Dr Grainne El Mountassir
Reader
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Personal statement
Personal statement
Dr El Mountassir is a Senior Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering and Director for Research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Her research focuses on developing novel technologies using biological and biochemical processes that can alter the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of soils and rocks. Over the last ten year the team at Strathclyde have been developing microbially induced calcite precipitation as a technique for rock grouting, soil stabiliation, well sealing and concrete repair. More recently she has been leading investigations into the potential use of fungi and their hyphal networks in ground improvement applications.
Back to staff profile
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
Prize And Awards
Back to staff profile
Meter-scale MICP improvement of medium graded very gravelly sands : lab measurement, transport modelling, mechanical and microstructural analysis Sang Guijie, Lunn Rebecca J, El Mountassir Grainne, Minto James M Engineering Geology (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.107275 Transport and fate of ureolytic Sporosarcina pasteurii in saturated sand columns: experiments and modelling Sang Guijie, Lunn Rebecca J, El Mountassir Grainne, Minto James M Transport in Porous Media Vol 149, pp. 599-624 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-023-01973-x Treatment of fractured concrete via microbially induced carbonate precipitation : from micro-scale characteristics to macro-scale behaviour Turner Ronald, Castro Gloria M, Minto James, El Mountassir Grainne, Lunn Rebecca J Construction and Building Materials Vol 384 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131467 Colloidal silica as a grouting material for the temporary encapsulation of heat-generating radioactive waste during removal and transport operations : a proof of concept Pagano Arianna Gea, El Mountassir Gráinne, Lunn Rebecca Jane Frontiers in Energy Research Vol 11 (2023) https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2023.1156301 Microbially induced calcite precipitation for sealing anhydrite fractures with gouges Sang Guijie, Lunn Rebecca, Minto James M, El Mountassir Grainne 56th US Rock mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (2022) https://doi.org/10.56952/ARMA-2022-0277 Hydraulic behaviour of fungal treated sand Salifu Emmanuel, El Mountassir Graínne, Minto James, Tarantino Alessandro Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment Vol 30 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2021.100258
Publications
Back to staff profile
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
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Hughes-Buchanan, Adam El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Ward, Andrew (Co-investigator) Hughes-Buchanan, Adam (Research Co-investigator) 01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2026 UKRI FLF - Soil-mycelia systems for slope stabilisation El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2025 Doctoral Training Partnership 2020-2021 University of Strathclyde | Brittain, Rory Dobson, Kate (Principal Investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator) Phirani, Jyoti (Co-investigator) Pytharouli, Stella (Co-investigator) Brittain, Rory (Research Co-investigator) 01-Jan-2021 - 01-Jan-2024 Doctoral Training Partnership 2020-2021 University of Strathclyde | Eriksen, Jason El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Lunn, Rebecca (Co-investigator) Eriksen, Jason (Research Co-investigator) 01-Jan-2021 - 01-Jan-2024 Mobile X-ray/MRI/PET cells to image 4D fluid flow in porous media Minto, James (Principal Investigator) Pagano, Arianna Gea (Co-investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator) This is a modular and configurable system that enables injection of liquids through porous media (such as sand packs, glass bead packs, and cylindrical rock cores), is compatible with X-ray, MRI and PET imaging, and is suitable for reactive flow experiments e.g. mineral precipitation, dissolution, and biofilm growth.
The main components of this equipment are:
1) Two dual piston isocratic injection pumps (Watrex DeltaChrom P102). Flows from 0.01 to 10 mL/min, 10 MPa max pressure, PEEK flow path for chemical compatability, no limit of injection volume, with pulse dampener.
2) Dual channel syringe pump (Chemyx Fusion 4000) offering pulseless and programmable injection/extraction at extremely low flow rates, volume limited by syringe volume, pressure limited by syringe type.
3) PEEK HPLC columns of various lengths and diameters (30mm length, 4.6mm internal diameter, 100 x 4.6, 250 x 4.6, 50 x 7.5). 10 MPa max pressure. Can be packed with loose sand or glass beads and imaged with X-ray/MRI/PET, but more suitable for X-rays due to their small size.
4) In-house designed and built 1" (25.4 mm) rock core holder. Max pressure 4 MPa at 25 °C. Can be imaged with X-ray/MRI/PET.
5) Digital pressure transducers continuously recording inlet pressure, outlet pressure, and confining fluid pressure (for rock core holders) allowing measurement of permeability.
6) Range of fittings, tubing, backpressure regulators, and sample injection options.
7) Computer for recording data and controlling pumps.
8) Mobile system intended to be moved to different imaging facilities. 01-Jan-2018 Biotechnology for Treatment and Repair of Concrete Nuclear Infrastructure Turner, Ronnie (Researcher) Lunn, Rebecca (Principal Investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Postdoctoral research project as part of the 'Transformative Science and Engineering for Nuclear Decommissioning' (TRANSCEND) research consortium. This project aims to develop new biotechnological methods for the treatment of damaged cement and concrete structures in the UK civil nuclear industry. 03-Jan-2018 - 03-Jan-2021
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
Projects
The main components of this equipment are:
1) Two dual piston isocratic injection pumps (Watrex DeltaChrom P102). Flows from 0.01 to 10 mL/min, 10 MPa max pressure, PEEK flow path for chemical compatability, no limit of injection volume, with pulse dampener.
2) Dual channel syringe pump (Chemyx Fusion 4000) offering pulseless and programmable injection/extraction at extremely low flow rates, volume limited by syringe volume, pressure limited by syringe type.
3) PEEK HPLC columns of various lengths and diameters (30mm length, 4.6mm internal diameter, 100 x 4.6, 250 x 4.6, 50 x 7.5). 10 MPa max pressure. Can be packed with loose sand or glass beads and imaged with X-ray/MRI/PET, but more suitable for X-rays due to their small size.
4) In-house designed and built 1" (25.4 mm) rock core holder. Max pressure 4 MPa at 25 °C. Can be imaged with X-ray/MRI/PET.
5) Digital pressure transducers continuously recording inlet pressure, outlet pressure, and confining fluid pressure (for rock core holders) allowing measurement of permeability.
6) Range of fittings, tubing, backpressure regulators, and sample injection options.
7) Computer for recording data and controlling pumps.
8) Mobile system intended to be moved to different imaging facilities.
Back to staff profile
Contact
Dr
Grainne
El Mountassir
Reader
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Email: grainne.elmountassir@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3252