to that work with the associated technical records. Questions about the building application are clarified with the responsible body; the technical task description remains related to the ground works actually proposed.
Coordinate the sequence and tasks
Historical suspicion and later technical clarification
The documented incident on Godehardstraße shows a chronological sequence of aerial photograph assessment, surveying and later measures. These steps must not be equated. For your own construction project, provide the complete current records. The individual historical incident establishes neither a current finding on other sites nor their investigation scope.
Understanding historical aerial photograph assessments
Additional working space outside the structure
Ground works may extend beyond the building outline, for example through retaining structures, chambers or connections. These areas are made separately identifiable in the investigation brief. A changed location or additional depth is compared with existing results before work begins. Even an unchanged address may thus involve a new technical question.
For a connection to the existing network, also show the trench and transition pit outside the building footprint. The details show where the previously investigated area ends and which working spaces are added. Where different depths are proposed, each receives an identifiable level reference. The specialist planners can then compare the additional ground volume with available results. Any necessary addition identifies the location, investigation objective and results documentation needed. If the route changes during construction, the new version is provided before the affected work. The response is assigned to the current plan identifier and handed over with the other records.
Provide specialist supervision of excavationPreparation
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 process distinguishes work already technically clarified from prerequisites still unresolved. If an area will only be partly accessible, this must be taken into account when commissioning the work. Handover and assessment of results also need time in the construction programme. Specific coordination connects the described scope with access, records, execution conditions and the date by which a decision is needed.
Discuss the scope and scheduleTasks at the site
What information is missing between design and construction?
01
Provide the complete letter
Provide the letter concerned or complete planning document. It should identify the area, what was established and which further steps are recommended. A sentence copied out of context cannot reliably show whether an investigation already exists or merely whether further clarification is recommended.
02
Add the excavation, foundations and connections
Alongside the structure, add the proposed excavation, foundations, chambers and utility connections. Describe depths with an unambiguous reference. This identifies the ground volumes relevant to investigation and the information the specialist planners still need to provide.
03
Mark undecided planning options
If, for example, the basement extent, foundations or route still vary, the options should remain distinct on the plan. An early investigation needs a defined objective. If construction later differs, the new ground works must be compared with the area actually investigated.
04
Find the correct contact for questions
Clarify which question is for the responsible body and which is for the planning or investigating specialist contractor. A technical report and a decision in an administrative procedure serve different purposes. Record who is being asked for additional information and why it is needed.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Document the stage reached in the file
Hand over existing information, investigation reports and associated plans in chronological order. This keeps earlier assessments distinct from later results. A date alone does not establish that every recommendation has been addressed; the corresponding results documentation must be included.
Add the ground works geometry to the building application
Technical coordination needs the locations, depths and working spaces in particular, alongside the approval documents. Retaining works, subsidiary utilities or ground investigations are not described solely by the building footprint. If details remain unresolved, they are explicitly passed on as planning questions so that a sensibly defined next commission can be agreed.
Construction sequence
Coordinate investigation and construction sections
Preparatory investigation and initial ground works
The sequence is planned around the ground works actually proposed. Drilling, service diversions or temporary foundations may already be planned before the main excavation. For each affected area, it is clarified what must be established beforehand and which records are available. Construction plans already submitted may need additional construction details later. These additions are submitted for specialist assessment before the work concerned begins.
Further construction phases and changed plans
At the transition to the next construction phase, it is checked which results still apply. The location, depth and limitations described in the report are decisive. Additional working areas or changed methods are explicitly included. An interim release of an area for operational use and the technical findings of an investigation report are different matters. Site management receives the clarified status together with the associated plans and outstanding next steps.
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 may be suitable for certain metallic target objects and site conditions. Suitability is justified for the particular task, rather than inferred from equipment availability alone. Interfering installations, accessible areas and the conclusion required must also be considered. Results are documented with their location and investigation conditions. Whether a supplementary method is needed follows from the technical assessment and remains a specific project decision. TDEM records time-dependent electromagnetic responses from electrically conductive objects.
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 investigation task affect interpretation. An anomaly is not automatically explosive ordnance, and an area without anomalies is not general evidence for arbitrary depths. The technical interpretation and limitations are documented with the commission. An investigation for other purposes is not adopted as explosive ordnance evidence without assessment. Highly conductive ground can limit its range.
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, it is assessed whether a technically planned approach during construction is suitable. This includes coordinated investigation, interpretation and communication of findings within the planned workflow. Visual observation during excavation is not an interchangeable substitute for a necessary survey. Site management needs a clear description of when specialist work takes place, how new findings are handled and which areas remain unresolved. Where the method is suitable, each working layer is technically surveyed and assessed before controlled removal in layers. Visual checks supplement the survey. The process continues to the agreed excavation base and, where necessary, along walls or slopes; the stop signal, authority to issue instructions and reporting channels are agreed beforehand.
Agree the approach during constructionTechnical assessment
Which investigation is still needed?
Read preliminary research and existing reports
The historical aerial photograph analysis is considered together with other findings and the associated maps. Check the areas covered by the analysis and what it establishes for the construction project. Recording a historical finding on the site plan does not replace a necessary technical investigation.
The document overview links every letter and report to its date, question and spatial reference. A historical analysis is provided with its associated maps; technical investigations remain linked to their results plans. This shows which work actually took place and which recommended measure remains outstanding. Missing appendices or unclear references are queried with the respective author. For the current project, record which findings are to be compared with the next ground works. New responses supplement the existing file without changing the original records or their scope at the time.
Define the area, depth and survey conditions
For surveying the area, depth reference and survey conditions must be clarified. Existing installations, paving or restricted access may affect the work. These conditions determine which method is suitable. Describe precisely which work you need investigation results for.
The task description includes the site plan for the work concerned and its proposed construction-stage conditions. Known utilities, remaining structural elements and accessible survey areas are related to this area. The specialist contractor explains which approach is suitable under these conditions and which prerequisites are needed before investigation. The plans record which sections can be addressed in advance and which task is assigned to a later phase. After access changes, the actual conditions are communicated again. The subsequent report identifies the ground volume covered and findings achieved, so that the results remain technically assigned to the proposed work.
Assess results and record further measures
The results report should identify what was investigated and which question it answers. If supplementary work or a further measure is recommended, this remains to be addressed separately. For the clearance documentation the scope described is decisive, rather than the mere existence of a certificate.
For further use, the report and associated plans are handed over together to those involved in the next construction phase. The overview identifies the areas or points, depth references and outstanding tasks. A contact is named for coordinating a recommended addition. The additional task is related spatially to the work ahead. After it has been addressed, the status reached is added with the new results documentation. If plans change, it is made clear which findings relate to the previous ground works and which to the new ones. Site management can then assign the response to the work actually to be carried out and compile the records it needs.
Next steps
From an indication to a documented investigation result
Compile sources
Have indications, analyses and earlier reports available with their associated plans. Outstanding questions about former use or wartime events are addressed through additional historical research and analysis of suitable wartime aerial photographs where available. Findings and analysis limitations are related to the present ground works area.
Add the construction details
Clearly show areas, depths and undecided options.
Clarify questions
Assign missing information and responsible contacts to the individual questions.
Agree the investigation scope
Agree which areas will be investigated and which reports will then be handed over. The suitable method is selected according to the investigation objective, ground works depth, ground conditions, existing utilities, interference and access. The selection justifies the specialist and preparatory work required for the agreed area.
Investigate the agreed area
The specialist contractor carries out the commissioned investigation. Survey grids, necessary borehole locations and access for investigation are coordinated with the area, level reference, ground works depth and local conditions. Survey data and findings are spatially referenced; inaccessible sections and interference are recorded.
Assess findings and agree further work
The results are compared with the construction task. Anomalies, assessed findings and unresolved areas are identified separately. For confirmed explosive ordnance, recovery and further handling are agreed with the responsible bodies in accordance with the division of responsibilities in Lower Saxony.
Hand over results and outstanding follow-up measures
The report and its plans identify the points, areas and depths actually investigated. Survey conditions, limitations and outstanding tasks remain identifiable for the next investigation or construction activity. Where applicable, a clearance record relates the location, depth, findings and result of recovery work carried out.
Documentation
Hand over complete records to site management
Findings and their scope
Keep the original indications, relevant plan version and actual investigation results together. A plan change may alter the relevance of an older report. For work to proceed, the area covered, applicable limitations and any outstanding task must be identifiable. Site management also receives the official decisions and conditions relevant to the work.
Project responsibilities
In Lower Saxony, official hazard prevention is the responsibility of municipalities; the state explosive ordnance disposal service supports them according to its remit. FONTANA-EOD provides the commissioned technical specialist service; official responsibilities remain unchanged. Official guidance and decisions are observed according to their specific content. The responsible bodies make official decisions; FONTANA-EOD hands over the results of the commissioned investigation with area, depth and interpretation limits.
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
Read results together with their scope
A statement is understandable only with its investigation task. Check the area and depth described, methods used and restrictions. A report title or single result line is insufficient. For new work, these details are compared with the current plan to establish which knowledge remains usable and which question is unresolved.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsUse project terminology unambiguously
Document review, surveying, construction-phase specialist work and recovery are different tasks. An enquiry need not identify the correct method in advance. An accurate description of the intervention and required decision is more useful. This establishes the appropriate technical scope and prevents a general term from meaning different things in design, procurement and execution.
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 further work answer different questions. The service overview helps distinguish these tasks in an enquiry.
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 the planning status of a project in Göttingen
Which records should I provide for an initial specialist discussion?
The current site plan, proposed ground works depths and existing analyses, technical reports and relevant indications. Mark missing information and undecided planning options. Even an early enquiry should show what is already defined and what is still being planned.
Is the building outline sufficient for survey planning?
It generally does not describe all ground works. Excavations, working areas, foundation depths and connections also need consideration. The information required for the specific investigation is agreed with the specialist planners.
Is a note in the building procedure already technical investigation evidence?
That depends on the document’s content. A note identifying further assessment needs must be distinguished from a report on an investigation carried out. Read its subject, plan reference and any identified measures in their full context.
What matters if plans change after the investigation?
Compare the changed area or depth with the documented investigation scope. Only then can specialists assess whether the previous findings apply or supplementary work is needed. An unchanged project name is insufficient.
How do I report a suspicious item found now?
If possible explosive ordnance is found, stop work at the location immediately. Do not touch, move or expose the object further. Leave the immediate area, keep your distance and keep others away without putting yourself at risk. In Germany, notify the police immediately on 110 and follow their instructions. Inform site management and the client; internal reporting must not delay the emergency call. An enquiry form for planned construction projects is not an emergency reporting channel.
Does an old incident involving a find establish present-day suspicion on my site?
A historical incident is initially limited to its location at the time and the documented measure. Its technical relevance to your site is assessed from the location and further records. It cannot be applied indiscriminately across the city.
Which factors determine the investigation scope and costs?
The area, ground works depth, available records, ground structure, metal interference and access determine the investigation task. Necessary preparation, interpretation, investigation of anomalies and documentation must also be considered. Undecided options for basements, foundations or connections are identified before agreement of the quotation. Investigations already carried out and recommended follow-up measures remain distinguishable from the services still needed; outstanding quantities and access arrangements are agreed.
Which document is decisive if dates conflict?
The documents are read in their technical and chronological sequence. A later letter does not necessarily replace all the contents of earlier reports. Clarify the area and task concerned in each case and submit unresolved contradictions for specialist assessment before work begins.
Project enquiry
Discuss construction plans and existing indications
Plan revision and decision deadline
State whether the enquiry concerns early planning, preparation for tendering or ground works about to begin. The date by which technical findings are needed helps coordination. Outstanding information is explicitly identified rather than replaced with assumed values. Specify the earliest ground works, construction time windows, maximum ground works depths and investigations already commissioned.
Assign records to their locations
Send a site plan and available reports with their associated appendices. For several construction phases, identify which document belongs to which area. Photographs supplement descriptions of access and existing structures; they do not replace information about underground structures or planned depths. Include official correspondence, conditions, service plans and ground investigation records or records of existing structures. Identify contacts and areas that are not yet accessible.
How a project proceeds
How a project proceedsOur investigation methods
Our investigation methodsPut further project regions in context
Put further project regions in contextAgree investigation of anomalies and recovery
Agree investigation of anomalies and recoverySelect the specialist assessment for the project type
Select the specialist assessment for the project type
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.
