The hydraulic truck crane is a specific mobile crane which uses hydraulic power to lift and transport 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 important in constructing major projects like airports, bridges, streets and buildings. A crane can accomplish in minutes jobs that will normally take hundreds of men and a lot of hours to accomplish.
The vast machines are commonly used in the construction of cities, homes, whole nations and individual buildings throughout the ages. Even Egypt's Great Pyramids were probably constructed using basic cranes to enable the heaviest materials in one of the most amazing construction projects of all time.
The first cranes were established during 3000 B.C. Egypt during King Ramses' reign. This lifting device was initially utilized to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These devices were used to build a whole country in the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were initially made out of wood. The designs of cranes began to change when dockyards started to require stronger and larger equipments. Hick & Rothwell developed the very first cast iron cranes during 1834, in Bolton, England. This machinery can lift as much as 2 tons. That very same year, wire ropes were added to the crane by Herr Albert Sr. who was an Official of the German Superior Board. The wire rope made the crane more durable and stronger. This addition allowed cranes to have a bigger capacity for lifting heavy weights.
Eventually, the wire ropes were weaved together in order to form an even more powerful strength. This wire formation also brought the added benefit of flexibility. 4 years later, Germany started to build cast iron cranes. The first cast iron crane built by Germany was built within Neuburg.