News | 30/10/2026
Crane operator Thomas Körmer has been building functional Liebherr crane models from Lego for 10 years, with no computer planning at all.
Thomas Körmer works as a crane operator at a family-run building construction business with around 12 employees, near Spielberg close to Gunzenhausen. ‘We used to do a lot of civil engineering work as well. Today, we mainly build houses, smaller house connections and sewers’, he says. Körmer is a trained bricklayer and holds both a crane operator’s licence and an excavator operator’s licence. He completed his crane operator training around 20 years ago. Since then, he has gained practical experience with tower cranes from various manufacturers.
In his free time, Körmer designs his crane models entirely himself, without any computer planning. His largest project to date is a remote-controlled replica of a Liebherr top-slewing crane from the EC-H series, standing around 2.80 m tall. The model has a jib 2 m long and a counter-jib around 0.90 m long. He used pictures of real machines as a template. The crane is controlled by mobile phone or PlayStation controller. It can erect and telescope the tower, extend the jib, adjust the jib tip by around 45° and move loads. Körmer worked on the model for around a year, repeatedly adapting it as he built, tested and improved. ‘On the real thing, a lot is bolted or set in concrete, whereas with Lego everything is simply plugged together. You constantly have to consider what is actually feasible without the crane tipping over’, he says of the biggest challenge.
His practical experience on construction sites helps Körmer to reproduce the movements of the cranes realistically. Under the name Kormo Technic, he presents his models on YouTube and Facebook. On Facebook alone, more than 5,800 people from around the world follow him. He regularly exchanges ideas with other model builders in WhatsApp groups and at trade fairs. He is particularly pleased when crane operators recognise their own crane in his models. Next, Körmer plans to build a replica of an HC-LH crane, as the mechanics of its adjustable jib lend themselves well to Lego.
13/11/2026
Press releases
Three Liebherr cranes support heritage-compliant renovation of the Dutch government quarter
Three Liebherr 340 EC-B 12 flat-top cranes are supporting the renovation of the historic Binnenhof in The Hague. The construction company J.P. van Eesteren has been using the brand-new cranes for material transport and assembly work at the parliament and ministry buildings. Jib lengths of up to 75 metres and a compact design make it possible to work in the confined space of the listed building ensemble.
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29/10/2026
Press releases
Built to withstand the elements: UK's first 1188 EC-H Fibre crane placed on Naval base
The UK’s first 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre tower crane has been purchased by KBS Maritime on behalf of the Royal Navy. It will serve as a permanent fixture at Portsmouth Naval Base, supporting its growth. Given its long-term operation in a challenging maritime environment, Liebherr worked closely with KBS Maritime throughout the project to develop a highly specified solution tailored to the site’s unique requirements.
15/10/2026
Press releases
Liebherr overcomes access restrictions to lift a Derrick crane onto a Paris high-rise roof
A Liebherr Derrick crane has been transported piece by piece onto the roof of the Opus 12 tower in Paris La Défense, using a goods lift and a helicopter. Because the heaviest and largest components could not reach the site and the roof could not bear the load of a standard crane, Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions, Liebherr France (LDF) and the client Legendre developed this rooftop lifting solution together.
