What wood species are used for ties and where did that wood come from?
While there still are some softwood species (approximately 4-6% of the total) used for crossties and bridge ties, the vast majority of species utilized today are hardwoods – mostly from the eastern and mid-western hardwood forests. The mix of species depends on the application and locale of sourcing, but a good rule of thumb is 50-60% oaks and hickory, and 40-50% other mixed hardwoods. The below are the allowable species per standards. Species with an asterisk are more abundantly used than other species.
