207-315 Landscape Construction

The aim of this subject is to extend the participant's ability to:

• describe urban soil conditions and their relevance to built structures in the urban landscape;

• describe fundamental design and construction principles for, and functional roles of, a range of hard landscape construction elements including concrete and masonry structures and pavements;

• describe water infiltration, movement and retention in urban soils and how this relates to the management of water in the urban landscape;

• describe the basic construction techniques used for formal and free form water features, and the placement of field rock in the landscape; and

• describe the basic role and structure (including specifications, tendering and administration) of contracts as applied to landscape construction project.

The content covered in this subject includes:

• the principles of soil mechanics and their relevance to built structures;

• soil water retention and movement and the effect of landscape construction on drainage;

• surface and subsurface drainage systems;

• earthworks earth moving equipment and calculation of volumes;

• construction techniques for retaining walls concrete slabs and footings;

• pavement and steps for vehicular and pedestrian use;

• construction of formal and free-form water features; and

• placement of field rock.

A two-hour written examination (50% of total marks) and two project reports each equivalent to 2500 words (each 25% of total marks).

• G Davis, Landscape Surveying. Lorien Landscapes, 1990.
• K A Handreck and N D Black, Growing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf. New South Wales University Press, 2002.
• K McIntyre and B Jakobsen, Drainage for Sportsturf and Horticulture. Horticultural Engineering Consultancy, 1998.