Steel Production Continues to Play an Important Role in the US Economy

We have all seem the large semis on the interstate carrying large loads of cold rolled steel sheets and other kinds of supplies. Few of us, however, realize what sheet piling companies use all of this material for. From the buildings that we work in to the roads that we drive to the bridges that we cross, there are many ways that sheet piling companies play important roles int he lives that we live.

In the year 2016 the world produced more than 1,600 million tones of steel. In the U.S. as we see the infrastructure in many parts of the country deteriorating we begin to understand the importance of steel production if we want to continue to live our current lifestyles. We work in high rise buildings, live in multi story apartment buildings, and take our families on vacations to theme parks filled with roller coasters. And while the sheet piling companies may produce items that are often used for rather mundane purposes, the fact of the matter is that nearly every piece of steel is part of something much bigger.
Structural Engineers Continue to Perfect the Products They Produce

As the world sat and watched this week as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned, there were already engineers dreaming of ways that a newer and improved steel structure might make the religious icon an even better place. Finding a way to honor the history of the structure while also taking advantage of the latest technology, of course, is one of the greatest challenges. And as the cathedral and governmental officials announced a world wide contest to see who could design the best spire to replace the one that fell this week, it is likely that some kind of steel structures will surely be submitted.

The U.S. is one of the top steel producing industries in the world and currently employs more than 142,000 people. Although many of the roads, bridges, and buildings that we use every day are made of steel that has been there for years, there is also an entire industry that works to improve the latest steel materials to make the newer roads, bridges, and buildings that much better.

Consider some of these other facts and figures about the important role that the steel industry and its products play in our lives:

• The production of raw steel in the U.S. was up to 1,751,000 net tons as of February of 2018.
• At a time when the U.S. was producing 40% of the world’s steel and iron, the 1920s were considered the height of the American steel industry’s success.
• The four most common types of metal used in the U.S. construction industry are carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper.
• Fortunately, steel is the most recycled material on Earth with up to 90% of recycled content.
• As many as 43% of all American steel shipments in the year 2016 were made to the construction industry.

The next time you pass one of those long semi trucks hauling steel across the country you might consider taking the time to discover just how important this material is to the lives that we live.