ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a systematic review of available information on testing, preventative treatments and remedial work that have been carried out on the concrete socks over the life of the Sydney Opera House. It examines the efficacy of the different diagnostic tools and applied therapies that consultants have utilised on the pedestals and identifies knowledge gaps that need to be addressed as part of the Opera House's concrete conservation strategy. The chapter highlights how approaches to diagnosis and treatment evolve as asset managers and their consultants move from a building repair framework to a conservation framework. It also examines the underlying structural condition by reviewing the efforts to investigate and repair one component of the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House roof pedestals are the most accessible and exposed element of the iconic sail roof structure. In 2007-2008 consultants again identified the deterioration of the socks as a problem and a new round of testing and treatment was initiated.
