Steel has had a long history of use throughout the modern age, but how does it be future look?

As everyone knows, steel is durable, flexible and also recyclable, so its outlook in a futuristic world looks bright for years to come. Steel has a place as a sustainable material and is always reinventing itself, so it can be expected to remain the backbone for many industries for years to come.

Steel is strong, recyclable and flexible and can be used for just about any construction application. Here are some factors that will help to foster steel’s shining future.

Steel is Always Being Reinvented

Engineers and scientists are constantly coming up with new forms of steel to suit different industry applications. In fact, over three-quarters of the different forms of steel have been invented in the past 20 years alone. Some futuristic forms of steel are fractions of an inch thick, however, they still have the durability of heavier and thicker forms of steel. The steel industry is constantly reinventing itself and will see new innovative forms created for years to come.

Steel is Renewable and Therefore Eco-Friendly

You may not know that steel is the most recycled material on earth, meaning it is a renewable product. In a world constantly looking for eco-friendly solutions, steel will continue to have a place in creating a sustainable world.

Recycled steel is a large part of construction projects, and as different countries look to expand and grow their infrastructure, they will always be able to count on steel as a building material. What’s more, is that steel is also a major part in constructing wind turbines, which will play a large part in a green future.

Steel In Construction

Steel has been used for construction purposes for hundreds of years, and because of its low cost and durability, it is finding its way into more an more construction projects than ever before.

Steel is used to manufacture many parts of modern buildings including:

• Foundations
• Frames
• HVAC
• Electrical panels
• Deckings
• Hardware and brackets

A new trend in steel manufacturing is the use of modular frame systems constructed from steel, which are becoming more and more common due to advances in technology, such as advanced building modelling and 3D printing. In this process, buildings are completed in precise modular sections to streamline the construction process.

Steel and Automobile Industry

Steel has had a long history in the automotive industry, and in the future, this is unlikely to change. While materials like aluminium and carbon fibre may find their ways into new designs, they are also much more expensive than steel. In addition, the repair of aluminium and carbon fibre parts is far more costly, and while they may provide lightweight options, they will likely not eclipse steel as the primary construction material in mainstream vehicles.

Steel in Space

Despite the many exotic new alloys available to aerospace scientists, Space-X founder Elon Musk used stainless steel in the construction of his Starship Rocket. This new spaceship uses a combination of alloys in its architecture, including stainless steel, which is said to outperform carbon fibre at high temperatures. This spaceship is planned to take humans to Mars in 2024, meaning a steel spaceship will be the first vessel to allow humans to become a multi-planetary species.