7. Specific support

7.1 Expansion joints

These devices, which are inserted into the pipe to give it additional flexibility either axially or rotationally, are quite fragile and require special support in order to :

• limit pressure forces on structures when they are not balanced by fasteners;

• reduce the deformation of lines made particularly flexible by the presence of compensators;

• avoid the occurrence of high stresses on corrugated membranes due to the weight of neighboring elements.