In 1972-1975 yard Gusto designed and built the semi-submersible pipe-lay barge Viking Piper. The vessel after nearly 40 years is still successfully in operation, now called Castoro Sette owned by Saipem, Italy. When built the design was very novel in several respects. No rules or regulations existed. Gusto had themselves to set design methods and criteria in consultation with the classification society. As the vessel by far outsized the fabrication capacities of the yard innovative new construction methods were implemented with all the impact this had on the structural design. The paper reviews the original structural design approach. The 1970s design is compared with today's standards and practice.
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