9 Industries That Rely on Steel

Steel has become one of the most integral parts of our daily lives, and it affects so many different industries and businesses today. Whether you are a small business or a do-it-yourself weekend warrior looking for steel from a place like Wasatch Steel, or use steel for your large company, the steel supermarket has what you need. There are many different industries today that rely heavily on the production and use of steel for operations, and here are nine of them.

Construction
Commercial construction today has a critical need for steel, because it combines a unique mix of strength and light weight. In fact, the availability of ultra high strength steel (UHSS) reduces the need for more load-bearing beams, which means there is more available space in every building. Plus the removal of support pillars means you can get more windows, translating to better ventilation, more light, and better energy efficiency.

Housing
Residential homes today are often built with steel as part of their support structure, which means that homes are safer and more energy efficient. Steel won’t burn like wood in case of a fire, and the steel helps to create better lighting and temperature control throughout by creating a high efficiency interior that can keep cool air out in the winter and warm air out in the summer. Steel and proper insulation also helps prevent corrosion with an airtight seal to keep moisture outside.

Transportation
Almost every mode of transportation today uses steel, from trains and ships to personal transport with bikes and cars. The range of properties that steel provides, with one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any material. In the train industry, steel has revolutionized the form of transportation, with lightweight materials to allow high-speed travel, tracks and technology made of steel to reduce friction and minimize noise. The strength of steel leads to better shipping capabilities on the ocean, while the weight of steel helps improve gas mileage for passenger vehicles.

Agriculture
Whether it’s agricultural tools or storage for the crops, steel has long played a big role in this industry. Although agricultural jobs represent only a small portion of the total population, billions of people worldwide rely the ability to purchase low-cost food that comes from this business.

Recycling
With many businesses, individuals, and countries today looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, recycling is an important industry. Steel is not only integral in recycling other materials, it is also one of the greenest metals available, because it is almost universally recyclable.

Energy
Finding “green” energy sources is important for the planet, and steel provides the material you need for hydro, wind, and solar renewable energy sources. Steel is used to build wind turbines, solar panels, and hydro plates to harness the power of the tide.

Automotive
Most vehicles today are constructed with advanced high strength steels that combines good body structures with light weight for maximum fuel efficiency and protection in case of an accident. With the focus on improving MPG for all vehicles over the next couple of decades, steel will play in important role.

Packaging
Today’s global market means goods are transported around the world in order to get to their consumers. Packaging must not only be able to get the goods to the right place, but must protect the items for effective distribution. Steel solutions offer strength and versatility to get your items to the places they need to be.

Steel is one of the most important materials that we have today, and you can find all the steel you need at Wasatch Steel.