Tipping Structural Engineers
Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley, California-based structural engineering firm founded in 1983, specializing in innovative seismic resilience, sustainable design, and performance-based structural solutions for institutional, commercial, civic, and life sciences clients across California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tipping Structural Engineers does
Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley, California-based structural engineering firm founded in 1983 by Steve Tipping, providing specialized consulting services across five practice areas: Innovative Design, Advanced Analytics, Seismic Resilience, Sustainable Integration, and Integrated Value. The firm serves enterprise clients in higher education (UC Berkeley, UCSF, Samuel Merritt University), commercial real estate (The Swig Company), life sciences (Exelixis), government/utilities (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission), and sports/entertainment (Los Angeles Clippers), with a project portfolio spanning seismic retrofits, adaptive reuse, and new construction in California. Its technical differentiation centers on proprietary seismic systems — self-centering post-tensioned shear walls, buckling-restrained brace (BRB) mast frames, and seismic isolation bearings — developed over four decades alongside custom analytical software (Cortex, Sketchulation, LSW) supporting nonlinear dynamic analysis and performance-based design.
The firm generates revenue exclusively through project-based professional services fees, with engagement values tied to construction project scope (cited projects range from $22M to $133M in construction value). Tipping works as a collaborative thought partner with architects, developers, contractors, and owners from project inception, serving as structural engineer of record on both design-bid-build and design-build delivery models. Following founder Steve Tipping's death in 2017, the firm has been led by principals Mike Korolyk, Leo Panian, and Marc Steyer, maintaining its boutique scale of approximately 25 team members and a stated commitment to net zero embodied carbon through the SE2050 Program. The firm is privately held, bootstrapped, and debt-free with no external funding rounds.
Tipping Structural Engineers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tipping Structural Engineers
- Legal name
- Tipping Structural Engineers
- Website
- https://tippingstructural.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley, California-based structural engineering firm founded in 1983, specializing in innovative seismic resilience, sustainable design, and performance-based structural solutions for institutional, commercial, civic, and life sciences clients across California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tipping Structural Engineers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Structural Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (541330)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK), Structural & Seismic Retrofit Services (EDAEABAF)
Keywords
Where Tipping Structural Engineers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tipping Structural Engineers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Structural Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering consulting fees for structural design services on construction projects. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements serving institutional, commercial, civic, and residential clients. Projects include new construction, renovation, adaptive reuse, and seismic retrofit work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Tipping Structural Engineers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley-based structural engineering firm that provides design, analysis, and consulting services for new construction, renovation, adaptive reuse, and seismic retrofit projects. The firm delivers five core practice areas—Innovative Design, Advanced Analytics, Seismic Resilience, Sustainable Integration, and Integrated Value—using proprietary analytical tools and unconventional structural systems (e.g., self-centering post-tensioned shear walls, BRB mast frames, seismic isolation) to optimize cost, performance, and embodied carbon for institutional, commercial, healthcare, and civic clients.
Product overview
Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley-based structural engineering firm founded in 1983, offering five core practice services: Innovative Design, Advanced Analytics, Seismic Resilience, Sustainable Integration, and Integrated Value. The firm provides specialized research areas including post-tensioned walls, seismic isolation, BRB mast frames, composite-fiber column retrofits, mass timber shear walls, and green concrete development. Additionally, the firm has developed three custom software tools—Cortex (professional practice platform), Sketchulation (data linking tool), and LSW (light-framed wood shear wall analyzer)—that support their engineering workflows and are offered externally through Tippling Applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Innovative Design Unconventional structural engineering services that apply ingenuity and engineering first principles to develop responsive, efficient structural designs, including self-centering shear walls, steel rocking frame systems, and mass timber seismic solutions for building owners and developers.
- Advanced Analytics Data-driven structural engineering service using nonlinear dynamic computational tools and detailed material modeling to predict structural behavior, optimize design, and deliver cost-effective seismic protection for new and existing buildings.
- Seismic Resilience Performance-based seismic design service for high-value buildings, employing post-tensioned shear walls, rocking mast frames, and seismic isolation systems to enable post-earthquake operations and protect client investments.
- Sustainable Integration Sustainable structural design service focused on reducing embodied carbon and environmental impact through green concrete mixes, mass timber systems, and resource-efficient structural solutions aligned with SE2050 commitments.
- Integrated Value Strategic structural engineering consulting that delivers early design-phase insights, value engineering, and cost control to minimize surprises and optimize project outcomes for developers, owners, architects, and contractors.
- Cortex Custom professional practice management platform that harmonizes core functions for stronger insights and results in structural engineering workflows, offered externally via Tipping Applications.
- Sketchulation Engineering software that links together a wide range of data constructs for structural analysis and design, offered via Tipping Applications.
- LSW (Light Shear Wall) Software tool for modeling and analyzing light-framed wood structures with shear walls, offered via Tipping Applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Saved $4 million on 680 Folsom $110 million project through innovative shinbashira-inspired design
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Tipping Structural Engineers
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tipping Structural Engineers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Tipping Structural Engineers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NCSEA Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship ProgramcorePartnership with NCSEA and Tipping family to award the Steven B. Tipping Memorial Scholarship for Innovation and Excellence in Structural Engineering, providing $3,500 scholarship plus externship opportunity to students underrepresented in structural engineering including first-generation college students, women, and people of color.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tipping Structural Engineers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Degenkolb Engineers: San Francisco-based structural engineering firm with deep seismic expertise and shared Bay Area institutional client base. Most comparable direct competitor on innovative seismic design and university/healthcare retrofit work.
- Rutherford + Chekene: Berkeley-based structural engineering consultant specializing in seismic retrofit and performance-based design. Direct Bay Area peer with overlapping university and civic client base.
- Forell/Elsesser Engineers: San Francisco structural engineering firm known for innovative seismic isolation and base isolation work — closely aligned with Tipping's BRB and post-tensioned wall niches.
- Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): National structural engineering firm with strong building enclosure, forensic, and seismic retrofit practices. Comparable on retrofit/structural investigation and high-performance design.
- Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA): Seattle-headquartered structural and seismic engineering consultancy with national reach on tall buildings and performance-based design — competing for the same premium institutional clients.
- Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): National engineering firm specializing in structural investigation, repair, and rehabilitation. Direct peer in the seismic retrofit/rehabilitation service line.
- KPFF Consulting Engineers: Large US structural and civil engineering consultancy with deep West Coast presence (San Francisco, LA). Competes for large institutional and developer-led projects.
Broad incumbents
- Arup: Global engineering giant with multi-disciplinary practice including structural, seismic, and sustainability. Competes for marquee civic and university projects and brings significant scale advantage.
- Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with structural, sustainability, and resilience practices. Comparable on innovative seismic and embodied-carbon work as a broader incumbent.
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture and engineering firm with significant structural engineering capability, including performance-based seismic design for supertall and institutional buildings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tipping Structural Engineers social profiles
Digital presenceTipping Structural Engineers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Tipping Structural Engineers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tipping Structural Engineers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Tipping Structural Engineers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tipping Structural Engineers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tipping Structural Engineers
What does Tipping Structural Engineers do?
Tipping Structural Engineers is a Berkeley-based structural engineering firm that provides design, analysis, and consulting services for new construction, renovation, adaptive reuse, and seismic retrofit projects. The firm delivers five core practice areas—Innovative Design, Advanced Analytics, Seismic Resilience, Sustainable Integration, and Integrated Value—using proprietary analytical tools and unconventional structural systems (e.g., self-centering post-tensioned shear walls, BRB mast frames, seismic isolation) to optimize cost, performance, and embodied carbon for institutional, commercial, healthcare, and civic clients.
Is Tipping Structural Engineers a public or private company?
Tipping Structural Engineers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tipping Structural Engineers founded?
Tipping Structural Engineers was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tipping Structural Engineers based?
Tipping Structural Engineers is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tipping Structural Engineers make money?
One revenue line is on record: structural Engineering Consulting Services.
Who are Tipping Structural Engineers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Degenkolb Engineers, Rutherford + Chekene, Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) and KPFF Consulting Engineers. Broad incumbents are Arup, Buro Happold and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
Does Tipping Structural Engineers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tipping Structural Engineers.
What industry is Tipping Structural Engineers in?
Tipping Structural Engineers's product category is Structural Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of IMAFAOAK, Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review). Its NAICS code is 541330 and its SIC code is 8711.