United Group Limited Services (UGL Services) delivers Building Conservation Maintenance services to Sydney Opera House. Sydney Opera House is an Australian cultural landmark and one of the most recognisable images of the modern world. The entire building occupies around 1.82 hectares of its 2.23 hectare site. Over one million visitors attend in excess 2,500 live performances and events in its seven venues each year.
The scope of work for UGL Services comprises several key activities including:
• Routine inspections of the external and internal building fabric,
• Planned preventative maintenance of all building assets,
• Asset performance maintenance, and
• Corrective maintenance.
The unique characteristics of Sydney Opera House and its operation impact the way the UGL Services team delivers its services. Solutions are tailored to respond to the program of evening and weekend performances, the heritage significance of the structure and site and its waterfront location necessitating the sourcing of customised maintenance products that resist the marine environment.
The complexity of the site and its subsequent maintenance by the twenty-one strong UGL Services team is illustrated by the sheer volume of ongoing activities delivered including;
• 1,833 individual building fabric inspections monthly.
• 4,899 individual chair inspections daily.
• 1,428 toilet facilities inspections monthly.
The management and coordination of this scale of activity requires significant forward planning and stakeholder engagement. UGL Services Contract Manager, Richard Veitch says “We put a lot of effort into the planning and organisation of works. This helps us identify potential problems early and put contingencies in place to avoid them occurring. We like to collaborate with the client and all its stakeholders to ensure our work meets everyone’s expectations”.