معرفی
Dr. Grainne El Mountassir serves as a Senior Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering and Director for Research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Engineering. With over a decade of research experience, she leads innovative work in biogeotechnics, focusing on biological processes for soil and rock modification. Her position as Director for Research demonstrates her significant leadership role within the department.
Her educational background includes:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in "Behaviour of a collapsible, structured, unsaturated fill material" from the University of Strathclyde (2011)
- Master of Engineering (MEng) in "Civil Engineering with European Studies" from the University of Strathclyde (2005)
Dr. El Mountassir's research is largely experimental and centers on understanding the hydraulic and mechanical behavior of soils and rocks through biological processes. She has pioneered work in microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) for applications including rock grouting, soil stabilization, well sealing, and concrete repair. More recently, she has expanded her research to investigate the potential of fungi and their hyphal networks in ground improvement applications. Her work bridges traditional geotechnical engineering with cutting-edge biological approaches, creating novel solutions for challenging engineering problems in soil mechanics and ground engineering.
Analysis of Dr. El Mountassir's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on practical applications of biogeotechnical methods, particularly microbially induced calcite precipitation and fungal applications. Her research spans from laboratory-scale experiments to meter-scale field trials, demonstrating a commitment to translating laboratory findings into real-world engineering solutions. The publications show increasing complexity in experimental design, moving from controlled lab conditions to outdoor cubic-meter scale trials conducted with engineering contractors, indicating progression toward commercial application.
Her notable recognitions include:
- Best paper award at RM4L Conference 2021
- Nomination for Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award (2015)
- Nomination for Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Award (2014)
- Scottish Crucible Participant (2014)
Dr. El Mountassir actively supervises research students and leads multiple significant research projects, including "MG36176 - Diamond Synchrotron: Understanding the controls on saprotrophic fungal growth in porous media" as Principal Investigator. Her research portfolio includes projects funded by EPSRC, focusing on biogeotechnical solutions for infrastructure challenges. She serves as Principal Investigator for the "DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde" project and the "Smart pumping for Subsurface Engineering" Prosperity Partnership.
Her laboratory work focuses on biogeotechnical applications, particularly the use of microorganisms and fungi to modify soil properties. The research team investigates both microbial-induced calcite precipitation and fungal hyphal networks for ground improvement, conducting experiments from micro-scale to meter-scale field trials. This work has potential applications in coastal infrastructure protection, tailings stabilization, and concrete repair.
