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For the second March running, BAM Construct has topped the leader board for contract wins.

Last year, under its former name HBG, the Dutch-owned contractor won 12 jobs worth 拢254m. This time round it bagged six worth 拢209m 鈥� an 18% drop.

It won a hat-trick of hospital schemes, including the 拢150m Royal Hospital for Sick Children for NHS Lothian, a 拢24m deal for the Freeman hospital in Newcastle and a 拢20m job for the Chelsea and Westminster hospital.

The combined value of the schemes won by the top 30 contractors was 拢1.46bn, or 23% less than the same month in 2008. It鈥檚 a slightly worrying statistic when you consider that the downturn had already started to bite by March last year. This year鈥檚 figure is down by a third on the same month in 2007.

The figures also show the increased importance of infrastructure work. In 2007 the value of work won that included civils (see table second right) was 30% greater than that excluding civils. In 2008 the figure was 70% higher and in March this year, it was almost 200% greater. Including civils work, the top five firms won 拢2.2bn in March compared with 拢738m when civils were excluded.

In second place was another newly branded company, Vinci Construction, which includes Norwest Holst and Taylor Woodrow. It picked up 11 deals worth a total of 拢195.5m, including a 拢158m win at London King鈥檚 Cross.

It will no doubt please boss John Stanion who aims to do more in the transport arena. Its other big win was a 拢31.3m job at Baker Street tube station.

Balfour Beatty finished in third place although it still dominates the annual rolling leader board. Its wins in March included large infrastructure deals such as a 拢172m Highways Agency job in Sussex and a 拢127m road scheme for Norfolk council.

Morgan Sindall came fourth and won a 拢500m sewage treatment works job for Severn Trent Water.