Abstract: A method of producing a ground covering from individual paving stones by arranging a group of individual paving stones in the form of a section of the ground covering to be produced, grasping the group by means of a lateral compressive force from two opposed sides leaving out the lower range of the paving stones in laid condition, hoisting and moving the group thus grasped to the place of laying, and depositing the group there. The vertical distribution of the compressive force is so selected that it is greater in the lower range of grasp than in the upper range of grasp.An apparatus for carrying out this method includes a laying vehicle which carries a gripping tongs, the gripping faces of which are movable at least vertically by a means of the laying vehicle and are formed by linings diverging from the bottom to the top.