Although it may seem like a no-brainer considering wood is harvested from trees, a new study shows that using concrete railroad ties is 2-6 times more environmentally friendly than using wood ones.
Although it may seem like a no-brainer considering wood is harvested from trees, a new study shows that using concrete railroad ties is 2-6 times more environmentally friendly than using wood ones. The study was based on the amount of carbon dioxide produced while mixing and forming the concrete ties, and the amount of wood waste that was burned or decayed in the process of making the other kind of ties. The environmental impact actually had to be measured over the lifetime of the ties to find the real benefits though: wood ties last for 20-30 years while concrete ties last for 30-50. The final result is, after 100 years, depending on the location of the concrete plants and lumber mills, the concrete ties produce 2-6 times less carbon dioxide than wood ties.
