Patent Publication Number: US-2011047895-A1

Title: Tilt-up wall brace dolly and method of use

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to construction equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to braces used to erect tilt-up concrete panels. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Tilt-up construction is a job-site form of precast concrete construction. It involves prefabricating concrete wall panels or slabs on a suitable flat surface, e.g., the building floor slab or a temporary casting slab, then lifting or “tilting” such walls up with a mobile crane with cables and carrying them to their final locations, where they are installed as vertical walls and become integral parts of the completed structure. Because the concrete walls are poured and cured horizontally on flat surfaces and subsequently lifted or “tilted” up into a vertical orientation and installed on or adjacent to a footing or floor slab to form a wall in a structure, they are variously referred to in the industry as “tilt-up walls”, “tilt-up panels” or “tilt-up wall panels”. 
     Once a tilt-up wall has been poured and cured, the tilt-up wall brace may be secured to the tilt-up wall. Then the tilt-up wall and tilt-up wall braces are temporarily connected to hoisting equipment, such as a mobile crane with accessory lifting apparatus that may be attached to the wall, permanently or temporarily, during the erection phase of installation. The crane operator maneuvers the hoisted wall into the correct location, in a plumb or vertically aligned position. At this point, the raised wall is temporarily braced using the tilt-up wall braces that may, or may not, already be attached to the raised wall by securing an opposite end to a support surface such as a floor slab. Such tilt-up wall braces are well known in the art, e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,083,156 to Tye, 3,798,856 to Gloskowski and 2,684,824 to Hillberg. Note that the tilt-up wall braces generally remain in place until a roof structure is installed over the tilt-up walls, thus providing sufficient stability to the building structure such that the braces can be safely removed without the tilt-up walls tumbling down. 
     Tilt-up wall braces are generally heavy steel poles with a “wall bracket” at an upper end that is configured to pivotally attach to the tilt-up wall and a “foot bracket” on the lower end which is similarly configured to pivotally attach to the floor slab or other horizontal ground surface. A conventional tilt-up brace may further include a means, such as a screw or ratchet mechanism along the brace axis, for incrementally adjusting the length of the tilt-up wall brace in order to push or pull the wall into precise position after the foot bracket has been secured. As the tilt-up wall is being hoisted to its final location, a construction worker generally must guide the unattached foot bracket on the tilt-up wall brace until the wall is in roughly the correct position. Once the tilt-up wall is in roughly the correct position, the foot bracket may be secured to the floor slab and its length incrementally adjusted to fine-tune the vertical alignment of the tilt-up wall. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are front and side views illustrating how a construction worker  200  positions a conventional tilt-up brace  210  with its associated lower leg  256  and foot bracket  220 , by leaning into the brace  210  with his shoulder and holding the brace  210  and foot bracket  220  above the floor slab  230  as a tilt-up wall (not shown) is being erected. The foot bracket  220  is configured to be secured to the floor slab  230  once the poured and cured tilt-up wall (not shown) attached to the opposite end of brace  210  is maneuvered into position by a crane  240  ( FIG. 1B ). Note that the construction worker  200  may have to hold up the brace  210  while stepping up from the ground  250  upon which the floor slab  230  has been poured. The interface between the ground  250  and the floor slab  230  may include exposed rebar  260  and other obstacles (e.g., footing trench, footings, etc.) for the construction worker  200  to traverse.  FIG. 1A  also illustrates a tilt-up wall  270  that has already been erected. 
     However, there are problems with conventional braces  210  and this conventional method of positioning the foot bracket  220 . For example, the foot bracket  220  should not be dragged along the surface of floor slab  230 , because doing so may cause gouges in the surface. Gouges in the surface of the floor slab  230  may require refinishing, thus, adding cost to the construction. Consequently, a construction worker  200  must hold the lower end of the brace  210  off of the floor slab  230 , generating a labor cost. Additionally, the brace  210  may be quite heavy and the construction worker  200  may become fatigued while holding up and moving the lower end of the brace  210  for several minutes as the tilt-up wall (not shown) is being erected. Finally, the brace  210  may become dangerous for the construction worker  200 , who may be standing in a footing trench (not shown) or on the slab floor  230 , and can potentially become pinned between such a construction surface with exposed rebar  260  ( FIG. 1B ) or other obstacles (not shown) and the brace  210  as the tilt-up wall (not shown) is being maneuvered by a crane  240  (shown partially in  FIG. 1B ). 
     In view of these problems associated with conventional tilt-up wall braces and their methods of use, it would be highly advantageous to provide an apparatus and method that makes it easier to position the lower end of a tilt-up wall brace, reduces construction worker fatigue, and potentially avoids some of the danger associated with positioning the lower end of a tilt-up brace. Such an apparatus and method would likely increase worker safety. It would also be advantageous if such a novel apparatus and method could be used with conventional tilt-up braces or be integrated with novel tilt-up braces. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly for use with a tilt-up wall brace is disclosed. The embodiment of a dolly may include a body configured to receive a foot bracket attached to a lower end of a tilt-up wall brace. The embodiment of a dolly may further include a low friction mechanism disposed about a bottom end of the body, the low friction mechanism allowing independent two-axis movement of a bottom end of the brace over a foot bracket mounting surface. 
     An embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace is disclosed. The embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace may include an elongated beam. The embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace may further include a wall bracket attached to an upper end of the elongated beam, the wall bracket configured for mounting to a tilt-up wall. The embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace may further include a foot bracket attached to a lower end of the elongated beam, the foot bracket configured for mounting to a foot bracket mounting surface. The embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace may further include a tilt-up wall brace dolly configured for selective attachment to the foot bracket. The dolly in the embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace may further include a body configured for selectively receiving, holding and releasing the foot bracket. The embodiment of a dolly may further include a low friction mechanism disposed about a bottom end of the body, the low friction mechanism allowing independent two-axis movement of a bottom end of the brace over the foot bracket mounting surface. 
     An embodiment of a method for securing a foot bracket of a tilt-up wall brace to a floor slab is disclosed. The embodiment of a method may include providing a tilt-up wall brace dolly for use with a tilt-up wall brace foot bracket. The dolly may be configured as described elsewhere herein with a low friction mechanism. The embodiment of a method may further include attaching the dolly to the foot bracket. The embodiment of a method may further include placing the low friction mechanism onto the floor slab. The embodiment of a method may further include guiding the dolly along the floor slab to a desired mounting location. The embodiment of a method may further include removing the dolly from the foot bracket. The embodiment of a method may further include securing the foot bracket to the floor slab at the desired mounting location. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments for carrying out the invention. Like reference numerals refer to like parts in different views or embodiments of the present invention in the drawings. 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are front and side views illustrating how a construction worker positions a conventional tilt-up brace with its associated foot bracket by leaning into the brace with his shoulder and holding it as a tilt-up wall is being erected. 
         FIG. 2  is a side-view of an embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly attached to a tilt-up wall brace during erection of a tilt-up wall, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view of another embodiment of a dolly with a cylindrical body, according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective views of embodiments of tilt-up wall brace dollies being used during the erection of a tilt-up wall, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a dolly for use with a tilt-up wall brace, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for securing a foot bracket of a tilt-up wall brace to a floor slab, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a drawing of another embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly, according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention is a tilt-up wall brace dolly and method of use. The embodiments of the invention are useful in the construction industry, particularly the erection and temporary bracing of tilt-up walls. Embodiments of a tilt-up wall brace dolly according to the present invention may be configured for use, or attached to, conventional tilt-up wall braces, or may be integrated into novel tilt-up wall braces. The embodiments of a tilt-up wall brace dolly illustrated and described herein are particularly useful for positioning the lower end of a tilt-up wall brace along a floor slab surface (inside of a building) or along a flat surface outside of a building during erection of a tilt-up wall. The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may reduce construction worker fatigue. The embodiments of the invention may also reduce possible injury to construction workers during positioning of tilt-up wall braces. 
       FIG. 2  is a side-view of an embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly  100  attached to a tilt-up wall brace  110  during erection of a tilt-up wall  170 . The tilt-up wall  170  may be secured to a footing  180  adjacent to the floor slab  130 . The tilt-up wall brace may include a wall bracket  120  configured to mounting to an upper end, shown generally at arrow  195 , of tilt-up wall  170 . The embodiment of a dolly  100  may include a body  102  configured to receive a foot bracket  140  attached to a lower end, shown generally at arrow  105 , of the tilt-up wall brace  110 . According to one embodiment, body  102  may be a hollow structural member with an opening at one end  104  for receiving the foot bracket  140 . According to various embodiments, the hollow structural member may be cylindrical, or any other suitable shape, such that the foot bracket  140  may be received therein. 
     An embodiment of a dolly  100  may optionally further include an attachment mechanism  106  configured for releasably securing the body  102  to the foot bracket  140 . One advantage of including an attachment mechanism  106  with dolly  100  is that the attachment mechanism  106  holds the dolly  100  in place on lower end  105  of a tilt-up wall brace  110  even when the tilt-up wall brace  110  is lifted off of the floor slab  130  for positioning during movement of the tilt-up wall. According to the illustrated embodiment, the attachment mechanism  106  may include a knobbed bolt  108  threadably engaged to body  102  and configured to interfere with a foot bracket  140  and thereby releasably hold the dolly  100  onto the foot bracket  140  through friction between the knobbed bolt  108  and the foot bracket  140 . It will be understood that many other embodiments of attachment mechanisms  106  are possible and considered within the scope of the present invention as an equivalent to the threadably engaged, knobbed bolt  108 . For example and not by way of limitation, clamps, cam mechanisms, latches and any other suitable mechanical means for releasably securing the dolly  100  to the lower end  105  of brace  110  or to a foot bracket  140  of a brace  110 . It will also be understood that according to a generic embodiment of dolly  100 , no attachment mechanism  106  is necessary, as the shape of the body  102  and the weight of the brace  110  will hold the dolly  100  sufficiently in place. 
     A useful feature of dolly  100  is that it can be removed at any time to expose the foot bracket  140  to allow the foot bracket  140  to be secured to the floor slab  130 . Optimally, the dolly  100  is removed shortly after the tilt-up wall  170  has been sufficiently moved into place that it is time to secure the foot bracket to the floor slab  130 . A useful feature of an attachment mechanism  106  is that it may be strong enough to secure the dolly  100  to the foot bracket  140  while the dolly  100  is being used to support the weight of the brace  110  upon the floor slab  130  as the tilt-up wall  170  is moved into its final position. 
     An embodiment of a dolly  100  may further include a low friction mechanism  150  disposed about a bottom end  152  of the body  102 . The low friction mechanism  150  allows independent two-axis movement of the dolly over a foot bracket mounting surface  154 . The foot bracket mounting surface may be a floor slab  130  that forms a floor surface in the building being constructed (building not shown in its entirety). Alternatively, foot bracket mounting surface may be any flat surface outside of such a structure to which the foot bracket  140  of brace  110  may be secured to hold the tilt-up wall  170  in place. 
     According to one embodiment, the low friction mechanism  150  may be a caster  160  pivotally secured to bottom end  152  of body  102 , see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 . Caster  160  may include one or more wheels  162  (one shown) supported by wheel supports  164  on either side of an axle  166 . The caster  160  allows the dolly  100  to roll along the floor slab  130  in any direction. With a properly selected wheel surface, the floor slab will not be gouged by the lower end  105  of brace  110 . The various configurations and functioning of casters  160  are known to those skilled in the art, and thus, will not be further elaborated herein. It will be understood that while an embodiment of a single-wheeled caster  160  is shown, other configurations with more than one wheel or wheeled bearing mechanism may provide the functionality required of the low friction mechanism  150  for use on a flat surface such as the floor slab  130  of the present invention. According to the embodiment of dolly  100  shown in  FIG. 2 , body  102  may be adapted or configured to surround a lower leg  156  and the foot bracket  140 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a perspective view of another embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly  300  with a cylindrical body  302  is shown. Cylindrical body  302  may be a section of steel pipe with an opening at the top  358  of the body  302  for receiving the foot bracket  140  (not shown in  FIG. 3  because it is inside cylindrical body  302 ) of tilt-up wall brace  210 . Dolly  300  is attached to the lower end  305  of brace  210  by attachment mechanism  306 , which comprises a threaded bolt  312  with a handle  314 , threadably engaged to body  302 . According to another embodiment of dolly  300 , the attachment mechanism  306  may be a hand-turned screw with a knob (see, e.g.,  106  in  FIG. 2 ) passing through a threaded opening  316  in the body  302  and configured to provide a friction fit against a lower leg  156  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the tilt-up wall brace  210 . The friction fit provided by attachment mechanism  302  should be sufficient to secure the dolly  300  on the lower leg  156  by the application of pressure against a lower leg  156  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ), or the foot bracket  140  (also not shown in  FIG. 3 ) or some other structural feature of the lower end  305  of brace  210 . 
     A caster  360  may be attached to the bottom end  352  of cylindrical body  302 , by welding  367  or any other suitable means, such as bolting or with a threaded engagement (neither shown), according to other embodiments of the present invention. Caster  360  may include a bearing  368  to allow full rotation of the wheel supports  364 , wheel  362  and its associated axle  366 . According to one embodiment of dolly  300 , the body  302  may be a cylindrical member with an opening at top end  358  for receiving the lower leg  156  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) and the foot bracket  140  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
     In yet another embodiment of dolly  300 , the attachment mechanism may include a “cam mechanism” or lock that is activated by a lever. The cam mechanism may include an eccentric wheel configured for selectively providing a friction fit against a lower leg of the tilt-up wall brace. The friction fit provided by such a cam mechanism must be sufficient to secure the dolly on the lower leg. The workings and applications of a cam mechanism, such as described above, will be within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art and, thus, will not be further elaborated herein. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective views of embodiments of tilt-up wall brace dollies  300  and  300 A being used during the erection of a tilt-up wall, according to the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 4A , two dollies  300  and  300 A may be placed over the lower ends  305  of two tilt-up wall braces  210 . Dolly  300  includes an attachment mechanism  306  ( FIG. 4B ). Attachment mechanism  306  includes a handle  314  attached perpendicularly to a threaded bolt  312 . Attachment mechanism  306  may be used by a construction worker (not shown in  FIG. 4A  or  4 B) to secure the dolly  300  to the lower end  305  of tilt-up wall brace  210 . The alternative embodiment, dolly  300 A, does not include an attachment mechanism  306 . The weight of the tilt-up wall brace  210  is generally sufficient to maintain the cylindrical body  302  around the lower leg  256  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ) and foot bracket  220  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ) even without the more secure use of an attachment mechanism  306 . 
     Using dollies  300  and  300 A attached to the tilt-up wall braces  210 , the wheels  362  are free to roll along the surface of floor slab  330  in any suitable direction (two-axis movement) as the tilt-up wall  370  is maneuvered into place. Once the tilt-up wall  370  is in place, the dollies  300  and  300 A may be removed. Removal of dolly  300  simply requires unscrewing the attachment mechanism  306  using handle  314 , lifting the brace  210  off of the floor slab  330  and slipping the cylindrical body  302  off of the brace  210  to expose the lower leg  256  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ) and foot bracket  220  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ). Removal of dolly  300 A is even simpler. One simply lifts the brace  210  off of the floor slab  330 , slips the cylindrical body  302  of dolly  300 A off of the brace  210  to expose the lower leg  256  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ) and foot bracket  220  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ). At this point, with the dollies  300  and  300 A removed from the tilt-up wall brace, the foot brackets  220  (not shown, but see  FIGS. 1A-1B ) may be secured to the floor slab  330 . 
     It will be understood that the use of mixed types of dollies, e.g., dollies  300  and  300 A as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , merely illustrates the different embodiments of dollies may be used at the same time. A tilt-up wall contractor using the present invention may, of course, choose to use only one of the two different embodiments illustrated (dollies  300  or  300 A) or one of the other embodiments of a dolly  100  ( FIG. 2 ) or other embodiments (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 5 and 7  and related description, below) as shown and described herein. 
       FIG. 7  is a drawing of another embodiment of a tilt-up wall brace dolly  400 , according to the present invention. Dolly  400  may include a body  402  of any suitable shape for surrounding a foot bracket  220  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ) and optionally a lower leg  256  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ) of a tilt-up wall brace  210  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ). Body  402  may be cylindrical as shown in  FIG. 7 , or any other suitable shape. Body  402  may include an upper reinforcement  403  located at an upper end  404  of body  402  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Dolly  400  may further include an optional attachment mechanism, shown generally at arrow  406  in  FIG. 7 , which may be similar in construction and function to the attachment mechanism  306  ( FIG. 3 ) described above. The body  402  may further include a lower reinforcement  407  located at a lower end  405  of body as shown in  FIG. 7 . Reinforcements  403  and  407  provide a strengthened dolly  400  for repeated use and greater durability versus similar dollies without such reinforcements (dollies  100  and  300  as described herein). Reinforcements  403  and  407  may be formed of portions of piping with an inside diameter roughly the same as the outside diameter of body  402 . This allows the reinforcements  403  and  407  to be positioned over the cylindrical body  402  and welded in place. 
     Dolly  400  may further include caster assembly  460  attached to the lower end  405  of body  402 . The caster assembly  460  may include wheel  462  rotationally mounted to wheel supports  464 , which are in turn rotationally attached to a mounting bracket  465  configured for bolting  467  (three nuts and bolts shown in  FIG. 7 ) or welded (not shown, but see welding  367  in  FIG. 3 ) to the lower end  405  of body  402 . Wheel  462  has a generally rounded tire profile  463  which is presently preferred over the generally flat tire profile  363  ( FIG. 3 ) on wheels  362  ( FIG. 3 ) for quickly orienting the caster assembly  460  during use on a floor slab (not shown in  FIG. 7 ). 
     Dolly  400  may further include an optional handle  425  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) with mounting arms  423  configured for attachment to body  402 . Mounting arms  423  may be bolted, welded, glued or otherwise affixed to body  402  using means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Mounting arms  423  may take any suitable shape or configuration. The purpose of handle  425  is to provide a means for allowing the user of dolly  400  to easily and conveniently grip dolly  400  by hand during installation and/or removal of the dolly  400  on a tilt-up wall brace (not shown). The particular composition and shape of handle  425  are not important, only its functionality. 
     It will be understood that other embodiments of a tilt-up wall brace dolly need not surround the entire lower leg  156  ( FIG. 2 ),  256  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ),  556  ( FIG. 5 , see discussion below) or foot bracket  140  ( FIG. 2 ),  220  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ). For example, the dolly may simply be in a platform configuration with multiple, swiveling casters to support the platform.  FIG. 5  is an example of such an alternative embodiment of a dolly  500  for use with a tilt-up wall brace  510 , according to the present invention. Dolly  500  may include a body  502  supported by a plurality of casters  560  (two shown, although three or more will be needed for stability) mounted to a bottom surface  522  of body  502 . The plurality of casters  560  forms a low friction mechanism  550  that allows dolly  500  to move freely over the floor surface  524  (two-axis movement). The body  502  of dolly  500  may be a planar panel formed of a sturdy material, for example and not by way of limitation, wood, plastic, metal or composite material, having suitable strength for supporting foot bracket  520  and the weight of brace  510 . The casters  560  may include wheels  562  or another similar mechanism with bearings or bushings (not shown) for rolling on floor slab  530 . Each of the casters  560  may also be configured to swivel with bearings in a race or sealed mechanism (not shown for simplicity of illustration). This swiveling mechanism may be attached to the wheel supports  564  near the place where the caster  560  is attached to the body  502 , according to one embodiment. 
     The body  502  of dolly  500  may further include a shoe  590  for receiving a portion of foot bracket  520  to at least partially secure the foot bracket  520  to the top surface  526  of body  502 . The foot bracket  520  may further be secured to the top surface  526  of body  502  using one or more straps  580 . The straps may be formed of elastic material, leather or any other suitable material for temporarily securing the foot bracket  520  to the dolly  500 . Such straps may be secured to the body  502  using any suitable fastener mechanism including pins, clamps, hook and loop material, etc. Such various fastener mechanisms will be within the knowledge of those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     According to another embodiment of dolly  500 , body  502  may include a bolt or post (neither shown) extending from the top surface  526  and configured for engagement with the mounting slot (not shown) in foot bracket  520  to further secure the dolly  500  to the foot bracket  520 . It will be understood that each foot bracket  520 , or  140  ( FIG. 2 ) or  220  ( FIGS. 1A and 1B ), will generally include a mounting slot or hole for receiving a mounting bolt to secure the foot bracket to the floor slab. For example and not by way of limitation, see mounting slot  24  and mounting bolt  26  in foot bracket  20  of  FIG. 2  and related discussion in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,650 to Frankenfield, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
     It will be understood that the particular configuration of the dolly  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5  is merely exemplary. Other embodiments may have no shoe  590 . Still other embodiments may have no straps  580 . Still another embodiment may simply have an indentation (not shown) formed in the top surface  526  of body  502  for receiving foot bracket  520  in place. Of course there are many other combinations or alternative means for temporarily supporting or securing foot bracket  520  to dolly  500 . All such alternative or equivalent means are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The dollies described herein,  100 ,  300 ,  300 A and  500  are configured to be used with conventional tilt-up wall braces,  110 ,  210  and  510 . However, it will be readily apparent that the dollies described herein may also be incorporated into the design of new and novel tilt-up wall braces having similar technical features. Alternatively, the dollies described herein,  100 ,  300 ,  300 A and  500  may be considered a subsystem of such a novel brace. 
     For example, an embodiment of such a novel tilt-up wall brace is disclosed. The embodiment of a brace may include an elongated beam. The embodiment of a brace may further include a wall bracket attached to an upper end of the elongated beam. The wall bracket may be configured for mounting to a tilt-up wall. The embodiment of a brace may further include a foot bracket attached to a lower end of the elongated beam. The foot bracket may be configured for mounting to a foot bracket mounting surface, such as a floor slab. The embodiment of a brace may further include a tilt-up wall brace dolly configured for selective attachment to the foot bracket. The dolly may further include a body configured for selectively receiving, holding and releasing the foot bracket. The dolly may further include a low friction mechanism disposed about a bottom end of the body. The low friction mechanism allows independent two-axis movement of a bottom end of the brace over the foot bracket mounting surface. According to another embodiment of the brace, the dolly may further include an attachment mechanism configured for selectively securing the body to the foot bracket. Various embodiments may be formed from the various attachment mechanisms disclosed herein. 
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method  600  for securing a foot bracket of a tilt-up wall brace to a floor slab, according to the present invention. Method  600  may include providing  602  a tilt-up wall brace dolly for use with a tilt-up wall brace foot bracket. The dolly may be any one of the embodiments of a dolly  100 ,  300 ,  300 A and  500  described herein, with a body, with or without an attachment mechanism, and including a low friction mechanism. In yet another embodiment, the attachment mechanism may be a shoe  590  with or without straps  580  or some variation as described with respect to  FIG. 5  herein. 
     Method  600  may further include attaching  604  the dolly to the foot bracket. The attaching  604  may be accomplished with the use of an attachment mechanism  106  ( FIGS. 1A-1B ) or  306  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 A and  4 B) as described herein. According to another embodiment without an attachment mechanism, the foot bracket may simply be placed inside the body  302  and held in place by the weight of the tilt-up brace, see e.g., dolly  300 A. According to still another embodiment, the foot bracket may simply be placed within an indentation (not shown) in a top surface  526  of a body  502  (see  FIG. 5 ). In yet another embodiment, the foot bracket may be placed in a shoe  590  with or without straps  580  or some variation as described with respect to  FIG. 5  herein. 
     Method  600  may further include placing  606  the low friction mechanism onto the floor slab. A construction worker may simply maneuver the lower end of the tilt-up wall brace with a dolly attached and place it on the floor slab or other brace mounting surface so that the low friction mechanism allows the dolly to roll on the surface. Method  600  may further include guiding  608  the dolly along the floor slab to a desired mounting location. A construction worker may push the lower end of the tilt-up wall brace with a dolly attached on the floor slab as the tilt-up wall is being moved into place as desired. 
     Method  600  may further include removing  610  the dolly from the foot bracket. Removal  610  of the dolly may be achieved by unscrewing an attachment mechanism  106  or  306 , or unstrapping the foot bracket (see  FIG. 5 ), or simply lifting the foot bracket out of body  302  or off of body  502 , as described herein. 
     Method  600  may further include securing  612  the foot bracket to the floor slab at the desired mounting location. Securing  612  the foot bracket may be achieved using concrete mounting bolts or other fasteners known to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     According to one embodiment of method  600 , providing  602  the tilt-up wall brace dolly may include providing a cylindrical body with an opening at one end for receiving the foot bracket and lower leg of a tilt-up wall brace, see e.g.,  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  3 ,  4 A and  4 B and related discussion above. According to another embodiment the attachment mechanism may be a screw rotationally disposed within a threaded hole in the cylindrical body, as described herein. The screw may be configured to selectively apply pressure against the lower leg. According to another embodiment, the low friction mechanism may be a caster mounted to an opposite end of the cylindrical body, as described herein. 
     While the foregoing advantages of the present invention are manifested in the detailed description and illustrated embodiments of the invention, a variety of changes can be made to the configuration, design and construction of the invention to achieve those advantages. Hence, reference herein to specific details of the structure and function of the present invention is by way of example only and not by way of limitation.