Viability of a terrace covered with porous concrete paving blocks for coffee bean drying

Abstract

The success of the coffee activity depends on the beans drying process since it influences the physical and chemical coffee quality, whose result can be good or bad quality beverages. In this sense, the type of terrace has considerable influence on the product’s final quality. Therefore, in this study, ground soil terraces and porous concrete paving blocks will be evaluated, and the experiment was conducted in the city of Cambuquira/MG. For this purpose, porous concrete and compressed earth blocks with dimensions of 50 cm x 50 cm x 10 cm were built, totaling 10 blocks of each type of terrace. The experimental design was in randomized blocks (RB), using cherry coffee, with 10 replications, with a total of 20 plots. For the evaluation of the water infiltration capacity in the porous concrete paving block, a cylinder of 30 cm in diameter was used placed in the center of the porous concrete block, and the lower edges rejoined with cement to guarantee the use of the internal area of the cylinder only. The drying process of coffee on a porous concrete paving block terrace provided better quality both in the beverage and in the reduction of the number of defects in the beans. In the city of Cambuquira, the potential for infiltration and storage of rainwater is 58.8 m³ year-1. Considering a 10-year lifespan, the construction of the porous concrete paving block terrace is economically viable concerning the ground soil terrace, providing gains of up to 15%.