A Brief History of Cranes

The first cranes were used in Greece more than 2,500 years ago. Powered by humans, they didn’t look much like the crane rentals in Maine offered by American Aerial Services, but they’re no less important for that. As cranes have changed and evolved, they’ve helped to change the shape of commerce, architecture, and construction down through the centuries. Here’s how we got to this point.

Early Cranes

When the pyramids and many other early structures were built, they relied on simple ramps and massive numbers of laborers. The Greek city-states, not having a large labor pool to draw on, had to get creative; primitive cranes that amounted to little more than block-and-tackle first emerged around 515 BCE. The Romans would refine these designs further, and each succeeding generation would add its own touches, developing cranes for use in harbors, shipyards, mining, and many other applications in the process. These were usually powered by humans or animals, but in many respects (their use of masts, jibs, pulleys, and winches), they weren’t too different from the cranes that dot building sites today.

Modern Cranes

As steam engines became more prevalent, their use came to everything from trains to excavators (“steam shovels”) and even cranes. Steam allowed for much higher horsepower and a higher mechanical advantage, but it had its limitations, too. The boilers were hot and often dangerous to work with, and anything small and compact was practically out of the question.

As internal combustion engines displaced steam, the crane really came into its own, especially in the postwar years. The Milwaukee Hydraulics Corp H-2 Hydrocrane was the first truck-mounted hydraulic crane. With hydraulic outriggers and a telescoping boom, it proved perfectly suited to the postwar construction boom. Many more models would follow, from companies as diverse as Bucyrus-Erie, Terex, Link Belt, and Liebherr, enabling cranes to go places and perform jobs that would’ve been unthinkable just a few short years earlier.

Cranes in the Present Day

Now, of course, cranes come in an amazing array of configurations, and are used for everything from building high-rise structures and oil derricks to unloading container ships. Some cranes, like the Liebherr 13000, which is designed for the building of nuclear power plants, are extremely specialized, while others are flexible enough to adapt across a wider range of applications. The crane rentals we offer fall into the latter category.

Crane Rentals in Portland ME

There’s a complex relationship between architecture and the cranes that make it possible. Humans are always making things larger and more complex, which means that cranes need to evolve to keep up — which, in turn, means that our buildings are freed to take on new forms. That’s why American Aerial Services offers xx types of cranes, each suited to a different task, and crewed by xxx-certified operators.

• The 60-ton Link Belt HTC 8660 Telescopic Hydraulic Truck Crane offers a 360-degree arc thanks to a bi-directional hydraulic swing motor. Front and rear winches handle up to 834 feet of rope with variable line speed.

• The 75-ton Link Belt HTC 8675 LB Hydraulic Truck Crane distinguishes itself by a versatile 8x4 driveline that handles all kinds of terrain with ease. That versatility is stretched further by attachments that include hook blocks, fly extensions, and more.

• The Terex T780 Terrain Crane only bests the Link Belt HTC 8675 LB by five tons, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve. Not least of these is a 65 mile per hour maximum travel speed, 126-foot maximum boom lift, and 133-foot maximum tip height.

• Outriggers, no outriggers, counterweights or no counterweights, and 90 tons of maximum capacity… the Link Belt HTT 8690 Telescopic Boom Truck Crane backs its brawn with plenty of brains so you get more done faster, and safer.

• Some projects call for the big guns, which is when we bring out the Link Belt HC 238 H Lattice Boom Truck Crane. Whether you need the flexibility of either tube boom or boom and jig configurations, or the power to lift up to 150 tons, we’ll ensure you have the right tool for the job.

Our construction concerns are more earthbound these days. Our temples are more likely to be built to commerce than a pantheon of fickle gods. That doesn’t mean that we don’t still reach for the skies, dreaming, and building, big. If your next construction project in Falmouth or Portland, ME requires crane rental or steel erecting, American Aerial Services honors its history even as we look to build the future. Call us today.