The Quenast quarry (French: Carrière de Quenast) or Porphyry quarries of Quenast is a historic porphyry deposit in Belgium and Europe's largest open-pit quarry. Porphyry has been mined from the quarry as an important source for construction since the 17th century and was traditionally used to make Belgian cobblestones for city streets.[1]
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Quenast quarry Location in Belgium | |
| Coordinates | 50°39′53″N 4°9′20″E / 50.66472°N 4.15556°E |
| Production | |
| Type | Porphyry quarry |
| Owner | |
| Company | Sagrex of Heidelberg Materials |
History
editIn the village of Quenast, 29 km (18 mi) from Brussels and within Rebecq, Walloon Brabant, the quarry covers 140 ha (350 acres) and reaches a depth of 125 m (410 ft).
The porphyry material, formed beneath the tertiary rocks in Brabant during the Silurian period, is of volcanic origin and known for its extreme toughness.[2][3] Belgian porphyry was traditionally made into cobblestones or paving stone.[4] This material was used for paving and road construction, with exports to cities across Europe and globally, including heavy use in the streets of Paris.[5] In 1705, the States of Brabant constructed the Brussels-Mons road with stones sourced from the quarry, according to records.[6]
The material extracted from the quarry was moved along a 55 km (34 mi) railway, linking with the main line at Tubize.[7]
In 1844, entrepreneur Joseph-Emmanuel Zaman began unifying the porphyry quarries under a single ownership, transforming them into one of Belgium's most significant industrial enterprises. Zaman's company, Zaman & Co., operated six of the seven active pits by 1860.[8] On August 12, 1864, the Porphyry Quarries Company of Quenast (French: Société Anonyme des Carrières de Porphyre de Quenast) acquired the business and purchased a larger part of the tract.[9][10]
An experiment was held in 1872 at the Quenast quarry to test lithofracteur and assess its usefulness for the mining industry and military engineering.[7] McKean and Co.'s Rock Drill was operational at the Quenast quarry in 1875.[11]
The porphyry extracted from the quarry at Quenast was frequently used for paving in Berlin, Bordeaux, Cologne, Dunkirk, The Hague, Lille, Paris, and Rotterdam in the 1880s.[12] As of 1887, the quarry in Belgium produced 100,000 paving setts a day.[13] By 1899, the quarries functioned as a cooperative association, allowing workmen to share in a yearly dividend.[14]
Amid World War I in 1914, the Quenast porphyry quarry was abandoned. In 1919, the S.S. Quenast arrived in the River Thames with its first shipment of macadam from the quarry since the outbreak of war.[15]
By 1969, the 400-year-old quarry was supplying stone for the Delta Works, an extensive Dutch flood defence system.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Quenast quarry, Belgium, shows off nature and biodiversity trail". aggbusiness.com. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ The Geology of Belgium and the French Ardennes. (1885). Belgium: E. Stanford.
- ^ Tramway and Railway World. (1897). United Kingdom: "Transport World" Publishing Company.
- ^ Mangin, A. (1875). Earth and its treasures [tr.], ed., and with additions, by W.H.D. Adams. United Kingdom: (n.p.).
- ^ King, C., Hague, A., Emmons, S. F., Hague, J. D., Meek, F. B., Hall, J., Whitfield, R. P., Ridgway, R., Watson, S., Eaton, D. C. (1870). Report of the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel. United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Commerce Reports. (1932). United States: Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce.
- ^ a b The Year-book of Facts in Science and Art. (1873). United Kingdom: Simpkin, Marshall, and Company.
- ^ Mechanical Handling. (1954). United Kingdom: I.P.C. Industrial Press, Limited.
- ^ Mineral Resources of the United States. (1894). United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Surveyor and Municipal and County Engineer. (1910). United Kingdom: (n.p.).
- ^ Haskoll, W. D. (1875). Atchley's Civil Engineer's and Contractor's Estimate and Price Book, for Home Or Foreign Service, Etc. United Kingdom: (n.p.).
- ^ Parliamentary Papers. (1886). United Kingdom: H.M. Stationery Office.
- ^ The American Architect and Building News. (1887). United States: James R. Osgood & Company.
- ^ Report Upon the Commercial Relations of the United States with Foreign Countries. (1899). United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ The Surveyor and Municipal and County Engineer. (1919). United Kingdom: (n.p.).
- ^ Rock Products. (1969). United States: Maclean-Hunter Publishing Corporation.