Twelve countries in 150 days: Civil engineer Mike Schlaich, partner at the engineering consultancy schlaich bergermann partner and professor at the Technische Universität Berlin, embarked on a journey across Africa, following the legendary Cape to Cairo route. His goal: to experience the continent's roads, railways, and bridges firsthand and to learn about the civil engineering culture through visits to local universities. In this book, he recounts his experiences through diary entries, allowing readers to share in them directly thanks in part to numerous photographs. His account is enriched by contributions from African colleagues. Schlaich's observations culminate in seven essays that consider the current state and future of civil engineering in Africa. Thoroughly researched and supported by well-presented data, these essays encourage deeper engagement with a continent that, if only because of its population growth, will become increasingly important in the years ahead.

Autorentext
Mike Schlaich is a partner at the engineering consultancy schlaich bergermann partner, which designs lightweight, long-span structures and solar power plants worldwide. He is committed to promoting construction that is valuable from a Baukultur ('building culture') perspective. Until 2025, Schlaich was also a full professor at the Technische Universität Berlin, where he headed the chair for Conceptual and Structural Design. His research focuses on lightweight carbon-prestressed structures as well as active and adaptable structures. He has developed infra-lightweight concrete for use as load-bearing thermal insulation in walls as well as resource-efficient shell structures for ceilings. Mike Schlaich is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Academy of Arts.