Chajja
A projecting cantilever slab over a window or opening, common throughout Indian construction, giving shade and shedding rain away from the wall.
On an actual building
It is thin with minimal cover, so its reinforcement corrodes earlier than anywhere else on a building. Failing chajjas are both a falling-material hazard and the earliest reliable warning about the rest of the structure.
What we most often have to correct
That a cracked chajja is a local problem. It is usually the first member to show a condition the whole building is approaching.
Where this comes up in our work
Terms that come up alongside this one
- Drip Mould
A groove or projecting profile on the underside of a projection that forces water to drip clear rather than run back along the soffit to the wall..
- Spalling
Concrete breaking away from a structural member, pushed off from behind by corrosion products forming on the reinforcement.
- Parapet
The low wall around the edge of a terrace or roof..
More building elements terms
Chajja — questions we get asked
What does chajja mean in waterproofing?
A projecting cantilever slab over a window or opening, common throughout Indian construction, giving shade and shedding rain away from the wall.
Why does chajja matter on a real project?
It is thin with minimal cover, so its reinforcement corrodes earlier than anywhere else on a building. Failing chajjas are both a falling-material hazard and the earliest reliable warning about the rest of the structure.
What do people commonly get wrong about chajja?
That a cracked chajja is a local problem. It is usually the first member to show a condition the whole building is approaching.
Have a building showing this?
If a term on this page describes something you are looking at, a site inspection will tell you how far it has gone and what it needs. It costs nothing.
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 · Sat 09:00–16:00 · Jogeshwari West