A method of casting a concrete pile in situ using a former which is extracted following the casting of the pile, the former, with a concrete plug cast in its lower end and while the plug is in a semi-hardened state being driven into the site by the action of a driving monkey on the plug and then the combination of a counterweight (driving monkey) rested on the plug and a vibrator extractor on the former used to free any bond between the plug and former and withdraw the former part-way up the plug whereupon the counterweight is removed and reinforcing and cementious mixture is placed in the former to form the pile and the former is then extracted using the vibrator at a rate commensurate to the hardening rate of the cementious mixture.
