[valentino]

hey
am currently doing a project on the designing of an offshore gas platform. can anyone recommend any literature/books on the basics of designing such a platform.
i would also appreciate if you could point me on the right direction as to what are the safety regulations for designing such. eg. distance between units and equipments. what safety measures should be considered.

also, i saw some pics of platforms, and there is usually an open empty area on the top deck(not the helipad). whats the reason behind this open area.