Cranes are used on a daily basis for building projects all over the country. The heavy lifting of materials to high places is needed for working on constructing office buildings, bridges, apartment complexes, highways, hospitals and other structures. However, the crane is by no means a new invention. Cranes have been around for ages, though not in the same hi-tech, sophisticated for that we use in modern times. Here's some info on how the crane got its start and became the integral part of construction that it is today. 

Who Started It All? 

That credit goes to the ancient Greeks. Building something like the Parthenon needed a new turn in building technology. As early as 515 B.C., there has been evidence found of crane construction and use. From this point forward, the crane was improved upon little by little to get to the common crane design that we see used today. 

How Did They Build Without a Crane? 

Before ancient cranes came into the picture, the Greeks were using simple ramps to be able to build structures of taller-than-normal heights. Workers would move up the ramps in order to get to areas of the structure that needed to be worked on. As the work progressed, the ramp would have to built taller and taller to give workers the proximity to the structure that they needed in order to cut, measure, form, carve, and make other various changes to the structure as it grew. 

How Did Early Cranes Work? 

Early cranes were made up of a few simple parts, compared to the nearly 20 major parts of a modern crane. The ancient crane used two anchored sites for leverage. This would hold the legs of the crane in place during operation. There was a bar between the legs of the crane. This bar would hold the extra slack of a rope (wound around the bar). This bar would be create with handles that worker could use in order to move the load up or down with three pulleys feeding rope that had a hook attached to the end. 

This new method of lifting items meant that one work might be able to do the same amount of lifting as 2 or 3 workers and without as much force being exerted. This ancient crane was able to lift about 300 pounds. 

There's more to renting a crane than just finding someone who has a crane to offer. When you rent from a company who has coupled their passion with strong expertise about cranes and construction, you'll be sure to get the right type of crane for your project as you enjoy fantastic customer service. Contact a crane service to discuss renting a crane that's right for your needs.