Hydraulic truck cranes are a specific kind of mobile crane. These cranes make use of 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 in order to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very vital in constructing major projects such as airports, bridges, streets and buildings. A crane could accomplish in minutes tasks that would normally take hundreds of men and many hours to complete.
These remarkable machinery have played a vital part in building houses, cities, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids in Egypt were likely constructed with the help of basic cranes to enable the heaviest materials in one of the most amazing construction projects ever.
The first representation of a crane was showcased 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 in Ancient Greece. These mechanism were used 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 needed something stronger and larger did these machinery develop. Hick & Rothwell designed the first cast iron cranes in Bolton, England, in 1834. This equipment was capable of lifting 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 enabled cranes to have a bigger capacity for lifting heavy weights.
Eventually, the wire ropes were weaved together to be able to form an even more powerful strength. This wire formation also brought the added benefit of flexibility. Germany started to make cast iron cranes 4 years later. The first cast iron crane built by Germany was built in Neuburg.