Business barometer Education continues to be construction鈥檚 lifeblood as workload picks up

Bam Construct has shot to the top of the contractors league table in February thanks to Somerset鈥檚 拢600m 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme. The win was part of a larger run of success for the Dutch-owned group, whose civils arm, Bam Nuttall, picked up a 拢187m contract from Network Rail to build the Chiltern Railway, as well as winning a place on the Highways Agency managed motorways framework.

Carillion, in second spot, won two non-civils contracts totalling 拢468.8m. Both fell in the health sector, including a 拢451m PFI hospital in Bristol, and a 拢35.8m Lift contract in the same city.

Meanwhile, Kier followed its usual practice and hoovered up 43 contracts worth a total of 拢243.1m. The largest win was another BSF scheme, this time in Kent, where Kier secured 拢76m worth of work. It also picked up a 拢59m contract from Justice Support Services to design and build six police investigation centres in East Anglia.

Willmott Dixon, fourth in the table, won a 拢105.3m project to carry out housing repairs for Birmingham council, as well as a 拢23.9m job to revamp Harris academy for the London Borough of Bexley.

Total work won by firms rose 33% to 拢2.5bn, compared with 拢1.88bn in January. The average contract size increased to 拢6.9m from 拢4.9m the previous month.

The civils sector remained strong, with Costain posting big wins, including a 拢122m contract for Southern Water, and another as managing agent for the Highways Agency.

A number of colleges also handed out work, with Laing O鈥橰ourke bagging a 拢23m job for the Coleg Morgannwg Rhondda Campus and Interserve taking 拢46m worth of work at Sandwell College in the West Midlands.

In the QS table Gardiner & Theobald took the number three spot from Davis Langdon. There was a change at the top of the architects table with Niall McLaughlin and Olympic Eton Manor designer Stanton Williams overtaking Foster + Partners.