The Steel Revolution: How Steel Has Changed Our Lives

The steel industry in America, and throughout the world, has become one of the most important industries that we have, supporting several different aspects of our lives. In the 1800s and 1900s the industry helped America grow into a world economic power. Today it is hard to imagine a world without steel from suppliers like Wasatch Steel, because it has such an impact on everything that we do.

The Rise of Steel
Iron, the metal that makes up the base of steel, has been around for many centuries as a material for transportation, tools, and weapons. In the mid-1800s a British metallurgist Henry Bessemer discovered a process (now called the “Bessemer process”) that uses high-pressure air and heat to convert the iron to steel, removing impurities in the process. Through the next few decades, the process of making steel was refined until it became an easy and inexpensive metal to manufacture. In addition, the strength and light weight of steel make it ideal for several different applications. In America, the abundance of iron ore to turn into steel, and coal to heat the steel furnaces, helped this industry grow, and by the early 1900s America was the top producer of steel worldwide.

Steel in Our Lives Today
American steel production peaked in 1969, when 141 million tons were produced, but the trend of lower labor costs overseas and inexpensive transportation options to bring the steel back to America has pushed production outside of the U.S. However, the need for steel today is higher than it has ever been.

Today, steel is a regular part of many different industries, including:

• Transportation
• Agriculture
• Healthcare
• Food Service
• Energy
• Construction
• Packaging
• Automotive 
• Consumer goods
• Technology

Its strength and durability, along with its relatively inexpensive price, are the most common reasons that people choose steel over other metal options.

Where to Get Steel
One of the most difficult things about buying steel is knowing where to find it. Unless you are a contractor working on multi-million dollar projects on a regular basis, you probably don’t use enough steel to purchase directly from steel mills, where the minimum order might be several thousand tons a year.

Today many people find everyday uses for steel, whether it is to decorate your home with wall décor and accent pieces, or as the spindles in a beautifully ornate railing for your stairs or deck. It can be used in landscaping, or as a functional base for your workplace as flooring, grating, and more. Steel is also the most common building material, used for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, and for things like roads and bridges.

When you’re looking for the most variety and selection, whether you have a large-scale construction project or just a small-scale do-it-yourself project, the best place to get steel is from a place like Wasatch Steel. This steel supermarket is the place where you can find steel of all shapes and sizes. Wasatch Steel also offers options for purchasing brand new, used, and excess prime steel. The term "excess prime" refers to new steel that has been exposed to the elements and has some oxidation on the surface—the benefit of purchasing this type of steel is that you can get a like-new product at a significantly discounted price.

When you need great selection and great prices, buying steel from the steel supermarket at Wasatch Steel is the best place to go.