What is the primary purpose of cranes in construction?

The primary purpose of cranes in construction is indeed lifting and lowering loads. Cranes are specifically designed to handle heavy materials and equipment that need to be raised to significant heights or moved horizontally across a construction site. They effectively reduce the physical strain on workers and increase efficiency by allowing for the movement of large and cumbersome items, such as steel beams, concrete slabs, and heavy machinery, which would be impractical to handle manually.

While cranes might be involved in some aspects of material transportation at a site, they are not primarily used for transporting material over long distances, such as to another city. Drilling into the ground and surveying land are tasks typically performed by other types of specialized equipment and do not fall within the primary functions of a crane. Thus, the identification of lifting and lowering loads captures the essential role that cranes play in the construction industry.