Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Explosive ordnance surveying and disposal in Wilhelmshaven
For project owners, operators and site management, FONTANA-EOD coordinates explosive ordnance investigations on operational sites in use in Wilhelmshaven. Access routes, storage areas, existing installations and ongoing work are considered together with the planned ground interventions and investigation conditions. Send the site plan, depths and existing reports, together with information about access and operational time windows, so that necessary preparation and the investigation can be coordinated precisely.
Agree measurement areas and working routes.
Record utilities and interfering structures.
Coordinate investigation and operations.
Assess the construction project
Define measurement areas on operational sites in use
On an operational site in use, planned ground interventions must be coordinated with access, installed structures and ongoing work. For your project in Wilhelmshaven, we assess which areas can be investigated under suitable conditions. Temporarily occupied subareas and those subject to evaluation limitations remain explicitly identifiable in the scope and results.
Project references
Selected project examples
Wilhelmshaven – surface radar
Explosive ordnance surveying – Wilhelmshaven – track superstructure – GE tracks 2, 4 and 21 Wilhelmshaven
Service period: 2026-06
Service areas:Surface surveys: GPR, TDEM and magnetometryMethod used in this project: Ground-penetrating radar
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Site and existing requirements
State the actual project location with a site plan and the affected properties. Existing information, official conditions and reports are assigned to this area. Wilhelmshaven is an independent city in Lower Saxony in the Weser-Ems administrative district. The city is responsible for protection against explosive ordnance hazards; information and existing reports are assigned to the specific property and ground intervention. The address and affected properties are decisive for identifying projects in the city centre, Rüstersiel, Heppens, Bant or Voslapp. Also state the actual project location for enquiries concerning Jever, Schortens, Varel, the Wittmund area, the district of Friesland or other coastal and port areas in the northwest. Outside Wilhelmshaven’s city limits, the municipality with local responsibility is involved.
If a route extends beyond the city boundary, sections, properties, operators and contacts are assigned separately. Information remains linked to the section for which it was provided. The administrative office, delivery address and actual construction area may be in different places. Therefore use the same clear area designations on the site plan, borehole position list and report.
Local context
Understand port use and site history
Local starting point
In its port overview, the city of Wilhelmshaven distinguishes, among other areas, the outer port, inner port and various terminals. The designation “port area” therefore does not describe uniform working conditions. A planned investigation must identify the exact area, land-based ground interventions and installations present. A port location alone does not establish a particular level of explosive ordnance contamination. The document review covers former shipyard, industrial, logistics or energy uses and transport and utility corridors where these concern the construction area. At shorelines and site margins, documented filling, altered access routes and structure foundations are compared with present-day ground interventions. Repeated changes to the ground and reuse of redevelopment sites are located in time and space using files, maps and terrain information.
Since the 19th century, Wilhelmshaven’s development has been closely linked to the navy on the Jade. In 1937, Wilhelmshaven and Rüstringen were united as one city. Former place and street names are therefore compared with present-day properties and planning documents. The history of military use is researched and spatially assigned to the specific construction area.
A major air raid struck Wilhelmshaven on 15 October 1944. After the war, reconstruction, port development and industrial uses changed parts of the city. For a present-day construction task, historical photographs and plans are related to the current terrain and buildings. Surfacing or longstanding use does not in itself establish whether the ground interventions now planned have been investigated.
The history of Wilhelmshaven and the archive article on the air raid of 15 October 1944 provide historical starting points for research into a property’s former use. For explosive ordnance planning, this background is compared with the specific site documents and intended ground intervention.
Implications for construction planning
If new foundations are planned beside a traffic route that remains in use, that use must be taken into account during the investigation. A material storage area may also initially prevent access to a measurement area. State such restrictions in the enquiry so that preparatory work, access and the sequence can be coordinated.
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.
In Lower Saxony, the state explosive ordnance disposal service (KBD) supports the responsible municipality in hazard prevention. According to the LGLN’s description of responsibilities, the KBD is responsible for recovery, defusing or detonation, transport and destruction of explosive ordnance.
For work at the port and naval location of Wilhelmshaven the actual working areas, access and ongoing uses are described in the enquiry. In its notice of 30 July 2026 the city informs those affected about a specific suspected explosive ordnance hazard. Existing letters from the municipal hazard prevention authority are assigned to the relevant property and intended ground intervention.
The clearance planning describes the objective, areas and tasks of a necessary clearance operation. The choice of geophysical methods depends on the investigation objective and local conditions. The documentation records the actual scope, results and limitations. Requirements for a technical investigation during construction and its distinction from mere visual observation are explained in the DGUV FAQs on explosive ordnance clearance. The responsibilities of municipalities, commercial specialist contractors and the state explosive ordnance disposal service in Lower Saxony are described by LGLN.
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. Section 7 of the Explosives Act concerns the commercial permit for activities requiring a permit, while Section 20 concerns the certificate of competence held by responsible persons. Under Section 1b, the Act also covers searching for found munitions.
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.
Official questions about the project are clarified with the city of Wilhelmshaven as the local hazard prevention authority. Lower Saxony’s explosive ordnance disposal service supports the municipality within its state remit. The commercial specialist contractor documents the commissioned technical investigation scope. Contacts, official conditions, reporting channels and the handover of evaluated findings are agreed for the operational site.
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
Plan measurement areas and operations in Wilhelmshaven together
New foundation beside installations still in use
For a new foundation, the ground intervention depth, working area and known installed structures are described. Adjacent ongoing traffic or operations may affect access and measurement conditions. The operator identifies usable time windows and responsibilities. Whether a suitable investigation is possible within them is assessed technically. Approval of an operational time slot does not in itself provide an investigation result.
Specialist services and investigation tasks
Storage and traffic area initially occupied
Containers, materials or vehicles may temporarily occupy the intended measurement area. The enquiry describes its current condition and the condition planned for the investigation. If a subarea becomes available only later, it remains separately identifiable within the investigation scope. Even obstacles that have been removed may leave known structures underground; the appearance of an unobstructed area therefore does not replace a technical assessment.
Coordinate the sequence and tasksLand-based work at the port edge
At the port edge, land-based foundations, utilities and shoreline areas may lie directly beside one another. The specific ground intervention is described spatially and in terms of its working conditions. A land investigation is not extended to work in water. Suitability, access and the scope that can be commissioned must be clarified separately for different areas. A shared operating address does not turn these different tasks into one uniform service.
Specialist services and investigation tasksPreparation
Prepare the scope and commission together
Establish what needs to be known before commissioning the work
The commission first needs to clarify which decision is to be prepared. Does it concern an initial assessment of existing documents, investigation of a specific area or work on a finding that has already been assessed? These tasks require different information. A general desire for safety does not yet define an executable investigation scope. The enquiry therefore identifies the ground intervention, position, depth and available findings. Suitable specialist work and the results documents required are agreed on that basis. Before taking over an area or inviting tenders, existing results and unresolved specialist tasks are brought together. Accessible sections, areas becoming available later, ground interventions and supporting documentation required remain distinguishable in the specification. The commission identifies which decision is to be prepared by which date and which investigation has already been commissioned.
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
Record access, installed structures and operational processes
01
Measurement area and traffic routes
Show the planned ground intervention areas together with the working routes required. Identify which traffic areas are to remain in use. Whether separation in time, different access or an adapted investigation is needed is agreed according to the specific conditions. For boreholes, piles and other localised deep ground interventions, identify the individual working areas with their position and depth. Borehole positions still subject to change are marked and compared with the areas actually investigated before implementation.
02
Temporarily occupied areas
Containers, stored materials or parked vehicles may restrict access to the surface. Mark these areas and state when they are to become freely accessible. Anything that continues to limit the investigation must be recorded in the planning and subsequent report.
03
Utilities and fixed installations
Provide existing utility plans and information about foundations, rails or other installed structures where known. Such structures may affect execution or evaluation. An explosive ordnance investigation replaces neither utility information nor operational authorisation for work on installations.
04
Operational contacts
Establish who coordinates access, working hours and changes in area use. Information about new obstacles or a changed construction sequence must also reach specialist planning. State possible time windows for operational interruptions. Whether these suffice for the necessary investigation must be technically assessed in advance.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Describe the operational condition for measurement
Identify fixed installations, movable obstacles and intended access. Photographs can support this information. What matters is the condition the specialist contractor actually encounters at the agreed time. Changes are communicated in good time so that they can be taken into account in preparation and subsequent documentation.
Show assessment limitations in the handover plan
Areas that are inaccessible or subject to evaluation limitations are clearly identified in the report. Site management needs these limitations together with the current construction plan. After clearance work, the clearance record, with the actual clearance scope and results, is assigned to the areas addressed in the handover plan. If new access or an additional foundation is planned later, it is possible to identify whether the existing assessment applies or further work is required.
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 alone does not meet the state of the art for preventive explosive ordnance clearance. 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
Check measurement conditions before selecting a method
Compare existing findings with construction plans
A historical aerial photograph analysis is related to the present project and compared with existing reports. Check which areas the analysis covers and where the new earthworks are planned. Also record subareas that will become accessible only later. Whether an area is currently available says nothing about whether explosive ordnance is suspected there.
Take interference into account when surveying
A surface survey requires suitable conditions for the investigation task concerned. Known metal structures and other interference must be taken into account during selection and evaluation. If an area cannot be investigated reliably, this must be recorded in the results and the next steps agreed. Areas not covered must not be considered investigated.
Coordinate earthworks and specialist investigation
A survey for explosive ordnance during construction must be incorporated into the workflow where required. It is not merely observation of excavated ground. The DGUV explicitly distinguishes technical investigation from visual observation. The method, protective measures and necessary interruptions to work must be established for the specific project before implementation.
Next steps
Coordinate the investigation with operations
Record the construction project and operations at initial contact
Show construction planning, installed structures, traffic routes and storage areas together. Also state the first ground interventions due, maximum depths and investigation results required. For operational sites in use, include ongoing activities and an operational contact. This allows agreement on which documents are needed first and how the specialist assessment fits the planned construction phase. Temporary working areas and connections are also assigned to the project.
Review documents, access and preparatory work
Record the access required and planned condition of the measurement area. Existing aerial photograph analyses, survey reports, site plans and official letters are reviewed with their appendices. In each case, the investigation area, depth reference, planning version and documented limitations are decisive. Site management and the operator add utilities, existing installations and storage areas still occupied. This review establishes which information is available for selecting and carrying out the investigation and which information still needs to be obtained.
Evaluate historical research and aerial photographs
Unresolved questions about former use or wartime events are investigated in relation to the affected part of the property. Existing research results and suitable historical aerial photographs are used; further research requirements are defined by their specific questions. In the port environment, different phases of use and changed area boundaries must be related to current plans. The analysis describes identifiable indications and their limitations. This provides a technical basis for further investigation requirements for the specific construction project.
Agree the method and operational sequence
Coordinate the investigation sequence with site management and the operational contact. The assessment required, ground intervention depth, ground conditions, existing utilities and metal interference sources determine method selection. Accessible measurement areas, necessary preparatory work and intended working time windows are considered together. Different subareas may require different investigation tasks. The service scope, measurement conditions, contacts and necessary coordination are recorded before implementation. This enables the specialist work to be incorporated into operations and subsequent earthworks.
Investigate the agreed area
The specialist contractor carries out the commissioned investigation. Measurement grids, necessary borehole positions and investigation access are coordinated with the area, elevation reference, ground intervention depth and local conditions. Measurement data and findings receive a spatial reference; inaccessible subareas and interference are recorded. Where surveying during construction is agreed, the investigation and agreed construction progress are coordinated. Changes to access, area use or construction method are clarified technically before the affected work.
Assess findings and agree further work
The results are compared with the construction task. Anomalies, evaluated findings and unresolved areas are identified separately. For confirmed explosive ordnance, recovery and further handling are coordinated with the responsible bodies according to Lower Saxony’s allocation of responsibilities. Measurement conditions and method limitations also matter in the evaluation. An anomalous measurement signal is assessed technically; necessary further investigations are identified with their location and specific question. Site management and the client thereby receive a basis for coordinating the next work.
Compile the report and spatial supporting documentation
The report links the investigation objective, method used, areas actually addressed and evaluated results. Accompanying plans show the position of the areas or points and the depth or elevation reference used. Limitations, areas not investigated and necessary follow-up measures remain traceable. Where recovery work has been carried out, a corresponding clearance record documents its scope and results. The agreed supporting documents are handed over together so that the client, planners and site management use the same technical basis in the project file.
Compare the next ground intervention with limitations
Clearly hand over areas not investigated and necessary next steps. Before subsequent earthworks, their position, depth and execution conditions are compared with the documented results. Changes to access routes, storage areas, utilities or construction sections may require additional clarification. Unresolved issues are assigned to a further specialist task or coordination with the responsible body. The planning version used, contacts involved and decision on next steps are recorded for the next construction section.
Documentation
Which areas the results report covers
Findings and their scope
The results report must identify where and under which conditions investigation took place. It must also identify inaccessible strips, limitations caused by interference and the ground intervention depths used as a basis. If a foundation is later moved or another area becomes available, the applicability of the existing result must be assessed technically.
The project file links initial indications, historical analyses and technical results to the governing planning version. Measurement data and findings are handed over with their technical evaluation. Where clearance work has taken place, the corresponding records and location references form part of the documentation. The reports and handover dates needed for planning before procurement and for site management before a particular work section are agreed.
Project responsibilities
In Lower Saxony, municipalities are responsible for official hazard prevention. The city of Wilhelmshaven described this role, for example, in its notice about a specific suspected explosive ordnance hazard of 30 July 2026. For your construction project, local information and requirements are related to the specific project area. Commissioned investigations by FONTANA-EOD and official decisions remain separate tasks.
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. Match the specialist service to the intended ground intervention, existing findings and unresolved investigation task.
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 investigating sites in use in Wilhelmshaven
Does the entire operation have to stop for a survey?
That depends on where the investigation takes place and how ongoing operations affect the measurements and work. Clarify with specialist planning which areas and access routes are required and when work can take place there. Whether an operational interruption is necessary, and in which areas, can only be assessed using this information.
Can stored materials remain in place during the investigation?
This requires a technical assessment. They may obstruct access or alter measurement conditions. State what is present on the intended area and what condition can be established for the investigation. Investigated areas and areas not covered must remain distinguishable.
Does a report apply to all areas of a port operation?
Only if its documented investigation and assessment scope actually covers those areas. An operating name or shared property address does not extend the report. Additional areas, different depths or changed construction tasks require a check of whether the previous result remains sufficient.
How are land-based and underwater work distinguished?
The enquiry identifies land-based work, interventions at the shoreline and any diving work or underwater recovery separately. Investigation conditions, suitability, access and the service scope that can be commissioned are clarified separately for each area.
How should a suspicious object be handled?
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.
Is an unobstructed surface automatically easy to survey?
An unobstructed area initially makes access easier. Whether the chosen method provides a suitable assessment also depends on the ground, installed structures and investigation objective. These conditions are assessed technically. The visible surface condition alone is insufficient.
What happens if an operational time window changes?
The change is agreed with specialist planning before implementation. It must be clarified which areas remain available and whether the necessary investigation sequence is still possible within the window. A shortened time window must not silently change the documented investigation scope.
What information determines the investigation scope, schedule and cost?
Specify the investigation areas required, ground intervention depths, existing reports and available operational time windows. Also describe fixed structures and movable obstacles. These inform agreement on necessary preparatory work, a suitable investigation scope and the results handover; area measurements alone are insufficient for reliable effort planning. Soil structure, interference from metal, evaluation and the documentation scope inform quotation discussions.
Project enquiry
Agree measurement areas and the operational sequence with us
Plan revision and decision deadline
State whether the project concerns early planning, preparation for procurement or an imminent ground intervention. The date by which a technical assessment is needed helps with coordination. Missing information is explicitly identified rather than replaced by assumed values. State the earthworks that start first, maximum ground intervention depths and investigations already commissioned. Add the operational contact, areas remaining in use and available working time windows.
Assign records to their locations
Send the site plan and available reports with their appendices. For multiple construction sections, identify which document belongs to which area. Photographs supplement descriptions of access and existing structures; they do not replace information about underground components or planned depths. Include official letters, conditions, utility plans and ground investigation or as-built documents. Name contacts and areas not yet accessible. Add file references, existing clearance records and their appendices. Mark known suspected areas on the plan.
Coordination within the project sequence
Coordination within the project sequenceInvestigation methods and technology
Investigation methods and technologyPut 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 typePrepare area clearance
Prepare area clearance
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.
