A new Concrete Tie design Created by Rudy Niederer

The Rudy Niederer (RN) Breasted Concrete Tie Design This is a new concrete rail tie design to create a better and stronger roadbed for the trains. This tie design does increase the soles area and therefore reduce the loading in to the ballast. This design also reduce the amount of concrete needed per mile since the tie spacing will be further apart. The spacing of the CXT tie is 24” from center to center. The spacing of the RN tie is 28” from center to center. The unsupported area of rail between the ties remains 13” due to the increases of the sole area, utilizing the new RN design.

The RN Concrete Tie (Sleeper) Design Concept The intent for this new RN pre-stressed concrete tie is to create a better tie or sleeper. The benefits are: ● Less tie concrete consumption per mile. ● Less ties per mile – 2640 current design versa RN ties. ● Less compression psi exerted to the ballast due to the larger sole area. This equals the current design and the R.N. design. The calculated load a 35 ton axle load in this example. Breakdown = 140 ton rail car = 35 tons per axle or 17.5 tons per wheel. This is heavy freight – HSR trains will be off less weight per axle. ● Less rolling resistance for the traversing trains, thus reducing fuel consumption and polluting emissions. ● Lower maintenance cost due to reduced ballast crushing and increased stability of the track geometry. ● Reduction of closed lines due to re-ballasting or other rail alignment corrections. ● Greater stiffness due to quad clipping (Tie to Rail Fasteners) ● Greater side movement resistance; this is due to the breasting configuration in the tie design creating a bulwark in the ballast. ● Greater resistance to temperature changes (Thermal Coefficient). This design will keep the alignment accurate for a longer period of time. ● Increase the overall safety in the entire RN tie corridor due to the better tie, thus reducing possible derailments, injury, property damage and possible law suits. ● Increase overall economic benefits for the railroads and the society in general.

Top view of the Breasted Tie versus the standard CXT

Top view of the Breasted Tie with tendons to produce the pre-stressed concrete

Tie spacing comparison between standard CXT and the breasted Tie