Cranes are an essential piece of lifting equipment for the construction industry, used for moving heavy objects and materials. Specific types of cranes are needed for different jobs and there are a number that play a role in construction. They are the workhorses that help to take a project to completion in less time.

A standard type of crane attached to a mobile platform, on wheels or rail. The crane is raised and lowered using hydraulic cylinders or cables.

There are several tubes fitted together, which are extended or retracted to change the height, or length of the boom.

Tower cranes are often used to construct tall buildings. Also referred to as a balance crane, they maximise height and lift capacity when fixed to the ground. They can be seen on construction sites for skyscrapers or other tall structures.

Truck-mounted cranes offer more mobility and are, as the name suggests, mounted to the back of a truck, which can be moved to the desired location.

As the name suggests, these cranes are used for loading equipment onto a trailer, using an articulated, which is fitted to the trailer.

Also known as an overhead crane.

A floating crane is necessary for waterway construction like bridges, dams, or ports.

In cities, it is rare to go far without seeing tower cranes dotted across the skyline. They are the most common type of crane used in construction and a city always has building going on somewhere! Another place where you see an army of tower cranes is the up and coming holiday resorts like the Spanish Costas. At the peak of the construction boom, hundreds of tower cranes would fill the skyline of the coast.

The crane rental market has suffered with the dramatic decline in construction in countries most affected by the global economic crisis. However, developing countries like India are seeing an increase in demand and for the larger crane manufacturers, the demand continues. The larger construction projects require larger, specialized cranes that cannot be substituted.

Cranes are an important piece oflifting equipment that allow heavy loads to be moved or lifted further than would otherwise be possible. One of the largest cranes in the world that currently exists is 200 m tall. As architectural designs get bolder and engineering develops technology that is more advanced, larger cranes will be needed to take their place in the mega lifting equipment category.