Steel Cons

A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF STEEL BUILDINGS

Housing has been a fundamental requirement of man since pre-historic times. The basic functionalities haven't changed over the millennia. Even today, the home is considered as the safest and most secure place that a person can be in, just like in pre-historic times where a shelter provided protection from wild animals. In addition, a shelter needs to protect man against the fury of nature, which is something even modern day housing is supposed to do.

 

There are however a number of different auxiliary functions that today's buildings do apart from simply providing for protection and comfort. The evolution of buildings is an interesting one, and steel buildings has provided a hinge on which modern buildings rely upon.  Prior to using metals, buildings were simply made from the materials that were readily available in the place, like wood. However, metals provide a number of desirable properties that have revolutionized building construction over the years. Today, steel is an integral part of most buildings.

 

The journey of steel started off in the late 1700s when the British began using steel structures. The need was driven mainly out of the fireproof property of steel structures. Certain buildings like the mills were especially prone to fire and steel mills began to provide the right solution for this problem. With time, by the late 1800s, steel began to be increasingly used for a number of metal building construction purposes. This was also the time when mobile housing became a necessity, being facilitated by the movement of labor from the countryside to the cities where the factories were being set up. Added to this new industrial revolution was the gold rush made people travel places and in need of temporary housing and accommodation. Steel residential buildings provided the ideal low-cost and flexible housing option to these workers.

 

However, steel was never to be restricted for this purpose. The early 1900s especially saw the erection of a number of skyscrapers in cities like Chicago that used steel as their basic supporting structure. Thus steel entered a new era in which the real properties of steel like strength, stability and durability could be exploited to make metal building thought to be a figment of imagination just a few years ago.

 

After the world war, residential steel buildings were instrumental in providing basic necessities to millions of families affected by the war. This was a time when no other material could match the ease of manufacture of houses as steel could. Unfortunately, the economics at that time dictated that all steel housing structures be similar to each other. This has made steel stigmatized as an option as people still tend to think of steel houses as boxes exactly similar to one another. However, this is far from the truth. Today, with advances in manufacturing, steel is entering another phase where it is able to provide the highest quality of buildings, the best levels of customization and the most affordable prices. This seems like the magic material that buildings have been looking for ages.

About the Author

Armstrong Steel is one of the largest pre-engineered building suppliers in North America. Whether you want a pre-fab building kit to erect a building or a turnkey solution for your 100,000 square-foot facility, Armstrong Steel is committed to providing customers with the finest building at the lowest cost. Their buildings are durable, attractive and will meet or exceed your specific local building codes. They offer nationwide and international service and delivery of steel buildings. For more information visit  http://www.armstrongsteelbuildings.com/.

The Truth About The Ab Circle Pro Revealed

Probably the most highly publicized and well known exercise machine for people wanting to firm up abs and lose weight is the Ab Circle Pro. But you're probably wondering if it's really worth the money. That is the goal of this article to help you determine whether or not it's just advertising hype or really does what it says it will do. By the way, are you searching for a great home fitness program? Check out the Turbulence Training exercises.

This machine offers you the benefit of a full workout in a small amount of time.

Use it for just five minutes a day to see drastic results. For faster more dramatic results a twenty or thirty minute workout is recommended. This is important for a couple of reasons. First of all, everyone has limited time, and going to the gym, when you count commuting, can take a couple of hours, so it's a real advantage to be able to finish your workout in a few minutes. Secondly, most people don't enjoy exercising for long periods of time, and are more likely to stick to a program where the workout is short and sweet. If you read customer reviews for the Ab Circle Pro, one complaint you'll find is that some people find the padding that comes with the machine aren't sufficient protection for their knees. After all, you're kneeling and moving your body back and forth repeatedly, so this does put some pressure on your knees. This is an easy problem to correct, just add some extra knee pads for more comfort. It's also a good idea to use knee pads if you are prone to injuries in this part of your body.

The Ab Circle Pro is an efficient approach to working your abdominal muscles, especially when you compare it to the kind of exercises people usually do for this. It's estimated that a mere three minute workout on this machine is equal to about one hundred sit-ups! This is very impressive, as most people find sit-ups, along with crunches, some of the most tedious exercises to do. Not only that, but it takes time to do multiple sets of sit-ups, whereas you can get the same benefit from only a few minutes on the Ab Circle Pro. This is the biggest reason for people to welcome this machine into their workout routines.

As we've seen from this review, the Ab Circle Pro has some definite advantages over traditional exercise equipment or going to a gym. More than most machines, you get a complete workout when you use it, so more than just your abs benefit. It's also a high intensity workout that you can get the benefits from without doing it for a long time. For anyone who prefers exercising at home and wants to focus on their abs and core, the Ab Circle Pro can be very helpful. Last but not least, be sure to look at this Turbulence Training review.

what is the difference between white steel and blue steel in reference to sushi knives?

looking to buy a sashimi knife. what is the difference between white steel (1and2) and blue steel (1and2) in terms on characteristics. what gets sharper? what holds edge longer? basically any info on the pros and cons of each steel would be SO GREATLY APPRECIATED! thanks in advance to all who answer. i'm leaning towards white-2 steel for my first sashimi knife, started training on the sushi bar and need a new tool!

Actually that's pretty complicated, since there are 6 of them, 3 whites, 3 blue.
Plus multiple names, Shirogami 1, is same as white 1, shiro ichiko, shiroko 1, etc...
Aogami 1 is ao ko, ao ichi ko. Aogami 2 - Ao ni ko, aoko 2.
shirogami 3 is lower grade compared to Shiro 1 and 2, but there's no aogami 3, however there is Aogami Super which has highest edge holding ability of those 6.

Both are types of Hitashi YSS (Yasuki specialty steel) steels, specifically developed for cutlery. White and Blue have the highest purity levels, i.e. least amounts of Phosphorus and Sulfur which are essentially the contaminants for the cutlery alloys.
White and Blue are simply colors of the paper labels Hitachi uses.
More detailed information on all YSS steels can be found in kitchen knife steel FAQ's carbon steel section - http://www.zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/articles/kkchoser/kksteelp3.shtml

There's 3 versions of white and 3 of Blue. Japanese names would be Shirogami for white and Aogami for Blue, plus Gingami for yellow.

The main difference in between those steels is the addition of Tungsten(Wolfram) and Chromium to the alloy. Both are in small quantities, but increase wear resistance.
E.g. Aogami1 vs. Shirogami 1 steel composition comparison - http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=Aogami%201,Shirogami%201

Theoretically, the main difference is slightly more refined grain in Shirogami series, and increased wear resistance in Aogami series.
In simpler words, theoretically Shirogami will get sharper, but Aogami will last sharp longer.

Practically what happens is that, for one, you have to be very good at sharpening to reach the levels of the sharpness when you can tell the difference between those two steels. I'm sharpening my Japanese knives with whetstones up to 10000 grit and then proceed with diamond crystal microabrasives all the way up to 0.25 mic which is close to 100 000 grit. And then, I can tell that one is slightly sharper... Needless to say, if I screw up at any step of this multistage sharpening, the difference is lost.
Most of the people never go above 5000 grit, even if that. Obviously even the lab equipment won't tell much of a difference at those levels.
You might benefit a little more from increased wear resistance of the Blue steel if you are not maintaining the knife at very high levels of sharpness.
Practically, what is more important is the maker who makes it and how they forge and heat treat the knife. I have blue 1 steel knives from Watanabe and they get sharper and last longer than white steel from many other makers including Tadatsuna.
So, I'd say first, pick the maker, and then pick the steel.
As for the white 2, for sushi knives, or yanagibas, white 1, or Shirogami 1 is considered a better choice, Shiro 2 is a little less durable, but cheaper.

Bear in mind, both types of steel are non stain resistant and will discolor with use, and rust if proper care is not taken.

Few more sources to help you further:
Japanese knives terminology - http://www.zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/jpnktknvterms.shtml
Japanese kitchen knives reviews - http://zknives.com/knives/kitchen/ktknv/indexjpn.shtml

ArcelorMittal's Mining Project in Liberia: Balancing CSR and Financial Returns (Columbia University)

The Jerome Chazen Case Series In 2006, war-damaged Liberia elected a new
leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose goal was to review all concession
contracts awarded by the country's previous interim government. These
contracts included a mining deal signed with ArcelorMittal , the world's
largest steel company. The project was beset with challenges and would require
a significant investment; ArcelorMittal needed to weigh the pros and cons
carefully before deciding either to walk away or to negotiate sticking points
such as whether to cede ownership of mining-related infrastructure. In this
case students examine Liberian economic data, financial details for the
project, steel pricing and demand as well as implications for ArcelorMittal's
corporate social responsibility in considering negotiating strategies for both
sides. ID#090421

Columbia University

Superman Ride of Steel Construction