Vienna  - Austrian-based construction group Strabag SE reported Friday that its net profit rose by 23.9 per cent to 127 million euros (164 million dollars) in the third quarter and said that its order backlog stood at a record 13.97 billion euros.

The company's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased by 18 per cent to 177 million euros in the quarter ending in September, compared with the same period last year.

At 3.54 billion euros, revenue was up by 25.7 per cent.

The order backlog as of September 30 was 29 per cent higher than at the same time last year, boosted mainly by increases in Central and Eastern European countries such as Russia and Poland.

"We are assuming that the demand for construction services from private clients will no longer show the same dynamism as in past years," Strabag chief executive Hans Peter Haselsteiner said.

But he said his company could rely on orders from the public sector, which account for more than 50 per cent of the backlog. (dpa)