Steel products in the Philippines—or in any country for that matter—are always being utilized. You cannot look at buildings, machines, infrastructure, or even vehicles without seeing components made of steel.
It is highly unlikely that any material will take the throne from steel as the most versatile material any time soon. Steel has proven to be an excellent go-to option, and it simply cannot be replaced—only further developed.
As long as there are construction projects, and as long as technology is advancing, steel products in the Philippines will never be out of the picture. It has been used for a thousand years, it is being used now, and it will continue to be useful for quite a while.
Why Steel Products in the Philippines are Prominent
Here is a question to start with: why steel products? Why not bronze, copper, aluminum, or titanium instead? What exactly is it about steel products that give them a massive edge?
There is not just a single reason why steel has the advantage. Below are some additional reasons why steel products are at the top.
Low Cost. Steel is an alloy that comprises of iron and carbon.
Iron, the base metal of steel, is one of the most common elements found on Earth, and it is even believed that the Earth’s core is composed of it. Of course, no resource is unlimited, but there’s so much iron in the world that the supply will be enough for another century or two.
Similarly, carbon is an abundant element as well. The Earth is very much full of it. In fact, it can even be found inside the human body.
Both the elements required to produce steel are easy to find, which makes the production fairly inexpensive. That is, steel brings reliability that has been proven over the past centuries—and at a very low cost, at that.
High Tensile Strength. In construction projects, steel is always one of the first materials that are ordered, and for a very good reason: it has an incredible ability to withstand massive amounts of forces before it begins to show signs of breaking.
Steel is so strong that even poorly-made steel is still reasonably durable. Without question, it is one of the best construction materials in the Philippines, and is the smartest option in terms of availability, ease of production, and cost-effectiveness.
A Brief History of Steel Products
Before the discovery of iron, humans mainly used bronze in creating their tools. Over time, though, blacksmiths developed techniques that allowed iron to transform into a harder and more refined material—steel.
It has been able to keep up with the times for a very long time. The history of iron dates back to as early as 1800 BC—back when a sword and a spear were vital to human survival.
Tools of War. Unsurprisingly, steel has always been a major contributing factor to how events in history played out. During the times when war was necessary—which were centuries long—a soldier’s steel was just as important as a king’s strategy.
There weren’t any machines back then, which means that smithing was performed completely by hand, and this task was not given to any craftsman who was not a master. The smith had to ensure that:
- the swords could cut through anything,
- the spears could penetrate the thickest of plates,
- the shields could effortlessly provide protection from a barrage of arrows, and
- the armor could be counted on anytime to protect a soldier’s life.
It was, indeed, no easy feat. Blacksmiths were solely responsible for creating the most important steel products of the era—and while steel was already a robust material back then, the quality of the finished product was only as good as the hands that created it.
Fast forward to the 16th century. During this time, the Japanese had already -mastered the art of crafting steel swords. The katana, a curved-edge sword, was perhaps the staple of the century, and it remains to be a symbol of masterful steel craftsmanship until today.
The 18th Century and the Industrial Revolution. Steel was gaining more popularity in the dawn of the 18th century, but it was still almost exclusively utilized for weapons and armor, as it was still quite expensive to produce in that period.
From this point, more steel products were introduced. When the Industrial Revolution entered, steel products were, unsurprisingly, at the forefront.
Steel wasn’t just for weapons of war anymore. New uses were constantly being discovered. Some of them included: steam engines and tools for farming.
When the 19th century was nearing its end, steel was already being used in constructions, and production was expanding rapidly. This growth was further amplified in the first half of the 20th century, when World War I and World War II broke out.
Modern Age. Nowadays, steel products in the Philippines is as effortless to find as a book in a library. Steel isn’t as difficult to produce anymore, and the process has been perfected and can be carried out seamlessly by machines—which is a far cry from the times when the only steel products available were blades and tips.
Steel is utilized not only for constructions, but also in the manufacturing of car engines, kitchen utensils, and even machines that were used to produce the material itself.
The Most Commonly Used Steel Products
Listed below are some of the most commonly used steel products in the Philippines.
Steel Plates. Steel plates in the Philippines are primarily used for construction purposes. The most common applications are steel plate shear walls and temporary floorings.
However, steel plates can also be cut into smaller components such as bolts and nuts, and other parts of equipment. Safes and toolboxes are built using steel plates as well.
Steel Beams and Bars. Steel beams and bars are perhaps the most prevalent steel products, as they are vital to any structure. Beams are usually found in bridges and scaffoldings. They are typically shaped like a letter “I” or with triangles in between. These designs guarantee a resistance to powerful forces and deformation.
Steel bars, on the other hand, can either shaped like a circle, a square, or a rectangle. They are often used in buildings as compared to steel beams, and are crucial to the foundations of any structure.
The walls of a building are first built using steel bars, before the walls are covered in concrete. The steel bars greatly reinforce the strength of the walls and the overall building. Steel bars are also used as doors and window grills.
Other uses of steel bars include frames for tables, shelves, furniture, and handles for appliances like refrigerators and ovens.
Steel Piping and Tubing. These are similar to steel bars, but have a hollow inside. While steel pipes and tubes are similar on first glance, they each serve different purposes.
The purpose of pipes is to transfer fluids and gases. Additionally, their inside diameter is specified, since this determines their capacity to transfer substances.
Pipes are the centerpiece of plumbing. They can be fitted with valves (which control the pressure), couplings or adapters, and short pipes with sockets at one or both ends (the sockets allow the two pipes to be joined together). Pipes usually come in fixed lengths.
Tubes, on the other hand, are specified by their outside diameter. Like pipes, they are used for liquid and gas transfer, but tubes can be used as protection for electrical or optical wiring as well.
Pipes are rigid, while tubes offer a degree of flexibility, depending on what the structure requires. The outside diameter and material of the tube, along with the wall thickness, are principal aspects to consider when calculating the safety factor or pressure capacity of pipes.
Steel tubes are a common component found in automobiles, particularly in internal combustion engines and suspensions.
Stainless Steel. Among all the available steel products in the Philippines, stainless steel is the one that is most used by people.
Stainless steel is frequently found in the form of kitchenware—such as spoons, forks, knives, and sometimes, even plates and drinking glasses. It is the ideal material because it is sturdy and easy to wash. Stainless steel is also used in kitchen sinks and ovens, among other things.
Stainless steel has proven itself to be extremely invaluable in the medical field. Because of how fuss-free it is to sterilize it, and because of its resistance to corrosion, stainless steel is the perfect material for surgical tools, such as scalpels and drills. Other medical equipment, like MRI machines, are also consist of stainless steel.
Choosing the Right Steel Products
With all the available steel products in the Philippines, it may prove to be a troublesome task to find the exact steel products that you need. Whether it’s a small project or a large one, it’s vital that to choose only the steel products that are suitable for the job at hand, as well as to find a company that can cater to all the specifications you require.
There are hundreds of steel suppliers to choose from, and it may be easier to just assume that the most well-known one is the best choice. It may be possible, but it’s always advisable to exhaust all your options. Before making a decision, consider these questions:
- What am I building?
- What is its purpose?
- How big is the project?
Suppose you are planning to start a restaurant or a party venue in Manila. You already know that you’re going to need a building with considerable space. You also know that it’s going to be a place where a lot of people will be visiting. From there, you can deduce the following:
- Steel beams and bars are essential for the structure.
- You will need a substantial amount of piping (for the dishwashing and constant cleaning).
- There must be tubing to transfer the heat from the kitchen.
- Stainless steel products are necessary for the kitchen.
At this point, you should be pondering about how much steel products you will need. This mainly depends on the scope of your project.
The scope is not just limited to the size of the building. Other factors, such as the intended interior design, the number of employees who will be working in the kitchen, and the customer capacity, should be in the equation as well. You can’t afford to overlook anything.
Contractors are usually the ones who specify the cost and the materials needed once you’ve laid out your plans. But it is imperative to consider all the factors nonetheless. The importance of selecting a reliable supplier that can provide everything you need can never be stressed enough.
Any industrial company can provide you with steel, but not all suppliers of steel products in the Philippines offer the best quality available. Make sure that before you dive into the construction of any project, you have already identified a supplier of steel products that can address your every need.
Select Only the Finest Steel Products in the Philippines for Your Construction Needs
Regan Steel is one of the top suppliers of steel products in the Philippines. The company offers a vast selection of steel products to choose from, with complete availability and variety, and rendered at reasonable prices.
The company has been in the market for almost 50 years. And in nearly five decades, it has been providing its customers and clients with top-notch steel products.
Founded in 1968 in Tondo, Manila, and initially consisting of only 10 employees, Regan Steel was incorporated in 1980. By 2002, the company had established warehousing facilities with four covered warehouses. In 2007, Regan Steel was listed in the top 400 corporations in the Philippines. The company has clearly come a long way from its humble origins, and will continue to grow over the years.
Regan Steel offers a large selection of steel products. There are steel pipes, tubing, bars, rods, plates, sections, and others, all of which are produced meticulously and expertly, and with all the latest technology.
Regan Steel provides only the best services to its clients. We are also dedicated to offering the best customer service. Click here to find out more about the quality products and services that we have in store.
