Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Ordnance assessment in Ibbenbüren for a new property use
A cleared or remediated property may still leave questions unanswered for new groundworks. What matters is what the existing reports actually investigated. FONTANA-EOD helps developers, designers and site managers in Ibbenbüren distinguish the ordnance question from other ground-related issues and compare it with the planned ground interventions.
Identify old structures and the documents available.
Assess ground conditions, pollutants and ordnance separately.
Describe the planned depths and areas precisely.
Assess the construction project
Compare new ground interventions with existing ground conditions
For new groundworks in Ibbenbüren, we consider existing installations, known changes and the work actually planned together. Reports on mining, ground conditions and ordnance retain their respective scope. This identifies which ordnance questions still require specialist clarification for the next use.
Project site
Connect the site with the specific construction task
Involve the local public order authority in coordination
The explanatory statement for I-NOVA Park identifies the local public order authority and the Westfalen-Lippe explosive ordnance disposal service in its ordnance note. This describes the official framework for the site addressed there. For your own project, clarify its current requirements with the responsible authority. Mining, heritage and ground-related questions retain their respective specialist responsibilities. Ibbenbüren is a town in the Steinfurt district, Münster administrative district, in North Rhine-Westphalia. For projects in areas such as Laggenbeck, Püsselbüren, Dörenthe or Uffeln, provide the precise project address and the work areas affected. For projects outside the town, establish the relevant municipal contact separately. Specialist information is assigned to the actual project location and the applicable procedural status there.
Local context
Completion in one specialist field does not answer every ground-related question
Consider the separate specialist issues at I-NOVA Park
The explanatory statement for Ibbenbüren development plan No. 55, “I-NOVA Park”, dated July 2025, addresses the reuse of the former Von Oeynhausen mine site. It contains separate notes on mining, heritage protection and ordnance. It also describes structures remaining below ground after demolition within this planning area. These details concern that particular project, rather than every property in Ibbenbüren.
Relate existing reports to the new construction task
When preparing another construction project, its own documents are the starting point. A report on ground contamination, a statement on structural stability and an ordnance investigation address different matters. Read not only the summary but also the brief, investigated area and limitations. Completed demolition does not replace this comparison.
The history of the Ibbenbüren fire service documents the air raid of 1940 and wartime operations in 1945, including around the railway in Püsselbüren. Historical findings are related to the specific project area for a present-day scheme. Later uses, demolition and changed ground surfaces are considered using the documents available. This assessment remains separate from investigation of chemical ground contamination or mining effects. General local history describes the historical context; the investigation scope needed is derived from the project's own findings and groundworks.
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
The risk assessment, working areas and communication must fit the planned activities. Explosive ordnance specialist works are coordinated with the other construction works. Operational organisation, traffic safety and other technical checks retain their own responsible parties. Joint coordination brings the information together and assigns tasks and decisions to the respective competent participants.
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.
Procedure at the site: Town of Ibbenbüren: explanatory statement for development plan No. 55 “I-NOVA Park”, July 2025 revision, pages 74–76.
Planning and documentation: BFR KMR: principles of clearance planning · BFR KMR: geophysics · BFR KMR: documentation · North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Interior: explosive legacy
The BFR KMR are used as technical guidance; locally applicable requirements and responsibilities must be clarified separately.
The permit, qualifications 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 addresses preventive investigation and clearance of conventional explosive ordnance and defines its scope. The references it explains to DGUV Regel 113-003 concern specific activities involving explosives; they are not applied indiscriminately to every construction investigation.
Private works are subject to the exceptions under the KampfmittelVO and the requirements of the official guidance. The exceptions concern, in particular, downhole detection as part of specialist foundation engineering and explosive ordnance clearance during construction under the conditions laid down by law. Private explosive ordnance clearance during construction requires that prior investigation using recognised explosive ordnance detection methods is not possible. A relevant factor is also the state explosive ordnance disposal service's assessment that there are no specific indications of ordnance contamination on the site concerned. All further spatial, technical and organisational requirements are clarified for the specific activity. The competent authorities decide on the official appointment.
Working together
Allocate tasks within the construction project
Client and operator
The client describes the project and provides the available project documents. The operator adds requirements relating to use, access and scheduling. The participants agree their respective tasks and decision-making responsibilities. A coordinating contact person brings the project information together. Before an appointment, it is recorded clearly which information is missing, who will obtain it and which decision the result is intended to support.
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 company carries out the agreed permissible investigation and documentation scope. Authority requirements and decisions are clarified with the respective competent bodies. The documents needed for a specific procedure depend on the site and project. The technical report documents the specialist service performed, including areas, depths and limits of its conclusions. Its applicability to further groundworks is checked against the specific intervention.
The local public order authority and the state explosive ordnance disposal service perform the statutory tasks. For the Münster administrative district, the Westfalen-Lippe explosive ordnance disposal service at the Arnsberg District Government is responsible. Required applications and subsequent specialist tasks are coordinated through the municipal contact. Mining, soil protection and heritage matters retain their respective specialist responsibilities. Private services are agreed within their specific permissible scope.
Investigation task
Which specialist task comes next?
Consider technical conditions on an existing site
Known underground structures and accessibility influence which investigation may suit a specific question. These conditions are identified before selecting the method. A method is not selected solely from the site's former use. Necessary preparation is subject to separate specialist coordination and must not be assumed to be in place.
Assess historical documentsAgree the permissible commission clearly
The North Rhine-Westphalia procedure distinguishes statutory tasks, supplementary private services and other specialist assessments. The requirements for the intended activity are checked before an agreement is made. A ground remediation commission does not automatically include an ordnance service. The finding needed and associated service scope must be clearly described for those involved.
Compare investigation methodsProject types
Bring existing conditions and the new use together transparently
Show remaining installations in the plans
Existing foundations, utilities and other known structures are shown with their locations and the information available. Unknown dimensions remain identifiable as outstanding information. The new plans show where ground interventions may affect these areas. This allows the investigation to reflect actual constraints without assuming that a surface cleared of structures means an empty subsurface.
Identify which details come from as-built plans and which were established only during later work. Explicitly identify any missing depth information. The planned volume of ground affected is compared with what is actually known about existing conditions. This also includes working areas and connections outside a new building. Before preparatory or further ground interventions, clarify the investigations and protective measures needed. Any necessary addition is agreed within its permissible scope for the outstanding specialist task.
Specialist services and investigation tasks
Distinguish completed measures by their purpose
Demolition, ground remediation and ordnance investigation are each recorded with their associated reports. A completed commission describes only its agreed and documented scope. The document register explicitly records that purpose. This enables those involved to identify which findings can be used for the new construction task and which questions they do not answer.
Assign each report to its original purpose and the area it covers. If only a summary is available, request missing maps and explanations from the issuer. A complete final file shows what work is actually documented. For the new use, the next step is to establish which findings relate to the planned ground intervention. Assessments from other disciplines retain their own conditions. Outstanding ordnance questions are treated as a separate task in subsequent coordination.
Document findings and their limitationsDescribe the new use through specific structures
A change of use needs a clear description of the planned foundations, connections and other groundworks. A new name for the site is not sufficient for investigation planning. The location, depth and construction method of the interventions are decisive. Differences from the former use are made clear using these details and existing results.
In addition to the new building, show the exploratory openings, support works and connection areas needed for its construction. Keep outstanding design options distinguishable on the plan. State whether they involve different areas or greater depths. Existing covers and protective installations are stated as constraints and are not opened for an enquiry. On this basis, specialist planners can assess the specific investigation need and agree permissible preparatory steps with those responsible.
Specialist services and investigation tasksPreparation
Prepare the scope and commission together
Historical preliminary assessment, technical investigation and specialist work during construction answer different project questions. The permissible private activity under the specific North Rhine-Westphalia procedure is clarified with the information objective and necessary authority involvement before an agreement.
Establish what needs to be known before commissioning the work
For the Ibbenbüren commission, existing reports are compiled according to their actual investigation purpose. Completed demolition, a ground investigation and an ordnance investigation answer different questions. Current foundations, utilities and other ground interventions are described with their location, depth and construction method. This establishes whether documents first need assessment, additional volumes of ground need investigation or already assessed findings need further work. The permissible commissioned specialist service and results required have their own defined scope. Documented remaining installations are considered for the specific construction area, rather than assumed to be a general characteristic of all properties.
Define the specialist taskCoordinate preparatory work with the investigation
Before investigation, clarify the survey areas actually accessible and known utilities and installations. Demolition records are compared with current conditions; an area cleared above ground may present conditions different from those expected from the plan. Necessary preparatory work depends on the method and site. Additional breaking out or other ground interventions to create survey access are prepared with specialist input and the responsible parties, rather than undertaken independently. Other trades receive the information needed for their interfaces. Outstanding conditions remain assigned to the affected volume of ground.
Clarify preparatory work in the programmeAgree a clear scope and schedule
The scope of private specialist work is agreed using the project documents, actual execution conditions and permissible activity. Necessary preparatory works, investigation, evaluation and documentation are described transparently. Costs and dates are related to these prerequisites and the required coordination. Changes to the construction plans are checked against the agreed contract before work is extended.
Discuss the scope and scheduleTasks at the site
Assign existing reports according to what they establish
01
Document demolition
Compile details of the buildings or installations removed and the documents available for what remains. A visibly clear surface need not be free of underground structures. Such information matters for ordnance planning, without an old foundation in itself establishing specific ordnance contamination.
02
Read remediation documents in context
A remediation report describes the question addressed and the measures undertaken for it. Check whether it also contains findings on ordnance and what those findings are based on. A favourable result concerning chemical ground contamination must not be adopted as the result of an ordnance investigation without further evidence.
03
Describe the new ground intervention
Mark the planned excavations, foundations, utilities and other groundworks. Add depths and elevation references. Comparison with the scope previously addressed becomes particularly important if the new use requires different structures or greater intervention depths than the previous plans.
04
Assign outstanding tasks
Identify who answers questions about mining, ground conditions, pollutants or heritage matters, and who manages the ordnance process. These tasks may concern the same area but remain technically distinct. A joint meeting must not result in unresolved points being lost between the participants.
Project documents
Documents that establish the next step
Keep specialist reports with their annexes
Reports on different subjects are handed over in full and with an identifiable revision status. Maps and limitations remain with each document. A shared overview helps with orientation but does not replace a specialist finding. Particularly when owners or designers change, the original investigation purpose must remain clear.
When documents are passed on, each recipient receives the complete documents relevant to their work area. Each report remains linked to its annexes and the applicable plan version. A newly planned ground intervention is compared with the areas and depths actually investigated. Former reference elevations are assigned to the ground surface applicable at that time. Changed ground levels and construction conditions are considered when assessing applicability. Necessary additions remain identifiable as outstanding specialist tasks before further groundworks rely on the existing results.
Identify what still needs clarification
For the current plans, record which ordnance findings are available and where further assessment is needed. Missing information is not replaced by a result from another discipline. The overview links known conditions to the next work step. Changes since the last investigation are explicitly considered.
In the overview, distinguish areas already addressed from those where information is still missing. Assign the outstanding question to the current structure and the space affected by its construction. Any later addition has a traceable link to the previous process. For work undertaken in sections, identify which report documents which stage. Site management receives the results and outstanding tasks for its area. After clearance work, the clearance record, including its scope, results and remaining limits, is assigned to the area actually treated and its associated plan version. Technical investigation boundaries remain distinguishable from administrative property or construction-section boundaries.
Construction sequence
Coordinate investigation and construction sections
Organise existing findings for the design
Compile reports on the previous use, known as-built plans and the new design. An overview identifies the specialist question addressed by each report and any missing annexes. New groundworks are assigned spatially. Initial coordination can then build on findings actually available and specifically address outstanding ordnance questions.
State which parts of demolition have been carried out and where work is still planned. Identify old site plans by their origin and revision status. Show known remaining foundations, utilities and filled installations wherever information is available. For further work, findings on ground conditions, remediation and ordnance are brought together with their respective evidence. Missing details are identified precisely, allowing targeted clarification with the responsible issuers or specialists.
Review the investigation scope after changes
Changed structures, additional connections or different depths are compared with the scope previously planned. Work carried out in the meantime is also documented. The next investigation addresses current conditions and the planned construction work. A previously agreed design must not remain the implicit basis for a construction task that has since changed.
Also describe temporary working areas, ancillary excavations and additional utility connections. Show a relocated or deeper excavation on the new plan. Specialist planners assess whether this changes the proposed investigation or what it can establish. Current and superseded versions remain distinguishable. Contractors working in the affected area receive the relevant response. Any additions still needed are agreed for the specific outstanding task; unchanged parts retain their documented results and limitations.
Method selection
Select methods according to the task and survey conditions
Historical records and aerial photographs
Historical aerial photograph analysis and other older documents help locate the basis for suspected ordnance. Images, interpretability and area boundaries are related to documented changes of use and current ground interventions. The absence of a visible indication is not a technical investigation of today's ground. Other available findings are considered. Demolition or mining records retain their respective purpose and period. The historical assessment of the ordnance question is spatially linked with this information, without adopting completion in another discipline as comprehensive evidence on ordnance.
Understand aerial photograph assessmentMagnetometric survey
Magnetic methods detect magnetic anomalies. Suitability is assessed according to the expected objects, ground conditions and volume requiring investigation. Utilities, fences and existing structures can affect interpretation. Documented remaining installations are therefore considered at their actual locations. Signal strength alone does not identify explosive ordnance. Measurement, assessment and further clarification are related to the specific specialist task. Magnetometry measures the magnetic field passively. The magnetic effect of the target object is decisive; electrical conductivity alone does not establish detectability by this method.
Understand the scope of magnetometryElectromagnetic methods
Electromagnetic investigations may suit certain metallic targets and site conditions. Selection considers the finding required, accessible survey areas and interfering installations, rather than instrument availability alone. Results are documented with their locations and actual investigation conditions. Any necessary addition follows from the assessment and the volume of ground still unresolved for the new use. Transient electromagnetic methods, or TDEM, evaluate the time-dependent electromagnetic response of conductive objects. The method is selected according to the investigation objective and actual survey conditions.
Understand electromagnetic surveyingGround-penetrating radar
Under suitable conditions, ground-penetrating radar can provide information about subsurface structures and reflections. Ground conditions, moisture and installations affect interpretability. A reflection is not automatically ordnance; an area without notable signals does not confirm any arbitrary depth. Specialist interpretation and limits are documented with the commission. Before an existing radar report on structural remains or other subsurface questions is used as ordnance evidence, its purpose and coverage are checked. The new construction plans are related to what the investigation actually established.
GPR and limitationsDeep-ground and downhole surveys
For deeper ground interventions, it may be necessary to assess whether a surface investigation can establish what is needed or whether another approach is required. Positions, depths, reference elevations, borehole layout and known utilities or installations then form part of preparation. Suitable investigation access is planned by specialists. A standard grid or general depth figure does not replace this task. Results remain tied to the areas actually investigated and the method used. A statement on structural stability or mining does not, by itself, document an ordnance investigation at the new foundation positions.
Prepare deep interventionsSurvey during construction
If a necessary advance investigation cannot be completed in full, specialists assess whether a planned approach accompanying the construction work is suitable. Investigation, interpretation and communication of findings are related to the groundworks actually planned. Visual observation of excavated material alone does not replace a necessary survey. Site management receives the allocation of specialist work and unresolved areas within the programme. Accompanying work from another discipline is treated according to its own purpose. Demolition and specialist ordnance work for the next ground interventions are coordinated with their respective prerequisites.
Agree the approach during constructionTechnical assessment
Align the ordnance investigation with actual existing conditions
Include historical information
A historical aerial photograph analysis is considered alongside other available findings. A site's former use may be relevant to research, but does not replace a property-specific result. Neither a place name nor the description of a former commercial site is sufficient to establish particular contamination or an all-clear.
If review of existing documents identifies outstanding historical questions, the research required is directed towards them. Any necessary official aerial photograph analysis is initiated through the municipal contact under the local procedure and undertaken by the responsible state service. Findings are compared with today's intervention areas and subsequent ground changes. Actual survey conditions are then considered for the technical investigation. Historical indications and the results of completed specialist work remain separately identifiable in the project file.
Consider measurement conditions
For a survey both the question addressed and site conditions are assessed together. Remaining utilities, foundations and other installations may be relevant. What preparation is permissible and necessary must be clarified beforehand. Do not independently remove unresolved existing structures to create a survey area. Method selection considers the investigation objective, intervention depth, ground structure, utilities, interfering objects and actual measurability. Necessary additions are agreed within their permissible scope for the specific task.
Coordinate the next steps
The clearance plan links the necessary ordnance work with the planned construction phases. If the ground is also to be opened for other specialist questions, the sequence must be coordinated. Merely observing excavation does not replace a properly planned investigation or any necessary explosive ordnance clearance accompanying construction. The results documentation records the specialist task actually undertaken.
A permissible specialist task accompanying construction is agreed with the work areas affected and existing findings. Work, measurements and observations undertaken are assigned spatially. Uninvestigated areas and required follow-up investigations remain identified. The technical report documents the actual service scope, specialist assessment and limitations of the findings. For further groundworks, applicability is compared with the specific ground intervention. Information on other specialist tasks remains linked to the respective reports and contacts.
Next steps
Compare the new use with previous results
Bring plans and reports together
Start with an overview assigning each report to a specialist subject, date and area. Include maps and annexes. Unclear terms such as remediated or investigated should be explained by the specific finding in the document before they inform further planning. Existing documents are checked for currency, spatial relevance and gaps. Where historical knowledge is missing, necessary research is undertaken; any required official aerial photograph analysis is initiated through the municipal contact with the responsible state service under the local procedure.
Identify outstanding questions
Compare the new ground intervention with existing results. Record which areas, depths or work steps are not yet adequately described. The further clarification needed is determined with the responsible parties; a new use does not automatically lead to the same investigation method everywhere. The suitable method is selected according to the information sought, intervention depth, ground structure, existing utilities, interfering objects and survey conditions. Permissible commissioning and outstanding conditions for undertaking the work are agreed with the responsible parties.
Agree preparation together
Coordinate necessary access and preparatory work with the specialist requirements. If existing conditions differ from the plans, the difference must be assessed before the affected work continues. A changed construction sequence alone does not answer the resulting technical question.
Perform the agreed investigation
The survey or investigation during construction appointed under North Rhine-Westphalia's requirements is carried out in the agreed areas and points. Measurement data and observations receive traceable location and elevation references. Uninvestigated areas, restricted access and relevant interference are recorded.
Assess survey data and findings
The collected data and findings are evaluated against the investigation objective. The technical assessment considers interference, the areas reached and remaining limits of the conclusions. It establishes which further investigation or work is needed for the planned groundworks.
Bring the report and plan appendices together
The report and plan attachments document the specialist works performed and their assessment. Worked areas, investigation depths, the relevant ground surface and limitations remain assigned. Reused older results and newly investigated areas are recorded distinctly. The agreed recipients receive the related documents together.
Hand over results for construction
Site management needs the report with its actual investigation scope and remaining limitations. Also pass on the applicable plan version. Shafts added later or deeper foundations must be checked against existing investigation coverage before construction, rather than assumed to be included because they are on the property previously addressed.
Documentation
Use ordnance results within their specialist scope
Findings and their scope
An ordnance result must make clear what task was undertaken and what conclusion was derived. Other assessments remain separate documents. An organised compilation is therefore more useful at handover than a single label such as property checked. A shortened summary must not obscure unresolved areas and limits.
Project responsibilities
FONTANA-EOD undertakes the agreed permissible specialist ordnance task. Decisions under mining, soil protection and heritage legislation are made by the responsible bodies. Relevant authorities and specialists are involved according to their tasks. The technical report's findings remain tied to the documented specialist task, area, depth and stated limits. Their applicability is compared with each subsequent ground intervention. The BFR Kampfmittelräumung apply directly to federal properties; for other projects, they provide specialist guidance alongside the applicable requirements.
Working approach
How FONTANA-EOD works
Document the agreed specialist service clearly
FONTANA-EOD undertakes the agreed specialist ordnance task for the described Ibbenbüren plan version. Reports on mining, ground conditions and demolition are assessed according to their intended purpose. Accessible areas and the results needed are agreed before the work begins. Changes to plans or local conditions are reviewed before the affected work proceeds. The report documents the work actually undertaken and its limits. Site management can identify the findings available for the new ground interventions and the questions requiring separate clarification in this or other disciplines.
Discuss the investigation taskThe task before the equipment
Method selection starts with the information missing for the ordnance question associated with the new use. Specialist planning considers the volume of ground, existing results and actual conditions. An available instrument or a neighbouring property converted to a similar use is not sufficient as the sole basis. Remaining installations are considered where documented or known for the specific construction area. The selection is justified for the specialist task itself and kept distinct from other ground investigations.
Keep limitations visible
Inaccessible areas and areas with restricted interpretability are identified with their actual boundaries. Site management can assign outstanding specialist work and necessary additions to them. A general statement of the entire demolition or remediation area does not replace this distinction. Planning and construction teams agree when a suitable investigation can be undertaken. The documented state of ordnance knowledge is not implicitly extended by a finding from another specialist report. Areas already addressed and those still unresolved remain identifiable for the next groundworks.
Clarify changes before intervening in the ground
New locations, additional depths or different construction methods are compared with existing results before the affected work begins. This also applies if known site conditions have changed following demolition. Specialist planners receive a clear account of the difference from the previous version. Their response and necessary additions are assigned to the affected volume of ground. The same property name or a new final report from another discipline does not replace this comparison.
Hand over the report and plan together
Reports and their associated plans are assigned by specialist task and revision status at handover. An overview can list findings on mining, ground conditions, demolition and ordnance with their respective limits and outstanding tasks. It does not replace the documented investigation scope. When designers, site management or contractors change, the basis for the new ground interventions remains traceable. Subsequent construction work can use the relevant results and assign additional questions to the responsible specialist planners.
Understand the results
Use technical statements for the next decision
A cleared site can still leave subsurface questions
The visible condition after demolition says nothing by itself about all underground structures. Existing as-built and completion documents are decisive. Plans for the new ground interventions are compared with this information. Missing details are identified before further work, rather than assuming everything below ground has been removed.
Understand investigation reports and their limitationsThe same area does not mean the same investigation
Several assessments can concern the same site while answering different questions. This does not turn a ground investigation report into ordnance evidence. Their respective investigation areas and depths may also differ. Construction planning therefore depends on the specific finding in each document and its associated limits.
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 enquiry describes the outstanding task, affected areas and depths, and the results required. The permissible scope of services is agreed in line with the actual conditions and responsibilities.
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 new uses of sites in Ibbenbüren
Has a remediated property therefore also been investigated for ordnance?
That description alone does not establish this. What matters is the question addressed by the remediation report and whether a traceable ordnance investigation is documented. Provide the existing documents in full and compare what they establish with the planned groundworks.
Do the I-NOVA Park notes apply throughout Ibbenbüren?
No. The cited planning statement addresses a specific planning area and its reuse. Its details on existing structures and ground conditions cannot be transferred to other properties. Establish the findings available for your own project and the applicable official requirements.
Why do remaining foundations matter for preparation?
They form part of the actual existing conditions and may be relevant to access, investigation conditions and planned ground interventions. Include available demolition and as-built plans. Whether an additional investigation is needed, and which one, follows from the specific question rather than the presence of old structures alone.
Does an ordnance investigation replace a geotechnical or contamination assessment?
No. The investigations answer different questions. For a construction decision, the necessary findings must be assigned to the relevant discipline and supported by the respective results. An ordnance report does not automatically establish bearing capacity, pollutant conditions or heritage requirements.
What should happen if a suspicious object is encountered during work?
Stop the affected work, keep your distance and do not touch or move the object. Keep other people away and notify the police immediately on 110 from a safe distance. Further measures follow the instructions of the competent authorities.
What helps when several specialist assessments concern the same property?
An overview stating the investigation purpose, area covered, date and complete annexes. The ordnance question is assessed using findings suitable for that purpose.
Must a changed foundation be compared with older results?
Yes. Its new location, depth and construction method are compared with the documented investigation scope. Any further need identified is clarified by specialists.
What cost factors matter for a previously used site?
Known remaining installations, earlier ground interventions and existing as-built documents are considered when assessing new groundworks. A clear surface alone does not fully describe existing conditions. The effort depends on usable previous documents, necessary preparation and access, the area or number and depth of investigation points, a suitable method, survey conditions, interpretation and documentation. Any specialist services still required are offered within their permissible scope for the specific outstanding task.
Project enquiry
Prepare the first technical discussion
Organise existing specialist documents
Send reports separately by purpose, with all maps and annexes. For a project in Ibbenbüren, send the current ground intervention plan and available demolition, as-built and ordnance documents. Identify which specialist questions have been resolved and which remain open. This enables discussion of the necessary specialist ordnance commission without conflating findings from other assessments. State the project address, plan version and any file reference. The document register identifies the question addressed by each document and any missing parts. For older reports, state the original purpose. Describe current areas and depths for a later investigation; outstanding design options remain identifiable. The specialist enquiry then has a traceable link to the use actually planned.
Mark new ground disturbance
Show planned structures and known installations in the same spatial reference. Include details of reference elevations, known utilities, interfering objects and access restrictions. Identify handovers to site management that remain outstanding. Before preparatory or further ground interventions, clarify the investigations and protective measures needed. For area clearance or recovery tasks, agree the necessary scope and permissible commission with the responsible authority. New information is linked to the shared project version.
Specialist tasks in the project sequence
Specialist tasks in the project sequenceTechnology and investigation conditions
Technology and investigation conditionsAssign the region and project location
Assign the region and project locationUnderstand the construction task and project setting
Understand the construction task and project settingCoordinate the necessary recovery task
Coordinate the necessary recovery task
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.
