The invention relates to a method for producing ground columns (28, 86, 88) to support building or travelling loads, wherein a tubular encasing (10) is driven into the ground in a stationary zone, the ground material is removed from the tubular encasing (10), a sheathing (16) made of geotextile material is inserted into the tubular encasing (10) and filled with a load-bearing, granulated, loose material (24), the load-bearing material (24) is subsequently compacted and the tubular encasing (10) is removed. An individual jacket tube for each ground column (28, 86, 88) is driven into the ground, the jacket tube (10) is emptied by excavation, a sack-like sheathing (16) with a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the inner diameter of the tubular jacket (10) is introduced into the empty jacket tube (10) and the granulated material (24) progressively presses the sheathing (16) against the stationary supporting layer and the inner wall of the tubular jacket (10) during filling. The granulated material (24) is so compacted upon removal of the jacket tube (10) that the sheathing (16) extends beyond its original diameter until the opposing forces produced by the compacted ground around it are approximately balanced out. The material of the sheathing (16) is endowed with sufficient penetrability qualities so that no surrounding earth can penetrate into the column (28, 86, 88) thus formed.