Evolution of anisotropy with saturation and its implications for the elastoplastic responses of clay rocks

Many clay rocks have distinct bedding planes. Experimental studies have shown that their mechanical properties evolve with the degree of saturation (DOS), often with higher stiffness and strength after drying. For transversely isotropic rocks, the effects of saturation can differ between the bed‐normal (BN) and bed‐parallel (BP) directions, which gives rise to saturation‐dependent stiffness and strength anisotropy. Accurate prediction of the...