Hydraulic truck cranes are a specialized type of mobile crane. These cranes utilize hydraulics and can lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulics makes use of forces being transmitted through oil pushing in opposite directions on the boom's pistons so as to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very important in constructing major projects such as airports, bridges, buildings and streets. A crane could complete in minutes jobs that will normally take lots of hours and hundreds of men to complete.
These impressive equipments have played a vital part in constructing houses, cities, entire nations and individual buildings throughout the ages. Even Egypt's Great Pyramids were probably constructed with the help of basic cranes to enable the heaviest materials in one of the most remarkable construction projects ever.
The first representation of a crane was featured during King Ramses' reign in Egypt in 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting mechanism that was utilized to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These devices were utilized to build a whole country in the 5th century B.C.
Initially, cranes were first made out of wood. It wasn't until the designers constructing dockyards decided they required something stronger and bigger did these equipments evolve. Hick & Rothwell developed the very first cast iron cranes during the year 1834, in Bolton, England. This equipment could lift as much as 2 tons. That very same year, wire ropes were added to the crane by an Official of the German Superior Board, Herr Albert Sr. The wire rope made the crane stronger and more durable. This addition allowed cranes to have a larger capacity for lifting heavy weights.
The wire ropes were weaved together forming a more powerful rope with even more strength. The newly formed wire also added more flexibility. 4 years later, Germany started to make cast iron cranes. The first cast iron crane made by Germany was built within Neuburg.