Hydraulic truck cranes are a particular kind of mobile crane. These cranes utilize hydraulics and could lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulics utilizes 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 building major projects like airports, bridges, buildings and roadways. A crane could complete in minutes jobs which would normally take hundreds of men and many hours to accomplish.
These impressive equipments have played a vital role in building cities, houses, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids in Egypt were probably constructed with the help of basic cranes to enable the heaviest supplies in one of the most remarkable construction projects ever.
The very first cranes were established in 3000 B.C. Egypt in the reign of King Ramses. This lifting mechanism was initially used to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These devices were used to create a whole nation throughout the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were initially made out of wood. The designs of cranes started to change when dockyards started to require stronger and larger machines. Hick & Rothwell developed the first cast iron cranes during the year 1834, within Bolton, England. This machine could lift up to 2 tons. That very same year, the addition of wire rope was 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 enabled cranes to have a larger capacity to lift 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. 4 years later, Germany began to build cast iron cranes. The very first cast iron crane built by Germany was built in Neuburg.