Andrew requested info on bee hive materials other than wood.  Well, I saw
an article a year or so ago in an American publication - Bee Culture.  It
discussed making brood boxes out of concrete.  The advantage was they did
not rot and were easy to repair.  The disadvantage was their weight if you
need to move them, and the fact that they would absorb moisture in a wet
climate.  Might be feasible in a dry climate.  The forms were made using an
old wooden hive.
 
Judy, A Displaced Texan in PA ([log in to unmask])
IRON ACRES HANDCRAFTS - goat milk soap & beeswax candles
Where the water is red & the grass is green!