Research Projects

The Steel Plant Database

Principal Investigators: Frank Giarratani, Gene Gruver, Carey Treado

The database compiled at the Center for Industry Studies to support research on the steel industry is extensive, and it includes records related to all steel-making plants in the United States with raw steel making capacity from 1978 to 2003. Data for the steel mills is drawn from industry sources such as 33 Metal Producing and Iron & Steelmaker (I&SM), and related data on economic variables for steel producing regions are compiled from public sources. To prepare the data for use on applied modeling problems, we secured the help of database experts and have constructed a relational database using Microsoft® Access. The effort in this work has been substantial in that it required the organization of data from numerous fragmented sources. Once organized, further substantial efforts were required to document the data, prepare necessary data entry forms, and train students for implementation and use of the database. Although the database is no longer being updated, it remains a powerful tool for analyzing past trends related to steel manufacturing in the United States.

Steel Plant Database Overview, Slideshow