When there are steel components in a demolition project, you have a few options: send it to the landfill at a high cost, recycle it free of charge, or sell it. Many clients opt for the latter of the three options, as steel is a lucrative salvage material. By using an Oregon demolition contractor that also processes steel, like Elder Demolition, you can offset your project’s costs. As one of the most thorough scrap metal recyclers in the western U.S., we help clients recycle and sell thousands of tons of steel annually, saving them time and money. Whether you seek a full-service, steel-processing demolition company in Oregon to manage all the aspects of your project, or simply seek a contractor to slice your scrap metal in time for a deadline, the experts at Elder Demolition will smoothly facilitate the process.

Steel Processing Services

• Steel structure removal: When you need to remove a metal structure from a site, the jaw attachments for our specialty demolition equipment and industrial shears will slice steel (including ¾-inch beams) into manageable pieces of scrap metal that’s ready to recycle.
• Scrap metal recycling: When you want to recycle and sell the scrap metal in your demolition project, Elder Demolition has you covered. After processing the steel components in your project, we’ll help you sell it domestically and abroad. Our scrap metal experts will even assist you with preparing shipping containers.

Oregon Steel Processing and Demolition Process

Steel is one of the most-recycled materials on the planet. The steel industry has recycled the metal for over 150 years because it’s cheaper to recycle than to mine and manipulate iron ore, and it does not lose any of its inherent physical properties during the process. In addition, it takes 75 percent less energy to recycle steel than it does to refine iron ore. Furthermore, one metric ton of recycled steel saves 630 kilograms of coal, 55 kilograms of limestone and 1.1 metric tons of iron ore.

Steelmaking Methods

In the steel industry, there are two basic ways to recycle the metal: basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS) and electric arc furnace (EAF). BOS steelmaking uses up to 35 percent recycled steel to make new steel. This process generally results in lower concentrations of residual elements, making the steel more malleable. This metal is good for tin cans, auto fenders and industrial drums. BOS involves blowing purified oxygen through a carbon-rich molten pig iron to lower the alloy’s carbon content.

EAF steelmaking uses almost 100-percent recycled steel to make new steel. The process results in greater concentrations of residual elements, making the metal ideal for objects that require little cold working, like structural beams and rebar. The EAF steelmaking process involves using a furnace that melts charged materials with an electric arc.

To give the steel unique properties and remove impurities, manufacturers add fluxes, or chemical cleaners. The addition of different metals further refines the metal. Stainless steel, for example, contains up to 30 percent chromium. Once refined, manufacturers process the steel to create different objects.

Steel Processing Considerations

Demolition Methods

Salvaging as much steel as possible requires a thoughtful approach on an Oregon demolition contractor’s behalf. Elder Demolition always considers a building’s salvage value and exercises great care to remove metal components in a manner that maximizes the amount of recyclable material obtained. Depending on the building, the value of the salvaged materials may completely offset demolition costs.

Material Sorting

Before the steelmaking process takes place, the scrap metal must be processed. To do this, a steel-processing demolition company carefully removes radioactive materials and separates ferrous (magnetic) materials from nonferrous materials. To makes this process simple, Elder Demolition uses scrap metal magnets with a 48-inch magnetic field to sort and load metal efficiently. The magnets have copper or aluminum coils, depending on the application, and can detect radiation within scrap metal.

LEED Points

Taking advantage of Elder Demolition’s steel processing services can help your project receive environmental certifications and LEED points for recycling and reusing demolished materials. Our smart demolition techniques may also improve your scores on LEED evaluations.

Buyers

To minimize asset losses during a demolition project, it is a good idea to have a relationship with a steel processing company. Fortunately, Elder Demolition is an Oregon steel-processing and demolition firm. Our experts will guide you throughout the project and connect you buyers, so you don’t have to manage these details on your own.

As an Oregon demolition contractor, Elder is your partner in steel processing and asset recovery. Take advantage of our specialized equipment and industry connections to maximize the value of materials salvaged during your demolition project. Contact us today to learn more.