Earthquake Protection Systems

What Earthquake Protection Systems does

Earthquake Protection Systems (EPS) is a privately held manufacturer of Friction Pendulum™ seismic isolation hardware, founded in 1985 in Vallejo, California. EPS invented the original Friction Pendulum seismic isolation technology and now produces a portfolio of three custom-engineered isolators — the Triple Pendulum™ (multi-stage, patented), the Single Pendulum™ (original Friction Pendulum design), and the Tension Capable Isolator — that lengthen structural natural periods to decouple buildings, bridges, and industrial facilities from ground motion. The company operates a 520,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on a 30-acre site at Mare Island with capacity for over 5,000 isolators per year, and runs 100% of every isolator through real-time shake-table testing on in-house 15,000 kip and 2,000 kip test machines under an ISO 9001:2015 quality program.

EPS generates revenue primarily through custom-engineered hardware sales: each isolator is designed to the facility's specific seismic hazard, soil conditions, structure type, and damage tolerance, with guaranteed pricing and on-time delivery committed during the project design phase. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales — a principal engineer is assigned to every customer — targeting structural engineering firms, construction companies, and government project owners across more than 25 countries. Customer segments are organized by use case (hospitals, bridges, industrial/energy, and commercial/cultural/government), with healthcare and mission-critical infrastructure as the primary verticals; marquee projects include Basaksehir Hospital (Turkey, 2,068 isolators), the Tappan Zee Bridge (584 isolators), GNL Quintero LNG tanks (Chile), and Sakhalin offshore platforms (Russia).

EPS's positioning is anchored to its self-defined "Continued Functionality Standard," which limits post-earthquake damage to less than 2% of facility replacement costs and is referenced against ASCE 7-16 and the REDi Resilience-based Earthquake Design Initiative. The company substantiates this standard with documented performance in real seismic events (M8.8 Chile 2010, M7.8 Ecuador 2016, M6.7 Turkey 2020, plus the 1989 California event), claiming 100% post-earthquake functionality retention across its installed base. Leadership is founder-led: Victor Zayas (PhD, PE), who developed the underlying Friction Pendulum technology, serves as President and CEO, supported by three principal engineers each with 30+ years of specialized seismic isolation experience.

Name

Earthquake Protection Systems

Legal name

Earthquake Protection Systems

Website

https://earthquakeprotection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Earthquake Protection Systems is a privately held manufacturer of custom-engineered Friction Pendulum seismic isolators (Triple, Single, and Tension types), serving hospitals, bridges, and industrial facilities across more than 25 countries from its Vallejo, California manufacturing headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seismic Isolation Devices

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing Supports, Hangers & Seismic Bracing (IMADALAH)

Keywords

• Seismic isolation devices
• Friction pendulum bearings
• Earthquake engineering products
• Base isolation systems
• Bridge seismic isolators

Headquarters

HQ city

Vallejo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Seismic Isolator Sales: EPS manufactures and sells custom-engineered seismic isolators (Triple Pendulum, Single Pendulum, and Tension Isolators) directly to engineering firms and project owners for construction projects. Each isolator is custom engineered for the unique characteristics of each facility. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales for specific construction projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Earthquake Protection Systems manufactures and sells custom-engineered Friction Pendulum™ seismic isolation devices—Triple Pendulum, Single Pendulum, and Tension Isolators—that decouple buildings, bridges, hospitals, and industrial facilities from earthquake ground motion. Each isolator is custom-designed for the specific facility's seismic hazards, soil conditions, structural type, and damage limits, and every unit undergoes 100% real-time seismic testing before delivery.

Product overview

Earthquake Protection Systems is a specialized manufacturer of Friction Pendulum™ seismic isolation products designed to protect buildings, bridges, and industrial facilities from earthquake damage. The product portfolio consists of three core isolator types: the Triple Pendulum™ Isolator (multi-stage device with three sequential pendulums for optimized performance across earthquake intensities), the Single Pendulum™ Isolator (the original Friction Pendulum technology with constant friction and period), and the Tension Isolator (tension-capable variant for structures with uplift concerns). These physical mechanical devices work by using pendulum characteristics to lengthen the natural period of isolated structures, allowing supported structures to move with small pendulum motions during earthquakes while lateral loads transmitted to the structure are greatly reduced. The company also provides integrated engineering services and comprehensive testing capabilities to support isolator implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Triple Pendulum™ Isolator Multi-stage seismic isolation device incorporating three pendulums in one isolator; the three pendulum mechanisms activate sequentially as earthquake intensities increase, optimizing structure response for small, medium, and large seismic events. Can limit damage to less than 2% of facility replacement costs. Custom engineered for each facility's seismic hazards, soil conditions, and structure type. Used for hospitals, bridges, buildings, and industrial facilities.
• Single Pendulum™ Isolator The original Friction Pendulum™ isolator with a single slider moving on a concave surface. Maintains constant friction, lateral stiffness, and dynamic period for all levels of earthquake motion and displacements. Plan dimensions are larger than the Triple Pendulum equivalent but the device offers a cost-efficient solution where the most severe earthquake performance is not required.
• Tension Capable Isolator

Quantifiable outcome

• Damage limited to less than 2% of facility replacement costs when designed to Continued Functionality Standard
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maurer SE: German engineering company producing structural bearings, expansion joints, and seismic protection devices for bridges and buildings. Directly competes with EPS on bridge isolators and large infrastructure seismic isolation.
• Taylor Devices: US-based public manufacturer of seismic dampers, shock absorbers, and related structural protection devices. Closest direct competitor to EPS in base isolation and energy dissipation hardware for buildings, bridges, and defense applications.
• FIP Industriale: Italian specialist in seismic isolation devices and structural bearings, including friction and sliding isolators for buildings, bridges, and industrial facilities. Directly comparable to EPS's Friction Pendulum product line and serves similar Continued Functionality use cases.
• Dynamic Isolation Systems: US-based seismic isolation bearing manufacturer, originally a licensee of EPS's Friction Pendulum technology and now part of Taylor Devices. Closest US peer for elastomeric and sliding seismic isolators for buildings and bridges.
• Tozen Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of seismic isolation and damping devices for buildings and infrastructure. Comparable to EPS in providing base isolation hardware, with strong presence in Japan and increasing international project activity.
• Mageba: Swiss-headquartered global supplier of structural bearings, expansion joints, and seismic isolation products for bridges and buildings. Competes with EPS on bridge and infrastructure seismic isolation projects worldwide.

Others

• VSL International: Global specialist in post-tensioning, ground anchors, and structural engineering solutions for bridges and buildings. Adjacent to EPS as a specialist structural engineering supplier that often specifies or partners on seismic isolation projects.

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Rubber Industries: Large Japanese conglomerate producing high-damping rubber bearings and other seismic isolation products as part of a diversified industrial portfolio. Competes in the seismic isolation space but serves a broader product range and primarily the Japanese market.
• Bridgestone: Major global rubber products company with a long-running seismic isolation rubber bearing business. Competes with EPS in elastomeric isolation for bridges and buildings, primarily in Japan and Asia, but as part of a much larger industrial portfolio.

Emerging players

• GERB Vibration Control Systems: German specialist in vibration isolation and damping for industrial and structural applications. Overlaps with EPS in isolating sensitive structures from dynamic loads, though primarily focused on vibration rather than full seismic isolation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earthquake-protection-systems

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earthquake Protection Systems