Steel has proved to be one of the most enduring and versatile building materials on the planet. Cold rolled steel can become the beginning of almost any structure in the world, everything from incredible high-rises to suspension bridges to the basement in your home. Industry professionals who work regularly with steel know that sheet piling is truly the backbone of the steel industry and building and construction of all types.
What Is Sheet Piling Used For?
Sheet piling is used primarily to support underground structures. This includes basemenets, parking garages, pump houses, even the foundation of buildings. Sheet piling is also used in seawalls and bulkheads. This material is very useful in structural applications, and those who know how to create, erect, and work with sheet piling are always going to be in demand because this material is always a safe, very solid choice for building of all types.
In fact, more than 1,600 million tons of steel were produced worldwide in 2016. The U.S. is one of the top steel-producers on the planet, with more than 142,000 people employed in steel work of some type. That included sheet piling companies, steel suppliers, construction workers, and others who work with steel at all phases of this metal’s lifespan. In February 2018, 1,751,000 net tons of raw steel were produced in the U.S.
Surprisingly, this is not the high point for the U.S. steel industry. This actually happened back in the 1920s. At this time, the U.S. was producing 40 percent of the world’s steel and iron. In 2017, the U.S. produced around 82 million metric tons of steel. That includes cold rolled steel, sheet piling, and all other types of steel.
Who Needs Steel Suppliers?
Construction companies, medical companies, and industries of all types use steel sheet piling and other types of steel. This is one of the most-used building materials, but it’s also the most recycled material on the planet, with more than 90 percent of recycled content. Carbon steel, stainless steel, coppers, and aluminum are the four most common types of metal used in the construction industry in the U.S. In 2016, around 43 percent of all steel shipments in America were made to the construction industry.
Steel suppliers are highly in demand. And because the construction industry is a primary user of sheet piling and steel in all forms, some steel suppliers specialize in providing steel only to the construction and building industry. Some steel suppliers work with federal and local gonverments to provide building materials for various municipal projects. There are even sheet piling companies that specialize in sheet piling and provide this exclusively. Sheet piling is so widely used and so in demand, providing this material can become a business in and of itself.
Steel, Sheet Piling, and Building the World
You probably come into contact with sheet piling on a daily basis because this material is used in so many ways. Underground construction of all types use sheet piling, including all subterranean structures such as basements and even some in-ground pools. Steel piling is incredibly strong. It’s made from layers of cold rolled steel that have been pressed and manufactured in a certain way to provide extreme stengthand durability. Steel is one of the most durable metals on the planet, and that’s why it’s used in so many applications and so many industries.
You know about stainless steel, which is used in hospitals. It’s even used in jewelry because it has such a pretty shine to it. You may even have stainless steel forks, knives, and spoons in your home, or dishes made with stainless steel. But sheet piling, made from steel, is even more ubiquitous. This material is probably in your basement. It’s probably present in the parking garages you use. And it’s always all around you all the time because it’s used in so many construction projects, both public and private.
Sheet piling is a highly needed material that’s going to be needed for many years to come. It’s been around you all the time, and know you know how important this material actually is.
