The Advanced Construction Technology System (ACTS) is a computerized database for the classification, documentation, storage and retrieval of information about emerging construction technologies. ACTS consists of a Windows application, classification and keyword files, and a database of emerging technologies. ACTS was developed in Actor, an object-oriented general-purpose language for Windows 3.x that preceded the development of C++.
ACTS includes 318 technologies that relate to civil, architectural, electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, and piping systems. Technologies have been classified according to the CSI Masterformat, indexed using a predetermined set of keywords, and documented using a standard format that streamlines the type, amount and organization of information about each technology.
The ACTS project was supported by the Construction Industry Institute and the Construction Productivity Advancement Research program (CPAR) of the Corps of Engineers. The goal was to establish ACTS as an ongoing information service to the US construction industry and help contractors, designers, and owners identify and use emerging technologies to improve construction efficiency and effectiveness.