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
Awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship: Recipient; 7/2021
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

A transport model for the permeation of colloidal silica: Pedrotti Matteo, Lyons Joseph, El Mountassir Grainne, Kuras Oliver, Lunn Rebecca J; Acta Geotechnica (2026); https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-026-03117-z
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation for soil improvement : insights from a meter-scale radial grouting trial: Sang Guijie, Lunn Rebecca J, Minto James M, El Mountassir Grainne; Biogeotechnics Vol 4 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2024.100157
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 Vol 152 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-13774
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
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
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

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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

External Examiner - Hong Kong University of Science & Technology: Examiner; 8/2026
Internal Examiner: Examiner; 18/6/2026
1st International Conference on Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering (ICSGE 2027), June 2027 (Event): Member; 6/2026
International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (External organisation): Chair; 1/5/2026
Internal Examiner: Examiner; 30/3/2026
ALERT Geomaterials Annual Workshop: Keynote/plenary speaker; 1/10/2025

More professional activities

Projects

MYCOtechnologies for Slope Stabilisation (MYCOSS): El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Zhang, Qi (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2026 - 31-Jan-2029
Tailings stabilisation (dewatering) utilising MICP: Minto, James (Principal Investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator); 08-Jan-2024 - 28-Jan-2024
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); Award of Beamtime at Diamond Synchrotron - Session MG36176. Beamtime value £60,288.

4 days synchrotron XCT imaging of fungal growth in soils on the i13 beamline at the Diamond Synchrotron, Harwell.; 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2024
Understanding the controls on the growth of saprotrophic fungi in soil: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator) Dobson, Kate (Co-investigator) Zhang, Qi (Co-investigator) Fathollahi, Alireza (Co-investigator) Minto, James (Co-investigator); XCT beamtime awarded by DIAMOND Light Source, equivalent value of allocated time £60,288 (Session: MG36176-2); 01-Jan-2024 - 31-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
Compact portable photosynthesis system: Pedrotti, Matteo (Principal Investigator) Tarantino, Alessandro (Co-investigator) El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator); This equipment measures plant physiological activity by monitoring gas exchange and fluorescence emission at the leaf. This is key to analyse hydraulic interaction between plant, soil, fungi, bacteria and atmosphere, which are relevant to geotechnics (plants enhance soil strength), agriculture (soil controls water availability to plants) and soil-remediation (plants remove contaminants from the soil).; 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024