Landscaping: an analysis of current contracting processes and documentation

Abstract

English: Landscape work, forms an integral part of most land development projects, whether they are building works or civil works. Environmental protection, reha bilitation and landscape beautification are nowadays considered essential aspects in land developments. Building contracts for the construction industry have been developed over many years through the changing needs of clients and contractors, new levels of technological skills and development of new materials and construction methods. However, the varied nature and wide scope of landscape projects often make them difficult to be reconciled with standard forms of contract commonly in use in the construction industry. This paper reviews the problem areas in the field of landscape contracting and landscape maintenance brought about by a lack of suitable forms of landscape contracts/subcontracts. Standard forms of contract generally do not allow for the circumstances that are unique to landscape contracting, and this short coming is regarded as a serious problem facing the landscape industry. This paper will, therefore, also attempt to address the issue of how to effectively reconcile landscape work with standard forms of contract that are generally in use in South Africa, all of which have been written specifically for building or civil works type projects.

Afrikaans: Landskapwerk vorm ’n integrale deel van die meeste grondontwikkelings projekte, hetsy bouwerk of siviele konstruksiewerk. Omgewingsbewaring en rehabilitasie asook landskapverfraaiing word deesdae as onontbeerlike aspekte van ontwikkelingsprojekte geag. Boukontrakte vir die konstruksiebedryf is oor baie jare ontwikkel in reaksie op veranderende behoeftes van bouhere en aannemers, nuwe vlakke van teg nologiese vaardighede en die ontwikkeling van nuwe materiale en boume todes. Die wyduiteenlopende aard en omvang van landskapprojekte maak hulle egter dikwels moeilik versoenbaar met die standaard kontrakvorms wat algemeen in die konstruksiebedryf gebruik word. Hierdie artikel bied ’n oorsig oor die probleemareas in die veld van landskap kontraktering en landskaponderhoud wat ontstaan as gevolg van ’n gebrek aan geskikte kontrak en onderkontrakvorms. Standaard kontrakvorms laat gewoonlik nie toe vir die omstandighede wat eie is aan landskapkontrakte ring nie, en hierdie tekortkoming word beskou as ’n ernstige probleem wat die landskapbedryf in die gesig staar. In hierdie artikel word die saak aan gespreek hoe om landskapwerk effektief te versoen met kontrakvorms wat algemeen in Suid Afrika gebruik word, maar wat almal geskryf is spesifiek vir bou en siviele werk projekte.