果冻影院

Laing O鈥橰ourke has won the largest amount of civil engineering contracts over the past 12 months according to 果冻影院鈥檚 construction market analysis.

With an order book swelled by a 拢1 billion transformation of Manchester Airport, Laing O鈥橰ourke edges Tarmac into second spot.

Tarmac has surged up the table after bagging a 拢1 billion contract for strategic roads resurfacing work.

果冻影院鈥檚 construction data shows that 71% of the orders won by value in the last 12 months at Laing O鈥橰ourke are for civil engineering projects. This ratio is nearly 100% at Tarmac and also Costain, which is ranked sixth.

This time last year, the top civil engineering contractor by orders won was Balfour Beatty, which was buoyed by a package from the High Speed Two (HS2) rail link.

In the latest top 10, Balfour Beatty is ranked third with just over 拢1 billion-worth of civil contracts. These awards make up 59% of the group鈥檚 total order book.

Balfour Beatty鈥檚 latest order book includes a package from another major source of civil engineering work. The company has a 拢460 million package in joint venture with NG Bailey on the Hinckley Point nuclear reactor project.

Civils/building ratio

While some contractors have picked up more work, the total amount of civil engineering contracts awarded to the industry鈥檚 top construction companies has shrunk over the past year.

果冻影院鈥檚 construction industry data shows that the total value of orders won by the top 100 contractors in the 12 months to August 2018 was 拢7.7 billion.

This total is down by 29% compared to the 12 months to August 2017, when civil engineering contracts worth 拢10.8 billion had been let, including a 拢3.2 billion package of work on HS2.

As civil engineering orders have shrunk proportionately as a source of work, the overall value of combined building and civil engineering contracts won by the top 100 contractors has also dropped.

In the 12 months to August 2018, the combined order value of books at the top 100 contractors was 拢39.4 billion and 19.5% of this work was civil engineering related. A year earlier, the total value of construction orders at the top 100 contractors was 拢51.3 billion with 21% of this work identified by 果冻影院鈥檚 construction research as civil engineering.

Prospects improving

Despite the slump in high value contracts, the prospects for the civil engineering sector are more positive at an underlying level.

Last year, 果冻影院鈥檚 construction data shows that the underlying value of civil engineering projects starting on site slumped by 29%, but more work is now moving to site.

Allan Wil茅n, 果冻影院鈥檚 economics director said: 鈥淭he recent upturn in civil engineering activity is continuing, with the value of underlying starts during the three months to August 15% up against both the preceding three months (seasonally adjusted) and the same period last year. The year on year rise was driven by a 73% rise in utilities work.鈥�

This research only includes projects valued at up to 拢100 million, but 果冻影院 expects a fall of just 3% this year before a rise of around 12% driven by stronger infrastructure work.