Cement and concrete

A fence of precast concrete elements borders a former GDR-run horticultural farm in the German capital, Berlin.

You can still find a monumental remnant of a nineteenth-century lime kiln complex along the Scheldt.

The concrete remains of the Cimenteries Alexandre Dapsens are perhaps the oldest witnesses to the technique of prestressed concrete in Belgium.

Dozens of historic lime kilns stretch along the banks of the Scheldt between Antoing and Tournai. They evoke the heyday of the cement industry in the region.

For more than half a century, this lime factory's four kilns produced 180 tons of lime per day, but today, the complex stands alone in a forest near Aachen, Germany.

In the 1950s, a cement factory opened in the heart of the Pyrenees. The quarry was a stone's throw away, while the coal came from the nearby mines of Malpàs. What could go wrong?