Dr Grainne El Mountassir

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Civil and Environmental Engineering

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.

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

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 Vol 324 (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

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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

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
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
EPSRC IAA: Developing a dry storage method for ureolytic Sporosarcina pasteurii: El Mountassir, Grainne (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2025
UKRI FLF - Soil-mycelia systems for slope stabilisation: El Mountassir, Grainne (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2025