So how exactly do mobile cranes work? Here, a telescopic arm or steel truss is mounted onto a mobile platform (usually on wheels or a catepillar track). Either pulleys or a lever are then used to raise and lower the boom.

Unless you are beginning with new construction, the type of crane system needs to match the layout of your building and your existing operations. We adapt cranes to what you already have in place, so your operations are not disrupted, but are made more efficient.

Do you require a mobile crane for your project? Truck-mounted and rough-terrain cranes are both essentially mobile. The truck-mounted crane generally has outriggers to increase its stability. Rough-terrain cranes tend to have a base that resembles the bottom of four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Treadwheel cranes were typically powered by what force? If you guessed this type of crane, or hoist, was usually human powered, or possibly powered by animals like donkeys or horses, you're right.

So what’s the difference between a crane and a hoist? While both can lift heavy objects upward, only cranes can move them sideways as well, making them ideal when versatility is required.

Until the late 1700s, operating a crane was a very dangerous business. Manpower was the only force preventing treadwheels or capstans from unexpectedly reversing, causing the load to suddenly plummet on workers below.