SBCRI Testing Concept Process

This flow chart has taken the informal approach of dealing with industry issues in the past and provided a framework that better delineates a process that any TPI or SBCA member can become engaged in. Key definitions in the flow chart follow:

1. Ideas come from TPI’s membership or SBCA’s membership.
2. The “SBCA 4+2” is a small task group consisting of Dave Motter, P.E., Paul Johnson, P.E., Steve Kennedy, P.E. and Bob Dayhoff. This group has been working with SBCRI testing concepts for a long time. Two of SBCRI’s Board of Director members, Dan Holland and Joe Hikel, were recently added to the group to provide valuable review and perspective based on their experience.
3. The “TPI 5” is a group TPI will be creating that consists of engineers involved in testing in their respective companies. This group will create testing and data acquisition plans they can use individually to calibrate test data to their software or make recommendations to TPI TAC on how to use the test data to add value to the ANSI/TPI 1 process and to all their customers through the improvements made in the design and use of trusses.

Once a test concept emerges from the marketplace of ideas this will be formulated into a testing concept plan and circulated to the TPI and SBCA membership for any additional ideas the testing concept may generate.

From there, a subcommittee consisting of the SBCA 4+2 and TPI 5 will formulate an initial test plan to generate the needed data with a focus on data acquisition to improve a structural building component (SBC) industry application, design, software calibration or standard. 

That draft test plan will then be circulated among the TPI and SBCA membership for review and any additional ideas now that the test idea and resulting plan has come together. SBCA’s goal during this stage is to have members ask two questions:

1. Does the test plan provide a good representation of an SBC application, and if not, how could it be improved to do so?
2. Is there additional data that could help me address any builder or building official comments or field issues better, and what would that data be?

This is a perfect opportunity for TPI and SBCA members to provide their insight and to suggest additions or changes to the data acquisition approach in the draft test plan.

In some cases, this back-and-forth between members and the SBCA 4+2/TPI 5 subcommittee may occur several times as all the suggestions from members are evaluated and potentially incorporated into the test plan. 

That said, the goal is to also keep this process moving. Initially, the plan is to:

1. Send out a concept plan to the membership for a two-week review.
2. Develop the test plan from the concepts made in the next two to three weeks.
3. Provide a test plan review to the membership for a two week review.
4. Finalize the test plan in the following two to three weeks.
5. Then either move that test plan into the SBCRI testing schedule or place it in an SBCRI priority testing list.

Test plans will be prioritized based on market needs, with high priority given to issues that are limiting or confusing the common sense use of SBCs. Beyond this, the SBCA 4+2/TPI 5 subcommittee will create and maintain the priority testing list. This list will be used to integrate into the SBCRI testing schedule surrounding “paid for” testing that is on-going in the facility. Fortunately, there is currently a steady stream of “paid-for” testing in SBCRI, which is providing funding that helps to make SBCRI and TPI/SBCA industry testing sustainable.