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→Deep Impact of Ferrous Technologies
==Deep Impact of Ferrous Technologies==
Earlier developments in iron allowed many changes to occur, such as the growth of irrigation works and cities. New lands were put into agricultural production thanks to the development of iron and steel. However, one major limitation had been the cost of steel production. This only changed by the 1850s, when steel production, using the Bessemer method and other developed steel technologies in the 19th century, allowed the so-called second wave of the Industrial Revolution that took place in the late half of the 19th century.
With the cheaper production of steel, and new alloys developed, steel now was utilized for making railroads more widespread, the telegraph became more prevalent, and steam furnaces also became common. All of these technologies were already developed by the early 19th century; however, none of them were widespread until steel production became cheaper in the second half of the 19th century. Another innovation was that steel could now be used for building production more commonly. This allowed much stronger structures to be built without using too many bricks or cement. In effect, buildings could become lighter. This now allowed, by the late 19th century, the development of taller buildings. The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, opening in 1883, became known as the world's first skyscraper. While earlier iron technologies allowed for more agricultural production, the new steel technologies widely present by the 19th century allowed cities to grow much faster and upwards through cheaper production of steel.
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