In early November, the Truss Plate Institute (TPI) was proud to announce the launch of our two new ANSI standards projects: TPI 2 – National Standard for Testing Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses and TPI 3 – National Design Standard for Bracing Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses. These projects mark an important milestone in TPI’s ongoing mission to maintain the industry on a sound engineering basis.
The Truss Plate Institute (TPI) is the nationally recognized leader in MPC wood truss engineering standards, and we are pleased to expand our work for this industry. Both projects have been approved through the ANSI Project Initiation Notification System (PINS), and each committee has been carefully formed to ensure a balanced representation of Users, Producers, and General Interest members.
The new TPI 2 standard will establish procedures for testing and evaluating MPC wood trusses for four distinct objectives:
- determining truss stiffness,
- testing for design confirmation,
- establishing design capacities, and
- assessing deflection recovery performance.
The standard will outline methods for conducting each type of test and provide guidance on interpreting and applying the results to support design validation, product evaluation, and quality assurance.
The new TPI 3 standard will establish design requirements and methods for both permanent and temporary bracing of MPC wood trusses. It will build upon and ultimately replace the current industry standard known as DSB – National Design Standard for Bracing Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses. The TPI 3 standard will focus on engineering-based bracing design practices applicable to building designers, truss engineers, and structural engineers of record.
Committee Formation
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to serve! The committees consist of the following User, Producer, and General Interest members.
TPI 2 Project Committee
Chair: Paul Bove, PE, PhD – Simpson Strong-Tie
Members: Ken Watters, PE, SE; Norman Scheel, PE, SE; Junaidie Budiman, PE; Ed Robbins, PE; Ahmadi Mohammad, PE; Daniel Rybicki, EIT; Stuart Lewis, PE; Matt Vinson, PE; Mark Crawford, PE, SE; Thomas Craig, PE; David Baxter, PE, SE; Mathew Samuels, MBA; Andrew Johnson, PE; Levi Sorrill; Darren Conrad, PE; John Teems; Glenn Traylor; Greg Greenlee, PE; Kathleen Wills Rittenburg, PE; Michael Stoner, PhD.
TPI 3 Project Committee
Chair: Marvin Strzyzewski, PE – MiTek
Members: Ken Watters, PE, SE; Norman Scheel, PE, SE; Thomas Craig, PE; Ed Robbins, PE; John Gruber, PE, SE, PhD; Mohammad Ahmadi, PE; Roger Hayes, EIT; Howard Gauger; Tim Noonan; Art Hernandez, PE; Timothy Riegel, PE; Mathew Samuels, MBA; Andrew Johnson, PE; Darren Conrad, PE; John Teems; Matt Vinson, PE; Glenn Traylor; Greg Greenlee, PE; Stuart Lewis, PE; Michael Stoner, PhD.
The formation of these balanced committees ensures that key perspectives in the truss industry are represented throughout the standards development process, resulting in documents that reflect true industry consensus.
Why ANSI Accreditation Matters
The development of ANSI consensus standards is a critical part of maintaining transparency and fairness in the creation of technical documents that affect the building industry. By adhering to ANSI’s rigorous process, TPI ensures that every standard is developed through an open, balanced, and consensus-based process where all viewpoints are considered and addressed. This not only strengthens industry confidence in the resulting standards but also facilitates their adoption into building codes, as ANSI-accredited standards are widely recognized and respected by code bodies, regulators, and design professionals alike.
What’s Next
Both committees kicked off their work the second week of November, initiating what is expected to be a 24-month development process for each standard. Upon completion, TPI anticipates publishing two new standards that will play a significant role in maintaining the industry on a sound engineering basis.