Tile Roofing Industry Alliance (TRI Alliance)

The Tile Roofing Industry Alliance (TRI Alliance) is a North American trade association for the concrete and clay roof tile industry. Its members include tile manufacturers, roofing contractors, consultants and suppliers. The organisation says it has represented the tile roofing industry for more than half a century. It lists an address in Seattle, Washington, and its website is tileroofing.org.

Mission

The TRI Alliance works to grow the market for tile roofs by raising awareness of their properties, providing technical expertise, and offering training and certification in code-approved installation methods.

Technical work

• Installation guides. The association publishes installation guides for concrete and clay tile. The best known is the Florida High Wind Concrete and Clay Tile Installation Manual, produced with the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA). The manual has gone through several editions; the 6th edition was filed with the Florida Building Commission in 2020.
• Codes and testing. It works on building code development and with ASTM on test methods for roof tile.
• Fire. It worked with the Committee for Firesafe Dwellings on California legislation restricting combustible roofing materials.
• Wind and seismic. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, it supported stronger high-wind codes and upgraded installation standards. It also took part in a seismic study with the University of Southern California.

Training

The TRI Alliance runs training and certification classes on its installation manuals for roofers and inspectors, with sessions held in several U.S. states where tile roofs are common.

Context

Clay tile has been used for thousands of years around the Mediterranean, in East Asia and in Latin America. Concrete tile became widespread in the 20th century. In North America, tile is most common in the Sun Belt. Because tiles are heavy and can be dislodged by wind, attachment methods (nails, screws, clips, foam adhesive or mortar) are a central topic in its manuals.