Small barn plans / suggestions

[ray66v]

The slab is thick in the center, I drilled a hole with the longest masonary bit I had at the house for the hammer drill and the slab is over 7 inches in the center. As far as being a swamp, this is New England where frost heave is a real issue that is probably why the piers are there. I know here in Rhode Island that even piers for decks need to be in at least 48 inches in the ground.

The frost heave would not be an issue with a slab on grade, it is designed to float on top of the ground and move with the frost, like a patio slab, or driveway does. This can work just fine for shed or garage that is not attached to another building. I have only seen the piers used with it, in my area, when the ground was soft/wet.
It is possible, & likely that your local codes require more. But, I doubt they require concrete over 7" thick, through out a slab that size.
Do you know if the previous owner was an engineer?

 

[deereguy]

10'x15' slab looks to me like a good start for a feed room/tack room. It can be implemented with your barn either on a wall or centered in the middle (don't laugh, I did see a tack room/office in the center of a horse barn). It can be insulated/heated/air conditioned, add water etc and it might for out for ya.

 

[Just2quickz28]

Eddie thanks for the advice.
I like this floor plan Barn Plans - StableWise Gallery
but I was thinking of making the stalls 12x12. As far as stick framing the building around here that would require a frost wall all the way around the building min. 48inches deep with the slab in the middle that adds a lot more to the cost of the excavation. I do like the placement of the barn though there are a few other locations I could look into. Mostly this site was the pick because it was the high point of the land which all slopes down in one direction. I will have to get some better pictures of what I am dealing with.

ray66v
I dont know much about the previous owners the house was a foreclosure. But that slab is pure over kill.

I do have plenty of carpentry knowledge to work with. I worked construction to pay for college and just got done building a 10ft x20ft 2 floor addition on my parents house on an existing foundation. But horse barns and post and beam construction is new to me. I do understand the socket systems might not be a cost saving move, but the ability for me to do the rest of the work pretty much with out major equipment and what not would be great.

Pretty much I have narrowed it down to either use the socket systems if they will pass snuff with the building inspector or do a pole barn on a different location and tear out the concrete slab and re-work the layout for the paddocks and ring.