Grainne El Mountassir

I’m a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I have a MEng in Civil Engineering with European Studies and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, both from Strathclyde. 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.

I teach soil mechanics (CL217) in second year and I run the Engineers Without Borders Challenge design project as part of the third year curriculum.

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. My research addresses challenges related to geological disposal of nuclear waste and decommissioning of contaminated sites.