Hello, I am helping my brother in law install a 31foot long wall, 10ft high in a commercial building to split a big room. He is trying to start his own business. I understand that the wall is too long and will have to be sectioned off to 15 and 16 feet. Will 3-4 people be enough to raise the wall? The floor is concrete so I will use some red heads to secure it to the floor and find the studs on the existing wall to secure the new wall to. My big concern is that the ceiling is acoustic panels right now and I don't have easy access to the joists so I can secure the top plate to it. The joists are about a foot above the acoustic panels. I was thinking of hanging down some bolts and attaching the top plate to the joists that way, making 2-3 connections. My question is, if I'm already securing the bottom plate and the sides, how important is it to secure the top? It is a 31 foot long wall... Also, there will be a door roughly mid way, if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Framed with steel 2x4s and with no prior cladding, lifting the frame would be dead-easy with three people.

With an intersecting ell near the door and intersecting walls on both ends of the 31' to stablize it you'd be fine, but the door in the middle could be a problem to leave the top plate waving in the wind. Even a stubby 12-18" deep intersecting wall on the hinge side of he door framing does a lot.

Have you considered building it in place? Steel framing makes this a breeze. It's going to "wedge" if the ceiling is already in place.