Construction projects involve a complex interplay of technical and human ingenuity. The legal principles and contracts under which those projects operate can be just as complex, yet they are often misunderstood or ignored - until things go wrong. Understanding Australian Construction Contracts has been designed to assist industry practitioners and lawyers to make the best choice of contract for their project, and to make sure that the contract, once signed, becomes a tool to assist the parties rather than something which is simply "put in the bottom drawer".

This book provides a detailed, comparative analysis of all the substantive provisions of four of the most widely-used standard forms of construction contract in Australia, AS 2124-1992, AS 4000-1997, ABIC MW-1 2003 and PC-1 1998. The analysis is divided into topic headings which reflect major practical and risk allocation issues relating to construction projects. The analysis is supplemented by comparative tables which summarise key aspects, as well as references to the most relevant legal cases, journal articles and texts. Understanding Australian Construction Contracts is an invaluable resource for lawyers, construction managers, architects, quantity surveyors, contract administrators and other participants in the construction industry.