RATAS project - developing an infrastructure for computer-integrated construction

Computer‐integrated construction (CIC) is a target state for construction computing characterized by extensive digital‐information flows between computer applications. Fully developed CIC requires an infrastructure of data structuring and transfer standards, digitized construction information services, changing patterns of organizing projects, and so forth. The creation of such an infrastructure is currently a high‐priority area for research and development in many countries. In Finland this work has been organized as a fruitful cooperation between industry and researchers. The process known as the RATAS project was initiated in 1983 and continues in the mid‐1990s. This paper describes the background of the project, its organization and major phases, and gives brief descriptions of a number of its technical subprojects. The paper ends with an evaluation of the impact of the project on commercial‐software development and practice.