Iron+&+steel


 * Iron & steel**

**Iron** Iron's a metal, chemical element that is very used in construction. Also it's the most common element in the earth. Cast iron, specifically, usually refers to grey iron. This material has good and bad characteristics. On one side, it is very strong and resistant in compression and it can be molded into any shape, on the other it's very weak in tension, because it breaks easily and it can snap suddenly.

Steel is a metal alloy that consists basically of iron and carbon. One of the differences between steel and iron is that steel is a little more resistant to rust. This material is stronger than any another both in tension and in compression.Nevertheless, a downside of steel is that it looses strength in high temperatures.
 * Steel **


 * Corrugated iron**

Corrugated galvanised iron (CGI), is a material used for building that's composed of sheets of hot dipped galvanised mild steel, that's rolled in cold in order to produce a pattern of lines in them. The corrugations make it eassier to bend the material in the perpendicular way to the direction of the corrugations. Some characteristics of CGI are that it is very cheap, easy to transport, strong, durable and it can be found anywhere. Throughout history, corrugated iron was mostly used in sheds, windmills, farms, farm fences, cottages, churches, industrial buildings and structures, etc. Nowadays, there are still houses made of this material that survived past times and people live in them. Also it continues to be a very used material in Australia.

**Iron & Steel workers**

Iron and steel workers have to be in a very good physical condition and have to have a great amount of strength. Also, since this job is mostly done in high places, the workers have to be agile, have a good sight and and a good balance. In adition to this, they shouldn't be afraid of hights nor suffer from dizziness.

"...the old cast iron buildings died out. I'm not really sure whether the new skyscrapers killed them, or the new esthetics. " I think this frase reffers mostly to the fact that everything has its time. When materials are discovered they are the boom at the moment, until a new one is found and it becomes more popular than the last one. This is what happened to iron when steel began to be used in buildings. Steel had more suitable characteristics for construction and as a consequence iron began to be forgotten and less used.