GM2 provided engineering services for the structural design of a new high-level platform and canopy as part of planned improvements to the existing Merritt 7 Railroad Station in Norwalk, CT.  The new platform is approximately 500 feet long and consists of precast concrete planks supported by a longitudinal structural steel girder adjacent to the tracks and a reinforced concrete wall away from the tracks.  The steel girder is supported by reinforced concrete piers on isolated circular footings.  The canopy consists of a 6” deep cellular metal roof deck supported on a T-shaped framework of structural steel tubing.  The tube columns are then supported on reinforced concrete pedestals and footings cast integrally with the foundation wall and a continuous strip footing.  The individual T-shaped canopy frames are pitched to the back of the platform and are spaced approximately 40’-0” on center. One of the unique features to this project is the approach used to address platform pier excavations adjacent to the railroad track.  During continuous track outages, isolated excavations at each platform pier are performed and a 6’-0” diameter precast concrete pipe section is installed vertically.  The circular pipe sections are then backfilled and compacted and are later filled with cast-in-place concrete to form the platform pier foundation.