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A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane
Crane (machine)

A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a winder , wire ropes or chains and Sheave that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally....
, that is used for demolishing
Demolition

Demolition is the antonym of construction: the tearing-down of buildings and other structures. It contrasts with deconstruction , which is the taking down of a building while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
 large buildings (they are used when old buildings start to decay or when they're damaged by fire). It was most popular during the 1950s–60s. With the invention of hydraulic excavators and other machinery, the wrecking ball has become less popular at demolition sites because its working efficiency is smaller compared to that of long reach excavator
Long reach excavator

The long reach excavator or high reach excavator is a development of the excavator with an especially long boom arm, that is primarily used for demolition....
s.

Modern wrecking balls have gotten a slight face-lift, with the metal sphere changed into a pear shape with a portion of the top cut off.






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A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane
Crane (machine)

A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a winder , wire ropes or chains and Sheave that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally....
, that is used for demolishing
Demolition

Demolition is the antonym of construction: the tearing-down of buildings and other structures. It contrasts with deconstruction , which is the taking down of a building while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
 large buildings (they are used when old buildings start to decay or when they're damaged by fire). It was most popular during the 1950s–60s. With the invention of hydraulic excavators and other machinery, the wrecking ball has become less popular at demolition sites because its working efficiency is smaller compared to that of long reach excavator
Long reach excavator

The long reach excavator or high reach excavator is a development of the excavator with an especially long boom arm, that is primarily used for demolition....
s.

Modern wrecking balls have gotten a slight face-lift, with the metal sphere changed into a pear shape with a portion of the top cut off. This shape allows the ball to be pulled easily back through a roof or concrete slab after it has broken through. Wrecking balls range from about 1,000 lb to around 12,000 lb. The most common are in the 3,000–5,000 lb range.

The ball is made from forged steel, which means the steel is not cast into a mold in a molten state. It is formed under very high pressure while the steel is red hot (soft but not molten) to compress and to strengthen it.

Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball, however there is not a consensus as to who actually used it first.