CQ COLOGNE provides you with independent consultancy on uxo (UneXploded Ordnance) - clearance and archaeology, as well as with geophysical survey.

Multidisciplinary projects (where uxo-clearance, archaeology and/or environmental factors meet) are part of our scope as well.

It may sound logical to combine these areas (whenever possible), but it is seldom apllied. Due to international experience in these fields we know what to do.

information meant for: Country, Municipality, City, Councils, Contractors and Private Investors.
keywords: Clearance of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), unexploded bombs, ammunition, Risk Mitigation, Desk Study, Risk Assessment, EES, BRL-OCE, IMAS, ISO, Magnetometry, historical-, geophysical-, clearance-investigation, IMAS, ISO 9001, BRL-OCE.

Everyday,in many places in Europe and Britain, unexploded ordnance and/ or unexploded bombs (from military activities but mainly from World War One and Two) are found during excavation works.

Still tons of UXO are present in Europe.
With time proceeding automatically, they form a growing threat for human, surroundings and environment.
As a result of deterioration and /or insufficient adequate handling, these UXO (unexploded ordnance) can become instable and /or start leaking poison contents, without any direct human interference .
Because of that it is of great importance to know if, and when which kind of UXO can be expected where BEFORE any other excavation works take place on site.
And in the end, it will save money! Just think about the costs because your working site is being stopped while UXO have been found.
With on-time investigations the risks, as mentioned above can be minimized/ kept in line.

CQ COLOGNE knows, through years of experience in uxo-clearance, the ins and outs of these investigations and how to optimize the process with minimal disruption.
She helps you through the whole process and accompagnies projects for you from the very beginning to the very end; where to start, what to investigate, budget planning, project-plan evaluation, risk assessment, possible techniques to apply and last but not least control through various quality assurance / quality management systems.

The typical uxo-clearance process steps are:

- historic desk study /risk assessment (Based on factual information: Is there a threat and if, to what extent?)
- geophysical survey (Based on survey measurements: Where is the possible threat located by means of anomalies /eventual UXO's)
- uxo - clearance (Based on the combined results from Desk Study and Field Survey: Threat eliminated through investigation of anomalies)

CQ COLOGNE can support you on a project base, but also on a more structural way within your organization.
Please feel free to contact us.

information meant for: Country, Municipality, City, Councils, Contractors, Archaeological Units and Private Investors.
keywords: Archaeology, Geophysical Survey (Archeophysical), Heritage, War archaeology, Public archaeology .

Archaeology, being the study of remnants of former human cultures, is present in the nowadays. Everywhere you might go, you will find archaeological remains, even if they are not directly visible.
In many places, archaeology is threatened by the needs of modern society, e.g. for new buildings, parks etc.
Aim in such cases is to find out about the presence, its extension, its value and further treatment of possible archaeological remains.
After the presence is proved by a comprehensive desk top study, prospection methods can be used to find out more about the extent of and regional intensity of archaeology on site.
This can be done by investigation through visual surface prospection, bore-holes and /or by non-destructive geophysical geophysical methods.

CQ COLOGNE offers various geophysical methods to 'scan' such sites (see archaeological geophysical survey), in order to give a helping hand defining interesting versus less interesting parts of the site.

After these prospections have been carried out, further treatment (be it (part) excavation or (part)preservation) can be discussed on a factual basis.

CQ COLOGNE can advice you about the possible sceneries, including future developments.

An archaeological excavation results in a 'free of archaeology' site, and remnants will be gone until an exhibition or museum will display them (make them accessible for public), accompagnied by a publication.
The process of excavating a site is irreversible, you will never have the possibility to excavate it again.
The decision to do so has a big impact, the archaeological site is taken out of context, and precisely this context is the most important aspect for (experiencing) the archaeology.
Once taken out, the public itself cannot have an active perception in the archaeological site, an exhibition takes all possible 'look and feel' aspects.
For example, if you visit the archaeological site Stonehenge, you will be able to percept this completely your own way, by making up your own thoughts and ideas about it.
Imagine putting these slabs into a museum somewhere, would you still have the full perception options? Or the carved animals in chalk, would they make any sense without there surroundings?
Thus, it is of great importance for archaeology to become perceptive.

CQ COLOGNE generates concepts for the public archaeology, in order to enhance its social acceptance and cultural awareness.
Within this so called War Archaeology is our specialty.
Our aim is to help people benefit from the protection of our heritage for future generations.

information meant for: Country, Municipality, City, Councils, Contractors, Archaeological Units and Private Investors.
keywords: Archaeology, Geophysical Survey (Archeophysical), Heritage, War archaeology, Public archaeology .

CQ COLOGNE offers various geophysical methods to 'scan' archaeological sites, in order to give a helping hand defining interesting versus less interesting parts of the site.

The methods offered are magnetometer survey and electromagnetic induction survey. These methods can function in a lot of cases, but are limited due to geophysical laws.
We made fairly good results on sites dating to the mesolithic and younger periods. This doesn't mean we do not survey palaeolithic sites, we just didn't have the chance to survey one until now. Suggestions?
The surveys are carried out corresponding the guidelines as stated in 'Geophysical Survey in Archaeological Field Evaluation', as published by the English Heritage in 2008.

To find out for yourself on a quick way if one or both of these methods could function for your site, you could read the information as stated below.
We work throughout Europe, so don't hesitate to contact us.

principles of a magnetometer

A magnetometer is a passive measurement system.
The gradiometer principle is based on the fact that, in a uniform field, two identical and perfectly aligned sensors will give identical outputs which can be subtracted from one another to give a zero output, effectively eliminating the apparent presence of the field.
Provided the sensors remain solidly fixed in relation to one another, the whole assembly can be rotated in space without producing any orientational output.
If, however, there is a superimposed small field gradient as well as the uniform field, the output of the subtracted sensor combination will change as a function of the magnitude and direction of that gradient.
Such gradients arise from the presence of anomalous magnetic moments within the capture range of the gradiometer.

what can you locate with the magnetometer:

- Ferrous materials.
- Fire materials (hearths /killns etc).
- Pits, graves, trenches etc.
- Vast structures like walls, floors etc.

principles of electromagnetic induction (EM)

A electro magnetic system is an active measurement system, with a transmitting and transponding unit (or units) .
The term electromagnetic induction refers to the generation of an electric current by passing a metal wire through a magnetic field.
The electric current produces a magnetic field which is send out and is transponded, togehter with the differences due to transmitting objects. This data result in an output voltage, linear related to the electric transmitting possibilities.
The primair magnetic field interfers with the magnetic aspects of the soil as well.

what can you locate with the EM:

- Metal materials on shallow depths.
- Vast structures like walls, floors etc (as long as they are condictive).

- consultancy about uxo and/or uxb -clearance on the (public) authority level
- consultancy to obtain and maintain durable quality in UXO /UXB clearance
- consultancy about the methodology of uxo studies
- advice about dos and don'ts of possible uxo-clearance investigations
- advice about implementation of gathered information from uxo/uxb-clearance projects
- advice about contra-expertises
- project guarding /managing from beginning to the end
- consulancy about optimalization and guarding for parallel investigations concerning uxo-clearance, archaeology and environment
- independent quality assurance / quality control for all aspects of/processes in the uxo clearance project in accordance with various european and international quality systems (IMAS, BRL-OCE, Arbeitshilfen Kampmittelräumung)
- archeological geophysical survey by means of magnetometer survey
- archaeological consultancy
- consultancy on War Archaeology (First and Second World War Archaeology)