What is a significant advantage of steel compared to cast or wrought iron?

Steel's significant advantage compared to cast or wrought iron lies in its superior performance, particularly its ability to withstand both compression and tension effectively. This property makes steel a versatile material for a wide range of engineering applications, including structures that must support loads in various directions.

In contrast, cast iron is typically stronger in compression but much weaker in tension, making it less suitable for applications that require tensile strength. Wrought iron, while more ductile than cast iron, does not match the tensile strength of steel. Therefore, steel's ability to perform equally well under both types of stress—compression and tension—gives it a notable edge, allowing for more innovative and efficient designs in engineering and construction.

Other options may address different characteristics of materials but do not highlight this key strength feature of steel. For example, while cost and weight might be important factors, they do not reflect the intrinsic mechanical advantages that steel offers in terms of structural integrity and load-bearing capacity.