Abstract: In a method of soil nailing a soil nail is placed in the ground by being fired from a barrel of a launcher, the method including the steps of loading the nail into the barrel with the nail being a loose fit in the barrel, providing the nail with a sabot which is a sliding fit in the barrel, supporting the barrel such that a forward end of the barriel is spaced from the surface of the ground into which the nail is to be fired, admitting pressurized gas to the barrel to apply an accelerating force to the sabot so as to drive the sabot and with it the nail towards the forward end of the barrel, allowing the nail to travel towards the ground surface such that the sabot exits from the barrel thereby discontinuing the accelerating force and allowing the nail to thereafter continue travelling to penetrate and become embedded in the ground under its own momentum.

Abstract: Soil nails are placed in the ground by driving a first elongate tubular member into the ground, driving a second member into the ground through a bore defined by the first member such that the second member is guided by the first member into a position in which it forms an extended soil nail, the second member being fired from a launcher with sufficient momentum to enter the bore and travel to its extending position. The second member may also be tubular to extend the bore so that further members can be driven to form a telescopic nail. The first member is fired from a launcher using a sabot which also serves to arrest penetration of the member.