Steel is a material that can be credited with changing the world. Made by mixing iron with other elements, this extremely useful alloy is used where strength, hardness, and durability are needed. For over 4,000 years, this compound has been valued by almost every civilization.

This metal alloy was first made by mixing iron with carbon, which made the iron into a much harder substance. Having found that such useful things as weapons and plowshares made of it were superior to those made of iron, men quickly found new ways of making steel that eventually allowed it to be mass-produced. This made it much less expensive and readily available to the industries of the latter half of the 1800s.

The uses of this metal in business are varied and almost numberless. Alloys of various compositions are used as a building material, to construct bridges and roads and other infrastructure, and to make cookware and cutlery, tools, machines, and ships. Over a billion tons are used in manufacturing every year. Today much of the new metallic substance produced is made from recycled metal, called scrap.

In building, this alloy is used for all phases from framing buildings and houses to roofing them and even as siding. Recent methods of factory painting makes the already rust and corrosion resistant metal maintenance free for decades. Depending on the composition and the materials that are smelted with the iron, the resulting compound may be made in any combination of hardness, tensile strength, or ductility (malleability).

Although few homes are built entirely of steel, many use it in their construction. Many a frame house will have an I-Beam to support the structure. Elegant homes may appear to be roofed with shakes or slate, but in reality they have finely detailed metal roofs. Other homes may have aluminum or vinyl siding that shields the metal framing underneath. Even a slab foundation may be made of metal girders rather than concrete.

Many factories, warehouses, barns, aircraft hangars, and other commercial buildings are made of this material, with corrugated siding, ribbed roofs, and metallic frames. The relatively low initial cost is made even better by the low maintenance expenses throughout the life of the building. It is not uncommon to have warranties of fifty years or more on the buildings and their component materials. The fact that many buildings are prefabricated and assembled on site also keeps costs low.

The fact that this substance is strong yet light makes it very useful for the military, which uses it for both permanent and temporary building of everything from barracks to storage buildings to bridges. Of course, weaponry is another area where steel is used for its hardness and impermeability. Refugee camps that have turned into permanent housing for many displaced persons have been improved with long-lasting structures.

Another factor that makes steel a wise choice for these times is that it can be one hundred percent recycled. Rather than having to haul a demolished building to a landfill, the old building can be knocked down and sold as scrap. An all-metal building will qualify for tax credits under the energy efficiency programs in many nations. Steel has been a boon for business, the construction industry, the modern military, and all who have lived on this earth for many centuries.