With football season here, all eyes are glued to two very notable Pennsylvania teams: the Philadelphia Eagles (#FlyEaglesFly) and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The branding of both of these teams are unique in their own ways. The Eagles got their name from the eagle symbol on the National Recovery Act, an act to stimulate economic recovery after the Great Depression. However, the Steelers name has a little history behind it.

It all began in 1853 with one of the most influential people in the steel industry, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie started his career as the assistant to the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From there, he worked his way up to founding the Carnegie Steel Corporation, located in the Pittsburgh area. Steel became the threshold of the Pittsburgh area’s economy by stimulating job opportunities and material production.

The Carnegie Steel Corporation employed thousands to contribute to all aspects of the steel production process. Several materials engineers were included in this workforce. Materials engineers carry out several tasks, including:

• Evaluating current materials on the market
• Researching chemical components for safety and stability
• Producing newer, cheaper materials that provide the same quality and comfort
• Creating innovative machinery for rapid material production

Materials engineers utilize their knowledge and skills to produce high quality structures that attract tourism across the United States. Pittsburgh steel mills created the structuring for both the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Their work sparks economic interest everywhere. New and upcoming industries are becoming interested in the work of materials engineers, like 3D printers and biomedical production. The materials engineering field will continue to positively impact the United States economy as growing interest arises.

We went from NFL talk to Pittsburgh’s Andrew Carnegie to materials engineering to the future of the economy, just to show how football and materials engineering are connected.

CEDARVILLE Engineering Group, LLC (CEG) works with several different types of engineers to complete projects successfully. Call us at 610-705-4500 or email info@cedarvilleeng.com to find out more.
By: J. Auerbach