Discover more about how steel is made, improvement within the steel industry, innovations in steel and how steel has earned a vital role in your life.
Steel has been a part of our lives for more than 150 years, yet today we describe it as "new." With good reason. The steel industry has invested over $50 billion in the latest technologies to make steel more innovative, lower in cost to you and stronger than ever.
Here's an example of steel's high strength. If the Sears Tower in Chicago (one of the world's tallest buildings) were erected today, 35 percent less steel would be needed than when it went up in 1974.
Steel is in the cars we drive, the houses in which we live, the trains we ride, the cans we open, the appliances that make our lives easier and much more. Steel is durable and the most recycled material on earth.
The story of the North American steel industry over the last 20 years is one of rebirth and revitalization. Starting in the mid-1980s, swiftly changing customer demands and expanding global competition triggered a sweeping modernization of the North American steel industry.
The New Steel is the material for the 21st century. Contemporary steel mills are a far cry from the fiery, sooty ones of the past. Today, glowing blocks of steel glide down aisles of rollers, their progress silently monitored by electronic sensors.
From monitoring stations above the factory floor, trained technicians also eye computer screens to ensure quality control.
Did you know that more than 125,000 men and women (many of them with two- and four-year college degrees in engineering, metallurgy and computer science) are currently employed in U.S. and Canadian steel plants?
As a result of the re-engineered workplace and the skilled work force, the steel industry has been revitalized.
Labor productivity has more than doubled since 1982, going from 10.1 man-hours per finished ton (MHFT) to 3.8 MHFT in 1997. Many individual North American facilities are producing a ton of finished steel in less than 2 man-hours.
While prices for other materials have increased, the price for U.S.-produced steel, adjusted for inflation, is 30 percent lower today than in 1984, greatly increasing its competitiveness.
The industry has committed itself to reaching the highest levels of productivity and quality in the world - all while greatly improving its environmental performance.
The Industry Has Met Its Challenge:
Steel has been a part of our lives for more than 150 years, yet today we describe it as "new." With good reason. The steel industry has invested over $50 billion in the latest technologies to make steel more innovative, lower in cost to you and stronger than ever.
Here's an example of steel's high strength. If the Sears Tower in Chicago (one of the world's tallest buildings) were erected today, 35 percent less steel would be needed than when it went up in 1974.
Steel is in the cars we drive, the houses in which we live, the trains we ride, the cans we open, the appliances that make our lives easier and much more. Steel is durable and the most recycled material on earth.
The story of the North American steel industry over the last 20 years is one of rebirth and revitalization. Starting in the mid-1980s, swiftly changing customer demands and expanding global competition triggered a sweeping modernization of the North American steel industry.
The New Steel is the material for the 21st century. Contemporary steel mills are a far cry from the fiery, sooty ones of the past. Today, glowing blocks of steel glide down aisles of rollers, their progress silently monitored by electronic sensors.
From monitoring stations above the factory floor, trained technicians also eye computer screens to ensure quality control.
Did you know that more than 125,000 men and women (many of them with two- and four-year college degrees in engineering, metallurgy and computer science) are currently employed in U.S. and Canadian steel plants?
As a result of the re-engineered workplace and the skilled work force, the steel industry has been revitalized.
Labor productivity has more than doubled since 1982, going from 10.1 man-hours per finished ton (MHFT) to 3.8 MHFT in 1997. Many individual North American facilities are producing a ton of finished steel in less than 2 man-hours.
While prices for other materials have increased, the price for U.S.-produced steel, adjusted for inflation, is 30 percent lower today than in 1984, greatly increasing its competitiveness.
The industry has committed itself to reaching the highest levels of productivity and quality in the world - all while greatly improving its environmental performance.
The Industry Has Met Its Challenge:
- It has created new products. Half of all the types of steel made today did not exist 15 years ago.
- It has harnessed the potential of new technology to upgrade and streamline the steel-making process from start to finish.
- It has reinvented itself, taking back market share from overseas competitors and producing and exporting steel at record rates.
- It has made sure that steel is the ideal environmental material. All steel is recyclable. And steel mills have drastically reduced emissions.
- It has ensured that steel is an economical choice for consumers. It has, in short, transformed itself into the "new steel" industry.
Steel
Basic facts and figures about the steel industry
Basic facts and figures about the steel industry
Stainless steel
Basic facts about stainless steel
Basic facts about stainless steel
Steel buildings
Learn about building with steel. Benefits of steel building. Explore how steel is used in innovative buildings around the world.
Learn about building with steel. Benefits of steel building. Explore how steel is used in innovative buildings around the world.
Framing
If you're thinking about building a home, you might want to consider a steel framed one. It will stand the test of time against severe weather, hungry termites and fire. The list of reasons goes on and on. Much like your steel framed home.
If you're thinking about building a home, you might want to consider a steel framed one. It will stand the test of time against severe weather, hungry termites and fire. The list of reasons goes on and on. Much like your steel framed home.
Roofing
If you're going to put a roof over your head, shouldn't it be one that will last longer? One that is safer for you and your family? One that can be recycled to become your future grandchild's bike? We thought so, too.
If you're going to put a roof over your head, shouldn't it be one that will last longer? One that is safer for you and your family? One that can be recycled to become your future grandchild's bike? We thought so, too.