Hydraulic truck cranes are a specific type of mobile crane. These cranes use hydraulics and could lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulics uses forces being transmitted through oil pushing on the boom's pistons in opposite directions so as to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very essential in building major projects like airports, bridges, streets and buildings. A crane can accomplish in minutes tasks which would normally take hundreds of men and many hours to complete.
These impressive equipments have played a very important role in constructing houses, cities, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids within Egypt were likely built utilizing basic cranes to allow the heaviest materials in one of the most amazing construction projects ever.
The very first representation of a crane was featured during the reign of King Ramses in Egypt during 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting mechanism that was used to collect water. The very first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These mechanism were used to create an entire nation during the 5th century B.C.
Originally, cranes were first made out of wood. It wasn't until the designers building dockyards decided they required something stronger and bigger did these machinery develop. Hick & Rothwell developed the very first cast iron cranes in the year 1834, in Bolton, England. This machine was capable of lifting 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 enabled 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 build cast iron cranes. The first cast iron crane made by Germany was built within Neuburg.