Different Types Of Industrial and Manufacturing Plants

Sourcing Steel And Steel Related Products For The Jobsite

25 August 2017 by Wallace Prescott

Steel is a pretty common material, and it is used in a lot of ways every day. In fact, we depend on it for many of the buildings that we see around us. The properties of steel are such that we use it structurally as well as for decorative purposes, but where can you get the steel you need for your project or job? There are several places that steel is available, depending on the amount you need and the size required.

Steel Suppliers

One of the most common places to get steel and steel products is from a supplier that deals in metals and other raw materials. If you need a few steel bars, a sheet of plate steel, or some other small amount of steel, you can typically walk in and buy it. If you need larger amounts, they may not have what you need in stock but can often order it for you. This may also be the case if you need a special size or dimension of steel bar, tubing, or plate. Check with local dealers, such as Eastern Steel Corporation, to see what they can do for you and if they will have to order the material.

Metal Recyclers

Some recyclers that specialize in metals will also sell small quantities of the material to customers, but since the steel they have is recycled or salvaged from other places, they might not have the size you need. If you can make something else work, you might be able to get the stock you need from the recycler for a lower price than buying it new.

Remember, if the strength of the material is critical, you won't have a guarantee of anything with recycled material since you do not know where it can from. If the steel came from a salvage building destroyed by fire, the heat may have changed the strength of the material. Asking where they got the material can help, but in a big operation, they may not remember or even know where it came from.

Manufacturers

There is the possibility that you can order steel from the manufacturer, but only if you are going to use a lot of steel. A contractor that is building a skyscraper might need such a large amount of steel that it has to come from the steel mill. Even in these cases, the steel normally goes to the fabrication company first, so they can punch holes, add tabs, or cut beams to the right length for you.

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