Hydraulic truck cranes are a specialized type of mobile crane. These cranes make use of hydraulics and are able to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulics uses forces being transmitted through oil pushing on the pistons of the boom in opposite directions in order to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very important in constructing major projects like airports, bridges, buildings and roads. A crane could accomplish in minutes tasks which would normally take hundreds of men and lots of hours to complete.
These impressive machines have played a vital part in building cities, houses, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids in Egypt were probably built using basic cranes to allow the heaviest materials in one of the most awesome construction projects ever.
The first cranes were established during 3000 B.C. Egypt in King Ramses' reign. This lifting device was originally utilized to collect water. The very first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These devices were used to build a whole country throughout the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were originally made out of wood. The designs of cranes started to change when dockyards began to need stronger and larger machines. Hick & Rothwell designed the first cast iron cranes in the year 1834, in Bolton, England. This machinery can lift up to 2 tons. That 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 more durable and stronger. This addition allowed cranes to have a bigger capacity to lift 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. Germany started to make cast iron cranes 4 years later. The very first cast iron crane built by Germany was built within Neuburg.