Dr Grainne El Mountassir

Reader

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Personal statement

Dr El Mountassir is a Reader in Geotechnical Engineering and Director for Research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grainne's research focuses on developing novel technologies harnessing biological and biochemical processes that can alter the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of soils and rocks. Grainne is currently a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, leading a team of researchers investigating the potential of using fungi and their hyphal networks in ground engineering applications. Over the last 15 years Grainne and the team at Strathclyde have been developing microbially induced calcite precipitation as a technique for rock fracture grouting, soil stabilisation, well sealing and concrete repair.

Expertise

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Prize And Awards

Best paper award at RM4L Conference 2021: Recipient; 9/2021
Nomination for Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award: Recipient; 2015
Scottish Crucible Participant (2014): Recipient; 3/2014
Nomination for Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award: Recipient; 2014

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Publications

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Publications

Suction monitored apparatus to investigate shear strength of unsaturated granular material at low (total) stress: Nagy Benedek, El Mountassir Grainne, Tarantino Alessandro; E3S Web of Conferences Vol 642 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202564203025
Experimental investigation of the influence of the growth of saprotrophic fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus) on the aggregate stability of a silty sand: Zhang Qi, Nagy Benedek, Tarantino Alessandro, El Mountassir Grainne; E3S Web of Conferences Vol 642 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202564205007
Predicting the tensile and unconfined compressive strength of MICP- treated sands: Castro Gloria M, Anderson Mary, Minto James, Zhang Qi, El Mountassir Grainne, Lunn Rebecca J; Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (2025)
Influence of end caps on the unconfined compressive strength of bio-cemented sand: Sang Guijie, El Mountassir Grainne, Minto James M, Lunn Rebecca J; Biogeotechnics (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100189
Evaluating the influence of fungal growth on soil water repellency and soil aggregation for biogeotechnical slope stabilisation applications: Fathollahi Alireza, El Mountassir Grainne; 2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (2025); https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-115
Development of a treatment strategy applicable to field conditions for the repair of vertical fractures in concrete using MICP: Castro Gloria M, El Mountassir Grainne, Lunn Rebecca; 2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (2025); https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-57

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Teaching

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Teaching

I teach CL217 Soil mechanics and the Graduate Apprenticship module EO206 (Soils & Water 2), both to second year students.

Research

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Research Interests

My research is largely experimental and focuses on understanding the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of soils and rocks. I am particularly interested in the potential use of biological processes in geotechnical engineering. I am currently developing novel grouting technologies including microbially induced calcite precipitation as a technique for sealing fine aperture fractures and silica sol as a low viscosity grout. I am also investigating the possible deployment of fungi within ground engineering applications.

Professional Activities

Applied Clay Science (Journal): Peer reviewer; 8/2022
Invited speaker Cheltenham Science Festival 2022: Recipient; 10/6/2022
Calcite Biomineralisation for the Repair of Damaged Concrete: Contributor; 20/9/2021
Internal Examiner PhD Viva: Examiner; 9/2021
Invited talk at Dundee Root Medal Workshop 2021: Speaker; 5/2021
Invited talk at Nature-Inspire solutions for the Built Environment: Speaker; 2/2021

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Projects

MG36176 - Diamond Synchrotron: Understanding the controls on saprotrophic fungal growth in porous media: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Zhang, Qi (Co-investigator) Minto, James (Co-investigator) Castro, Gloria (Co-investigator) Divers, Matt (Co-investigator) Dobson, Kate (Co-investigator); Fungi play vital roles in natural soil ecosystems in the decomposition of organic matter, carbon cycling, nutrient distribution and symbiosis with plants. It is believed that soil fungi and their role in plant-soil feedback processes will play a critical role in achieving global food security amidst land scarcity and soil and water degradation. Furthermore, fungi can offer us solutions to engineering challenges including: remediation of contaminated land and stabilisation of slopes by modifying soil hydraulic and mechanical behaviour. This proposal aims to investigate in fully 3D conditions for the first time the controls on the growth of saprotrophic fungi in soil.; 13-Jan-2024 - 17-Jan-2024
Tailings stabilisation (dewatering) utilising MICP: Minto, James (Principal Investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator); 08-Jan-2024 - 28-Jan-2024
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Nagy, Benedek: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) Nagy, Benedek (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027
iPACT_MICP for repair and protection of coastal infrastructure (v2): El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
iPACT- Bio-physical interactions in managing coastal dynamics: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
Smart pumping for Subsurface Engineering (Prosperity Partnership) | Hughes-Buchanan, Adam: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Ward, Andrew (Co-investigator) Hughes-Buchanan, Adam (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2026