In its continuing efforts to promote innovation in housing technology and to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes in rebuilding the Gulf Coast, the North American steel industry today urged the use of steel for lasting reconstruction of the region. Launched by a group of North American steel companies, the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative (GCSI) focuses on implementing long-term strategies to positively impact future construction practices in the region. The Initiative’s goal is to “rebuild stronger with steel” a region subject to severe storms.

“It is inevitable that homes built along the Gulf Coast will again have to endure more high wind and high water and there is intense pressure to get construction underway before the next hurricane season. In the debate over where to rebuild, considerable attention needs to be placed on how to rebuild,”Andrew G. Sharkey, III, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), a Washington, D.C.-based association that developed the business plan for GCSI, said. “We need to recognize that new construction is required to meet higher wind loads, be more resistant to mold and mildew, be environmentally friendly and still be affordable.”