The lateral expansion joint absorbs transverse and lateral movements. It consists of
* One or two metal bellows with an intermediate pipe
* Connectors on both sides and a hinged anchoring of these connectors for lateral movement in a single plane or for lateral movement in all planes
Normally, the anchoring consists of round anchors on spherical bearings. If high axial compressive forces occur, flat tie rods with pin or universal joints are used. The magnitude of the lateral movement increases with the bending angle of both metal bellows and with the length of the intermediate pipe.