What is steel?
Many years after iron was first used by mankind, individuals throughout the 18^th to 20^th centuries integrated this resource with carbon and other elements. Through trial and error, they eventually developed processes that created what we know to be steel, a metal with an astounding array of uses.

How is steel used? 
The properties of steel allow the creation of incredibly strong and comparatively light structures. It is used in an almost infinite array of structures today including concrete foundations (as tensile reinforcement), beams and girders and columns in steel framed structures, for piles beneath bridges, installed in the form of corrugated sheets as “sheet piling” and utilized occasionally in residential construction, where large spans necessitate its superior strength.  

How is construction with steel regulated?
Now, with the development of standards by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Engineering Association (AEA) and others, practical methods to design a variety of structures have been created. In addition, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed specifications for various steels, identifying the physical and mechanical properties of each.