Confiscated weapons to be reincarnated as rebar
Last week at Rancho Cucamonga, Califonia's Tamco Steel, a slew of seized weapons, including AK47s, shotguns and "Saturday night specials" that had once been used on the streets of San Bernadino were melted into steel that would become rebar.
San Bernardino police Capt. Mitch Kimball said of the melting of the 2,000-some guns, "Instead of destroying something, now they'll be used to build something."
Most of these guns had been recovered in 2003 and 2004 from shootings and seizure during traffic stops, searches and drug arrests, but had to be kept until the cases they were associated with had been fully adjudicated.
At Tamco's mill, the only one in the region that disposes of used weaponry, the guns were put on a front loader and moved into the incinerator. It took only 55 minutes to melt the guns down to the molten metal that would eventually be made into rebar.
Officials said that this process is far more effective in preventing crime than the previous process of auctioning seized weapons to licensed gun dealers, as the gun could still land in the wrong hands that way. Capt. Kimball told press that it's best to just "take them out of the mix."
Butler County wants in on "Rivers of Steel"
Butler County, Pennsylvania officials have officially endorsed an effort to have the county included in the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, a designation which focuses on the role of steel in forging the region's history.
Being part of the Rivers of Steel, one of 27 national heritage areas created by Congress to preserve historic and scenic locations, could bring in new revenue from tourism and preservation projects for the county from the federal and state government.
Created in 1996, the territory currently currently covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Somehow Butler County was left out.
Some of the significant steel-related historical sites in Butler County include the Pullman Standard site, where railroad cars were manufactured; the former Armco Steel Co.; the American Bantam Car Co., which manufactured the first Jeep automobiles; and the Saxonburg area, home of John Roebling, designer of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Now that local officials have endorsed the addition of Butler County to Rivers of Steel, the request is pending congressional approval.
"Salute to Steel" represents foundation of Illinois community
A five-and-a-half-story high, 25,000-pound steel sculpture was erected Friday at the McKinley Bridge in Venice, Illinois as part of a project to revive a once-shabby stretch of road.
The $325,000 sculpture is called "Salute to Steel" since it is intended to symbolize the steel industry, which has been so important to the communities of Granite City, Madison and Venice, Illinois.
"Over 30 different ethnic groups came to this area because of jobs in the steel industry," said Paul Wellhausen, a member of the committee which planned the project, "We went to the roots of this area."
The sculpture is part of a project to rejuvenate a seven-and-a-half mile stretch of road which connects the three cities. The committee behind the project is made up of representatives from each city, who together raised $600,000 in donations from businesses and the state to assist in reviving the area.
In addition to erecting the steel sculpture, the committee has planted more than 800 trees and 37 flowerbeds at every intersection along Illinois 3 between the bridge, with 1,500 more trees planned for the future. They have also repainted of the guardrails and I-270 renovated a welcome sign into Granite City.
The dedication of the sculpture is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 17, also the day when the formerly defunct, 97-year old McKinley Bridge will reopen.
Recycled steel gaining popularity for green homebuilding
Environmentally friendly home builders like LivingHomes LLC say that recycled steel is the new trend in green living.
"Steel is the most recycled building material. It's basically old cars," says Steve Glenn, CEO of LivingHomes.
The green home builder used "old cars" in building a prefabricated, environmentally friendly luxury home as part of a joint project with Wired Magazine.
This 4,200 sq. ft. Brentwood, California home is constructed out of 11 steel modules welded together, and features all of the latest technology, including solar power and a central computer that tracks water and electricity usage. It even has an exercise bike which will power a lamp for an hour after riding for ten minutes.
Compared to most homes of the same size, this space-age steel home uses 50 to 60 percent less power and can produce about half of its own power.
And possibly the coolest thing about the Wired LivingHome is that it was constructed in only 3 days, as most of the parts were pre-fabricated. Visit here to see a sped-up video of the home being constructed.