LGA Institut für Umweltgeologie und Altlasten GmbH

Certification according to § 18 BBodSchG extended

Posted on 14 February 2024.

According to § 18 BBodSchG, “experts and examination centers that perform tasks in accordance with this law must have the necessary expertise and reliability for these tasks as well as the necessary technical equipment”.

In Bavaria, soil and contaminated site investigations must be carried out in the legally regulated field by examination centers approved in accordance with § 18 BBodSchG. We have therefore once again successfully applied to the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU) to extend our certification for the sampling and laboratory analysis of solid matter, water and soil gas samples.

Our institute is certified with this certificate and the associated annex for the examination fields 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 (sampling and on-site examinations of solids, eluates and percolates, aqueous media, soil air/landfill gas) until January 2029.

Asbestos contamination investigation in buildings – VDI Guideline 6202 Sheet 3 creates legal certainty

Posted on 01 February 2024.

Construction materials containing asbestos are still widespread in many buildings. All buildings from before 1994 are considered to be suspected of containing asbestos. This means that asbestos fibers can be released during conversion or demolition work in particular and can endanger users and workers. Systematic inspection and documentation should therefore be standard for all older buildings. In the run-up to demolition, this is mandatory anyway (see article “LAGA M23”).

Above all, a professional investigation requires the expert to have extensive experience of contaminants in buildings and their locations. VDI Guideline 6202-3 (“Contaminated buildings and technical installations – Asbestos – Exploration and assessment”; 2021-09) describes the necessary systematic procedure for investigating building contaminants for asbestos. During a detailed inspection by the expert, all “suspicious facts” (i.e. materials suspected of being contaminated and their locations) are identified. The number of necessary samples is then derived on a reliable statistical basis (sampling plan). This ensures that materials containing asbestos can be identified with sufficient certainty. Only in this way can hazards be ruled out and the proof of “asbestos-free” required for the disposal of building rubble be provided (see article “LAGA M23”).

You can find our services on the subject of “building contaminants” here.

Disposal of construction waste – requirements of the new LAGA M23 on asbestos

Posted on 30 January 2024.

LAGA M23 (” Execution aid for the disposal of waste containing asbestos”) regulates the disposal of waste containing asbestos. A new version is now available dated November 29, 2023. It will be successively being introduced by the individual countries, whereby country-specific modifications are possible.

This results in serious changes for the disposal of construction waste: All buildings that were built before 1994 are initially considered to be suspected of containing asbestos:

Before any construction work, such as demolition, renovation or maintenance, is carried out on buildings whose construction began before October 31, 1993 and for which there is no proof that they are asbestos-free due to an asbestos removal project that has already been carried out, an investigation for asbestos as a pollutant is required. This requirement results from the requirements of the KrWG, the GefStoffV, the Baustellenverordnung (BaustellV) and the respective state building regulations. Implementation is specified by the requirements of VDI 6202 Sheet 3.

(see article “VDI 6202 Sheet 3”)

If this is not done or if materials containing asbestos are not completely separated on the basis of a dismantling concept before demolition, the resulting construction waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste at very high cost.

You can find more information on the topic of “building contaminants” here.
You can find our services on the subject of “Waste” here.

Ropedancing under the bridge: LGA rock team completes training as rope access technicians level 1 and 2

Posted on 21 December 2023.

It’s actually a lovely spot, reminiscent of a vacation: the Menach meanders through the green meadow. An old, disused railroad bridge, over which occasionally a cyclist rides. The training site in Mitterfels near Straubing invites you to rest and relax. But that’s not what the LGA rock team has come for. On the agenda is a tight training program from 10-12 and 23-27 October, which will train participants to become rope access technicians level 1 and level 2.

The assessment of rocks with the aid of rope access technology (SZT) is an essential part of the rock team’s work. Rocks often cannot be adequately inspected from the ground or by drone because they are difficult to see or details such as the fracture pattern cannot be examined from a distance. In order to be able to assign a well-founded risk level to rock massifs and plan adequate safety measures, a thorough and object-oriented examination using SZT is used. Rope access has little to do with sport climbing. Instead of climbing the rock themselves, the experts use personal protective equipment (PPE) to abseil down or climb up two ropes.

For nine years, the LGA’s rock experts have been trained annually in the use of PPE specifically for use in rock assessments. This year, Christoph Rieser, instructor of the Association of German Mountain and Ski Guides (VDBS), has chosen the natural stone bridge pillars in Mitterfels as the training site for the rope access technician level 1 and 2 training. The program includes both repetition of what has already been learned and the acquisition of new skills: Rappelling and ascending on ropes (vertical direction), rope changes and traverses (horizontal direction), climbing over stands, setting up and using pulleys, various rescue scenarios for rescuing a person who has had an accident, knot tying and theory units, e.g. on material science and fall physics.

On the last day of each of the two training blocks, a theoretical and practical examination took place, which was taken by the state-certified mountain and ski guide Andreas Schanzer; VDBS, and with the passing of which the participants were awarded Level 1 (10.-12.10.) and Level 2 (23.-27.10.).

We are delighted to have been accepted into the VDBS as rope access technicians and would like to thank Christoph Rieser and Andreas Schanzer for their excellent training.

Successful DAkkS audit

Posted on 22 November 2023.

For our evaluations of soil, water, building materials and waste, we value qualified sampling very highly. Our comprehensive quality management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 is accredited by the DAkkS (German Accreditation Body) and is regularly reviewed (every 1.5 years) as part of monitoring audits.

A complete review of all sampling procedures and the management system is required every 5 years (“reassessment”, formerly “reaccreditation”).

“All employees authorized to take samples have the necessary skills and abilities to carry out sampling competently and professionally in accordance with standards. The team deployed for soil sampling carries out the technical work in an experienced manner.”

“The employees are characterized by their sound professional training.”

“The basic entrepreneurial family concept is particularly noteworthy. This makes it possible to create a stable, low-fluctuation basis. The resulting continuity is also reflected in the management system, which is actively practiced and continuously developed.”

(DakkS certificate) (Annex to DakkS certificate)

Equipped with spade and Puerckhauer: Internal LGA workshop for soil recording according to KA5

Posted on 27 October 2023.

On 18th October and 25th October 2023, one group of the LGA team was trained in the preparation, implementation and documentation of the soil recording according to KA5.

The workshop was led by our former colleague Dr. Kunibert Eberlein, an expert in soil science who has been appointed by the former Bavarian Geological Survey (Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt) as an expert on soil mapping. The Guggenmühle clay pit near Allersberg and a forest area near Buchenbühl were selected as training locations.

Soil recording is an important tool in soil investigation. Soils are described and classified in terms of various properties and parameters. In order to ensure the comparability and reproducibility of results, the 5th edition of the Soil Science Mapping Guide (KA5) is used as standard for soil mapping. The Soil Science Mapping Guide was first published in 1965 as “Die Bodenkarte 1 : 25 000. Anleitung und Richtlinien zu ihrer Herstellung”. The KA5 is not only used in science for soil mapping, but is also required in various legal standards (e.g. Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance, BBodSchV). For example, soil profiles have to be recorded and documented as part of of orienting contaminated site investigations, detailed investigations and remediation investigations.

During the one-day workshop in the field, drill cores were taken using a Puerckhauer and small pits were dug in order to visualize the local soil profile. The participants then carried out soil recording for each soil horizon (e.g. finger sample, determination of soil color and substrate identification) according to the KA5 guidelines and recorded the observations on a corresponding form. Kunibert Eberlein explained the individual steps and gave helpful practical tips. The results were discussed at length in the group. Thanks to the workshop, the LGA team was able to deepen its knowledge of the KA5 soil recording. We would like to thank Kunibert Eberlein for his valuable support.