From the analysis of the location of Japanese iron and steel plants in coastal areas, the author summarizes their distribution as follows:
1) Coal-controlled System
a) Integrated iron and steel plants are located without exception right on the wharves for ocean vessels. The sites of blast furnaces are limited in the littoral areas within 0.0-1.5 kilometers from the wharves.
b) The steel plants with open hearth furnaces are usually found within zones along the canals and rivers which run through the market areas to the wharves, from which they are 0.0-15.0 kilometers in distance.
c) The single rolling mills and the re-rollers are dispersed broadly in the market areas along the canals or truck routes within the distances of 0.5-40.0 kilometers from the wharves.
2) The Electric-controlled System
a) The location of ferro-alloy and electric pig iron plants shows no relation with the littoral areas, because their sites are found in far inland areas 100 or more kilometers from the wharves.
b) But many other iron and steel mills producing such products as casting, forging, steel and steel products are gathered in littoral areas 0.0-40.0 kilometers from the wharves.
In short, the more fundamental the productive process of the plants and their products become heavier and bulkier, the more the sites approach the wharves. When, we consider their average distances from the wharves from the view point of industrial conditions, we get the following figures;
Integrated iron and steel works…0.64km
Steel works with open hearth furnaces…3.47
Re-roller…7.5
Single rolling mills…9.0
Electric casting mills…11.8
Electric steel mills…16.8
Electric pig iron…38.6
Ferro-alloy…46.8
These works are not only distributed in the littoral areas side by side according to their industrial conditions, but also are combined together in such a way as to make cereal and economic changes easier and more profitable.
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