Project pathway
The quickest route to the right decision.
Combat remnants and ammunition
Combat remnants and ammunition in the ground concern clients, planners and site management where former combat, military use or documented finds coincide with proposed earthworks. Origin, find context and proposed intervention determine the specialist question. FONTANA-EOD discusses existing evidence and the investigation needed for the project with you; a suspicious object currently discovered is reported immediately through the police.
Distinguish ground combat from other causes.
One find does not explain the whole area.
Do not touch, keep your distance, call the police.
Briefly explained
Understand combat remnants by their origin
The term describes different remnants of combat. These may include abandoned ammunition, projectiles that did not function and ammunition components. The BFR KMR distinguish the causal contexts: remnants of ground combat are investigated differently from the remains of training activity or former ammunition destruction.
If a suspicious object is found
Safety comes before documentation
Neither an object's size nor rust, damage or an apparently empty condition allows a layperson to establish safety. At the same time, not every piece of metal is automatically ordnance. Specialist identification must not be replaced by picking up, cleaning or uncovering an object yourself.
Stop work at the find location. Do not touch, move, clean or uncover the object further. Keep your distance, warn others without putting yourself at risk and notify the police: 110 in Germany, 113 in Luxembourg. Never take a find to a police station or other official premises yourself.
Do not return to the object for photographs, coordinates or a more precise description. When reporting a find, communicate what you have already observed from a safe distance and follow the responsible authorities' instructions. Site management is additionally informed as soon as this is possible safely. The Saxony-Anhalt Police also explain how to respond to found ammunition.
The origin of the suspicion belongs in the investigation question
Historical assessment connects the possible origin of combat remnants with a specific investigation question. Events, sources and the present intervention volume are considered together. A military place designation may encompass several different uses; planning depends on which are actually evidenced. An object currently found is identified by the responsible specialists. Historical research, by contrast, prepares site assessment and, where necessary, a suitable technical investigation.
Ground combat and former positions
BFR KMR treat ground combat as a separate causal context. Evidenced combat is placed in its temporal and spatial context. Situation reports, war diaries, maps and contemporary aerial photographs may complement one another. A wider-area representation often describes a larger volume than today's construction site. For a project, it is therefore checked which reliable information actually covers the affected area. The origin of a statement and its spatial accuracy remain identifiable when transferred to the current site plan.
Military training activities
Former training activities have a different use history from combat. Within routine military operations, BFR KMR distinguish training, testing and other site uses. Assessment depends on the evidenced function of an area and its development. Existing operator records, site plans and aerial photographs are assigned to this question. Former accommodation and a firing area thus each receive their own consideration. Different causes remain distinguishable even if recorded under the same site name.
Present-day area and former use
Historical designations and current construction sections may differ. Identify the source, its date and the volume it actually describes. Earlier alterations, terrain changes and available investigation reports are also considered. Where several map versions exist, it matters which buildings or terrain shape an entry refers to. A later use is connected with investigations actually evidenced. Planners can thus identify which earlier evidence fits the new intervention and where further information is needed.
Historical context
Similar finds may have different causes
An investigation begins by asking which events are evidenced or need checking for the specific area. A general site designation does not yet establish contamination with explosive ordnance.
Ground combat and positions
Unexploded projectiles and abandoned or buried ammunition are among possible remnants of ground combat. Their spatial distribution may vary greatly. Historical situation reports, maps and aerial photographs help place events and affected areas in context. Documents already available are sufficient for the enquiry: an old plan, find notification or report with appendices. Specialists then clarify whether this information describes the same area, what evidence it represents and which unresolved question it raises for the proposed work.
Training and military use
For former training or testing facilities, the specific use matters. A firing area must be considered differently from accommodation alone. Development over time and available operator records also matter. Aerial photographs may cover different areas to different degrees depending on date and coverage. Available site plans help assign use areas and changes. If a former designation is adopted only from an oral account, this is identified in source assessment. Investigation needs follow from the combined evidence and present project.
Storage and former disposal
Historical production, storage, dumping and destruction must be distinguished. These activities may require different sources and investigation priorities from combat. Which actually occurred at the project location is clarified using site history. Several phases of use may overlap. A report should show which phase was investigated and what evidence exists for the other periods. New planning also needs known filling, later earthworks and their documentation insofar as they concern the origin and current location of possible remnants.
What a find tells you
Assess the object, find location and area separately
Three questions matter for the project decision. They cannot be answered solely by an object's shape or a blanket assumption about the whole property.
What was established?
An object that may be dangerous remains a suspected item until specialist clarification. Ammunition components may also contain dangerous substances or residues. Site personnel communicate observations already made from a safe distance. A provisional designation is passed on as such. The responsible specialists undertake identification and further handling of the find. Information provided by the responsible authorities may be used for the later project file; additional photographs or your own investigations of the object are not undertaken.
Where did the find originate?
The find location is considered with available historical and current documents. Established information must be separated from assumptions. A documented find in excavated material and a historical entry initially concern different observations. Whether they are related is checked by specialists. Information about former earth movements and the origin of fill may be relevant. The report records what is evidenced and which assignment remains unresolved. An initial assumption thus remains identifiable as an assumption even when the file is passed on.
What does it mean for the surroundings?
An individual find is specific evidence for further assessment. The extent and depth of possible contamination are determined through specialist investigation and local circumstances. Site management needs an unambiguous assignment of the area treated and proposed follow-up measures. Neighbouring areas are considered according to their own evidence. The plan shows which volume an assessment applies to and where clarification is still needed. Further use of these documents is coordinated with the next proposed intervention.
Significance for the construction project
Check existing find notifications and reports before earthworks
For planned construction work, existing find notifications, investigation reports and historical official information should be considered together with a site plan and intervention depths. Identify the construction sections affected and information still missing. An earlier investigation must fit the next intervention in area, depth and assessment scope.
Investigation method selection also depends on ground conditions, accessibility and interference. For small metal objects, it is particularly important to identify the actual measurement task and assessment achievable. Measurement records physical properties; assessment places results in context with the suspected hazard. The investigation depth achievable is determined for local conditions. When preparing a construction project with suspected explosive ordnance, the proposed intervention, historical evidence and local investigation conditions are brought together. Sequence and methods are agreed in relation to the upcoming project decision and record needed.
Terms that help with assessment
For project planning, what matters is the meaning a term carries in the respective report. Historical evidence, a technical measurement result and a documented subsequent decision are therefore read separately.
Suspicion and suspected area
A suspicion describes an initial situation requiring specialist assessment. The suspected area assigns it spatially. Property, historical use area and later investigation volume may differ in size. The enquiry needs to identify which of these volumes is meant and which ground intervention is proposed within it. For several construction sections, clear identification on the site plan helps. Historical findings and current design thus remain distinguishable. A property boundary changed later is compared with existing technical spatial references.
Assess a suspected hazard for a construction projectSurveying
A survey investigates a defined volume using a suitable technical method. Which question it can answer depends on the task and local conditions. Existing utilities, metal in the ground and installations may affect measurement. Interpretation connects recorded signals with working conditions and the investigation question. A signal initially describes an anomaly. Further work arising from it is assessed by specialists and documented for the relevant area. Clients receive the result together with identifiable limitations and unresolved areas.
Distinguish investigation tasksClearance and recovery
Clearance includes the commissioned search for and treatment of explosive ordnance contamination within the defined area. Area clearance is described by task, method and intended result. Recovery means proper retrieval of identified ordnance by duly authorised and qualified persons. Commission and records show which activities were actually performed. For a new find, the responsible authority decides on further handling. The construction company stops work at the find location and arranges safe notification; handling remains assigned to the responsible specialists.
Understand explosive ordnance disposal activitiesEOD and UXO
EOD means Explosive Ordnance Disposal. UXO stands for Unexploded Ordnance and describes ordnance that has not functioned. These terms help when reading international documents. They do not enable laypersons to identify a found object from its external shape.
Read technical terms in contextClearance statements and documentation
A record must be used within its described commission, volume and depth interval. Documentation brings together work, assessment and limitations. A document described as clearance is therefore read with its appendices. Changes to location or depth in the construction design may require renewed specialist comparison.
Clarify the scope of existing recordsPublic disposal service and private specialist company
KBD and comparable regional abbreviations designate responsible public explosive ordnance disposal services. Their names and tasks depend on the project location. Private specialist companies perform the agreed task within their authorisations and document the service actually performed. For planning, official correspondence and specialist reports are brought together with their respective assessments. FONTANA-EOD coordinates the commissioned service with the designated project parties. A current find situation is reported immediately to the police; responsible authorities make official decisions.
Distinguish official and private tasksBFR KMR and DGUV
BFR KMR describe specialist explosive ordnance clearance tasks in the federal sphere. DGUV means Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, the German Social Accident Insurance; relevant rules and information concern safety and health protection. For a project, this guidance is assessed according to task and scope. A reference to it does not state the condition of a property.
Understand the regulatory frameworkExcavation supervision
A specialist service during construction is described by task, investigation volume and proposed method. Where an explosive ordnance survey during construction is required, technical investigations and their defined execution form part of the measure; visual observation alone does not fulfil this task. Construction stage, suitable investigation timing and records are agreed before work begins. Site management and specialist company agree handovers between earthworks and specialist work. The execution report records which areas were investigated this way and which limitations apply to further use of the result.
Define tasks during constructionDifferent initial situations need different decisions
Further planning depends on existing evidence and the specific ground intervention. An actual find is handled immediately through safe reporting routes. Existing documents then help bring earlier findings together with the current status.
Former use is only suspected
During preliminary planning, the origin of this information is clarified. The next task is a traceable assignment of suitable sources to the affected volume. Supported evidence and remaining gaps are recorded separately. This justifies further work without perpetuating an assumption as established fact.
An existing report covers only part of the intervention
During detailed design, the area treated, depth interval and new construction activity are compared. The outstanding task is additional spatial or technical work. The record should show which evidence can be adopted and which zone still needs its own decision.
Measurement conditions limit the conclusions
Utilities, existing structures, ground composition and technical sources of interference may affect investigation. The relevant areas and actual measurement limits are identified for further planning. A suitable addition is determined by specialists. Results plans distinguish assessed zones from areas where reliable interpretation remains unresolved. Site management must be able to identify whether an obstacle must first be removed, another construction phase awaited or a supplementary method planned. Each follow-up measure is assigned to those responsible for it.
Continue carefully with existing evidence
For site management and planners, the decisive question is which assessment can reliably be reused. Traceable assignment prevents results from losing their context when passed on.
Distinguish a find indication from an assessment of an area
A documented earlier find is important information. It does not automatically describe the whole volume of later construction work. Provide existing documentation with its spatial reference and identify investigations actually carried out afterwards. Missing information remains visible as an unresolved question.
Separate observation from specialist assessment
A project file may contain notifications, photographs, investigation results and assessments alongside one another. Identify origin and stage of work. Existing documents are submitted; nobody may return to a suspicious object for additional photographs. Responding safely takes priority over completing the file.
Connect documents with the current plan version
When construction sections change, old designations may become misleading. Provide a current site plan and assign existing reports insofar as known. Mark different depths, additional working areas and unresolved assignments. This makes clear what the next specialist decision should answer.
Determine the next specialist service by the evidence needed
For planned work, selection follows the unresolved question. A suspicious object currently present is first reported through the police; the following choices concern preparation and specialist coordination of a project.
The historical basis is incomplete
If use history and existing assessment have not been assigned sufficiently, the additional evidence needed is described. Historical aerial photographs may form part of the work. The task should also show which other documents exist and what questions they raise for the area.
A deep point or foundation is planned
An older area assessment does not automatically answer the question about new foundations. A deep-ground survey and point-specific borehole clearance statement need location, depth, construction method, elevation reference, borehole diameter or foundation dimensions and information on utilities and existing structures. The result applies to the volume treated and its limits. Relocated points or greater depths are compared with it again before execution.
The investigation volume becomes accessible only during construction
Demolition, existing structures and earthworks help determine when investigation can take place. Identify already accessible areas separately from those accessible only later. The task during construction is aligned with these stages using suitable methods and clear interfaces.
The project situation behind the enquiry
The specialist question is connected with the proposed intervention. General references to former use are insufficient to define the scope and timing of an investigation.
A property is being prepared for new use
At an early project stage, alternatives and construction sections may remain open. Describe the evidence available and next decision. Specific interventions are assigned later. Investigation of individual foundation points needs different information from initial assessment of a larger development area.
Understand use planning and the investigation questionA utility or route is being planned
A route may cross several areas documented differently. Identify its alignment, chambers, crossings and additional working volumes. The question is which existing evidence covers each area. A shared project name does not replace the spatial reference of individual documents and results.
Assign the route and individual interventionsAn existing site is being altered
Existing structures and earlier measures are compared with the new design. Identify demolition, new foundations and areas accessible only later. Old reports remain relevant within their actual scope. Their reuse is checked against the present task.
Coordinate alterations and new working volumesFrom a planning question to a traceable handover
The process for planned work depends on the available evidence. A current find situation first follows safe reporting routes and is not handled within this normal enquiry process.
Initial contact with a specific task
Address, proposed intervention and desired decision provide the starting point. Missing information is also identified. The enquiry can thus be addressed according to actual project needs.
Check and assign documents
Existing reports, site plans, official correspondence and historical evidence are brought together. Missing appendices and unclear spatial references are recorded so that the next work can build on them specifically.
Address the historical question
Research and aerial photograph assessment needed depend on the commissioned evidence objective. Assessment distinguishes usable information from gaps. A historical assessment is not treated as equivalent to a technical investigation.
Select a suitable investigation
Methods and scope are aligned with location, depth and local conditions. Access, existing structures and construction sequence are considered. The commission identifies the result needed for the next decision.
Perform the agreed investigation
The specialist company performs the survey or suitable investigation during construction within the agreed volume. Measurement data, findings and actual working conditions are recorded with location and depth references. Deviations from the design and untreated areas are recorded. Site management and specialist company agree effects on further execution with the designated responsible persons.
Assess survey data and findings
Interpretation connects measurement data and findings with the investigation task and actual working conditions. It explains which conclusion is possible for the area treated. Zones still technically unresolved remain identifiable on the results plan. Necessary additions are identified with their reason so that client and site management can coordinate the next step.
Hand over the report and plan appendices
The report, results plan and clearance record where applicable describe completed work and its assessment. Handover brings spatial scope, limitations and plan version together. References between text and appendices remain traceable. Unresolved areas and further measures are assigned to the affected construction sections. Complete documents are available together for the next design stage and later ground interventions.
Coordinate the next ground intervention
Project parties compare results handed over with the next construction section. Location, depth and affected ground volume must fit the documented scope. For a design change, it is clarified whether existing evidence is sufficient or additional investigations are required. Decisions, responsibilities and outstanding tasks are recorded for further execution.
Choose the appropriate starting point for project clarification
Describe what is already known and which question remains unresolved. An unambiguous enquiry facilitates coordination without prejudging method selection.
Clarify historical origin
Identify the suspected use and available sources. The specialist question concerns their significance for the area and the need for additional assessment.
Discuss existing historical informationReuse an existing record
Send the full report with appendices and current construction plan. Describe which assessment is to be adopted and what has changed since the earlier work.
Compare assessment scope and current designDetermine investigation for earthworks
Identify location, depth and construction method. Known interference zones and access restrictions belong in the information provided. Selection follows the actual task.
Select the appropriate specialist service for the interventionAssess the project status together
If documents and the next decision do not yet fit together, disclose the existing status. FONTANA-EOD can align the specialist enquiry with it and discuss necessary additions.
Submit documents and the unresolved project questionThe evidence chain for the project file and site management
A usable result connects the initial question with the work performed. Limitations remain part of the handover.
Initial data and volume considered
Commission, site plan, plot, construction site or route are identified unambiguously. Historical documents and earlier evidence receive a traceable spatial reference. The file shows which information is available in full and where specialist assignment remains outstanding. This includes source designation, date and appendices used. Where several older reports are adopted, their investigation volumes remain individually identifiable. Planners can thus trace which information was originally collected and which conclusion was added later.
Measurement data and assessment of findings
Survey results and other investigation data are assigned to the area actually treated. Assessment explains the conclusions that follow. Technical sources of interference, limited accessibility and measurement limits remain identifiable. For an additional investigation, it is recorded which unresolved zone was addressed. Site management can identify from the overall status which areas have already been assessed and which task remains outstanding. Measurement files, plan labels and report references must correspond.
Report and further action needed
The report, results plan and clearance record where applicable describe the task performed. The conclusion for construction planning identifies remaining uncertainties and follow-up measures. It relates to the volume actually investigated and defined task. For tendering, this information is handed to subsequent parties together with unresolved zones. This keeps clear which service has already been performed and what additional work still needs planning. Later chance finds are also handled through safe reporting routes. Where clearance work has actually been performed, the clearance record documents the areas and depths treated, clearance scope performed and result.
Clarify the scope of existing records
Do you want to use a report for a proposed intervention or understand its limitations? Compare the existing records with the current construction design. Specify area, depth and the outstanding decision. Further specialist work can then be coordinated precisely.
Discuss records and the proposed interventionSpecialist commission, occupational safety and responsible authorities
Responsibilities for the work are clarified according to the actual task. Historical assessment, technical investigation and handling of a find situation serve different purposes.
Authorisations and specialist knowledge
In Germany, the Explosives Act governs permits, competency and responsibilities for relevant activities, among other matters. The 1. SprengV specifies specialist knowledge and recognised courses, among other matters. For the commission, it is clarified which activities will be performed and which prerequisites are necessary. Requirements for the company and responsible persons are assigned to the respective task. Planning also identifies who decides on the client's side, which specialist company performs the measure and which responsible authorities must be involved.
Risk assessment and protective measures
The respective employers in Germany assess hazards under Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and define the protective measures needed for their employees. The DGUV Information 201-027 supports this during explosive ordnance clearance. DGUV Rule 113-003 concerns dismantling or destroying explosives and corresponding objects, including disposal of found ordnance. Its application is assigned to the respective activity. For the construction site, interfaces between earthworks, specialist investigation and response to a new find are also agreed.
Specialist approach and local interfaces
BFR KMR structure explosive ordnance clearance tasks within their scope on federal properties. For other projects, their technical use is compared with the respective commission and relevant requirements. Official find and hazard response procedures and interfaces with public disposal services are clarified by project location. Existing authority conditions and correspondence are included in planning. Outside Germany, the respective local provisions and responsibilities apply. In a current find situation, immediate reporting to the police comes first.
What traceable work should show
For further construction planning, the basis, result and outstanding task must remain connected.
Unambiguous reason
The task identifies the proposed intervention and question to be clarified.
Traceable volume
Plans and assessments identify the area actually considered.
Checked basis
Historical indications are assigned with their source and evidence status.
Identifiable limits
Uninvestigated zones or zones that cannot be assessed remain explicitly visible.
Clear responsibility
Client, specialist company and responsible authorities are distinguished by their tasks.
Usable handover
Site management receives results with the plan version and traceable follow-up needs.
Assign the project location and previous coordination
Local assignment matters as much to a specialist enquiry as describing the proposed intervention.
Region and existing correspondence
State municipality, address and plot reference. Include existing official correspondence in full and explain what an earlier enquiry concerned. Local conditions and the investigation task can thus be related to the same volume.
Connect the project location and specialist enquiry
Documents for the proposed measure
Submit available reports and a current site plan. Describe the decision to be prepared. Known gaps help define the next task and need not be fully closed before initial contact.
Enquire about planned work with documentsConnections in specialist preparation
Historical research, investigation planning and documentation relate to the same proposed intervention volume. Available sources, current plans and completed investigations are considered together for this. Specialist assessment distinguishes historical evidence from the area actually investigated technically.
Assess historical evidence
A collection of sources is examined with a specific question. Interpretation describes what can be identified for the volume considered and which gaps remain. It is considered together with other existing documents.
Understand historical assessment technically
Connect results for the project file
Report and site plan bring the scope of work together. Their reuse depends on the new construction activity. Clear documentation prevents limitations from being lost in later summaries.
Understand records and assessment limits
Select a suitable specialist service
Selection follows from the evidence needed and proposed intervention. Accessibility, existing structures and depth are among the relevant information. The appropriate service is agreed for this specific task.
Determine investigation needs by task
Explore the next specialist question
Further preparation offers understandable terms, traceable records and a specific project enquiry.
Read terms in context
Assign terms in existing documents to the respective investigation and its documented scope. For unclear information, specialists compare the relevant passage and plan appendix. Assessment of an object actually found is undertaken by the responsible authorised authorities.
Understand the background to explosive ordnance assessmentUse documentation for planning
For use of results, task, completed work and records are compared. What matters is which conclusion can be used for the project within the documented scope.
Clarify the scope of existing documentsDiscuss a specific project question
Describe the proposed intervention and existing evidence. A specialist enquiry builds on this information. In a current find situation, immediate reporting to the police comes first.
Enquire about construction with existing informationQuestions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Are combat remnants the same as aerial bombs?
No. Ground combat may have left unexploded projectiles and abandoned ammunition, for example. Air raids have a different causal context. The objects that may be expected on an area can only be assessed for the specific site.
Can a damaged ammunition component also be dangerous?
Yes. Ammunition components may contain dangerous substances or residues. Damage, rust or small size do not establish safety. Suspicious objects must therefore not be touched or moved for your own examination.
Does a single find prove contamination across the whole area?
No. It is specific evidence whose significance for the surroundings must be assessed by specialists. Spatial extent and further investigations do not follow solely from the number of objects found.
Is a historical aerial photograph with no obvious signs sufficient to establish safety?
Not on its own. Evidential value and limitations depend on factors including date, coverage and identifiable features. Additional sources may be needed for former military uses. An absence of visible traces does not replace an overall specialist assessment.
What information helps with a planned investigation?
A site plan, proposed earthworks and depths help, alongside existing official information, reports and find notifications. Identify unresolved information. If a suspicious object is currently present, notify the police immediately: 110 in Germany, 113 in Luxembourg. The project enquiry serves subsequent planning. For planned work, the process connects document review and any historical research required with method selection, surveying or suitable supervision and assessment. Report and results plan document the volume treated and its limitations; the next groundworks are compared with this status.
When should a possible link with former military use be clarified?
For planned ground interventions, as early as possible so that existing evidence and necessary investigations can inform further planning. The scope needed depends on the specific area and task. If a suspicious object has actually been discovered, notify the police immediately: 110 in Germany, 113 in Luxembourg.
What determines the effort involved in a specialist investigation?
The investigation objective, area and depth, existing evidence, access and technical conditions and documentation scope needed are decisive. Sound coordination therefore needs a site plan and work description. The general term combat remnants does not establish a blanket level of effort.
What role does existing official correspondence play?
It belongs in the project information in full, with dates and appendices. Its relationship to the current area and construction design is checked. Responsibilities and coordination required depend on project location and task. The specialist company performs the agreed investigation commission; official decisions and hazard response after a find lie with the responsible authorities.
Prepare an enquiry about planned ground interventions
For planned groundworks, FONTANA-EOD discusses the specific investigation question and existing evidence with you. State known information separately from unresolved questions. In a current find situation, the police are notified first.
Location and intervention volume
The address or region, plot reference and site plan showing the construction site, route, borehole points and additional working areas help. Describe intervention depth and construction method insofar as already defined.
Existing evidence and conditions
Submit earlier documents, aerial photograph assessment, investigation results, utility plans and known authority conditions. Complete reports with appendices are more useful than individual extracts. Unclear origin and missing components are identified explicitly.
Project status and next decision
State construction dates, planning status and the clarification desired. Is the enquiry about early assessment, tendering or reuse of a record? This helps agree the scope needed. For several construction sections, identify the sequence and next proposed ground intervention. Existing deadlines and outstanding decisions can then be assigned to the relevant area. Available documents are sufficient for the initial enquiry; necessary additions are discussed according to the specific 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.
