6 Fun Facts About Cranes

Cranes have become a big part of people's lives, whether they work in the rigging business or not. Even if you have not noticed, cranes are now part of the skylines of our cities. They are so important to building and building up that they can sometimes just fade into the background. They are big machines that make it possible for a lot of our infrastructure to exist.

Cranes are a big part of our industry and community, but they are not given enough credit. We thought it would be fun to share six interesting facts about cranes that you might not know. Continue reading to find out!

Cranes Get Their Name From The Bird

If you Google the word "crane," you will see both lifting cranes and this fun-looking bird called a crane. Ever wonder why these two have the same name? The reason for this is that cranes were named after the bird. Crane birds are tall, thin, flexible, and quick with their beaks. Early crane makers thought that lifting cranes looked like these birds.

The First Cranes Were Made In Ancient Greece.

In 500 BC, the Ancient Greeks made the first crane. The first crane was made of simple wood and was pulled by people and animals. It was used to move heavy things and build many of the beautiful buildings in Ancient Greece. The Parthenon, one of Greece's most famous buildings, has signs that cranes were used to build it.

Jibs Changed Cranes

During the Middle Ages, what we now call a "Jib" was added to the Greek crane. This made the arm of the crane move both up and down and left and right. Because of this improvement, cranes were first used in harbours to unload cargo from ships, which is still what they do today. By the 1600s, cranes had two treadmills on each side of housing that turned and held the boom.

From Wood To Metal

As was said above, the first cranes in ancient Greece were made of wood, which worked well then but would not be strong enough for some of the jobs cranes do today. Now, steel is usually used to make cranes.

The First Engine-Driven Cranes Used Steam To Move

People or animals still powered cranes until the late 1800s. Why did that change? When the steam engine was made! Cranes were given this technology, which made it possible for them to be powered by a motor. By the end of the 1800s, cranes were powered by both engines that burned fuel and electric motors.

Cranes are self-building

Yes, cranes often put themselves together. Only other cranes are big enough and strong enough to be used to build new ones. Operators use the crane to hook up important pieces of equipment with the help of workers. When the control panel is up and running, some cranes will build themselves by putting pieces on top of each other.

Crane & Lifting Services

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