Evaluating the Location Efficiency of Arabian and African Seaports Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

In this paper the efficiency and performance is evaluated for 22 seaports in the region of East Africa and the Middle East. The aim of our study is to compare seaports situated on the maritime trade road between the East and the West. These are considered as middledistance ports at which goods from Europe and Far East/Australia can be exchanged and transhipped to all countries in the Middle East and East Africa. All these seaports are regional coasters, and dhow trade was built on these locations, leading this part of the world to become an important trade centre. Data was collected for 6 years (2000-2005) and a non-parametric linear programming method, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is applied. The ultimate goal of our study is: 1) to estimate the performance levels of the ports under consideration. This will help in proposing solutions for better performance and developing future plans. 2) to select optimum transhipment locations.Middle East and East African Seaports; Data Envelopment Analysis; Seaports Efficiency; Performance measurement of Containers Ports; transshipment.

Simulation and real-time optimal scheduling: a framework for integration

Traditional scheduling and simulation models of the same system differ in several fundamental respects. These include the definition of a schedule, the existence of an objective function which orders schedules and indicates the performance of a given schedule according to specific criteria, and the level of fidelity at which the items are represented and processed through he system. This paper presents a conceptual, object-oriented, architecture for combining a traditional, high-level, scheduling system with a detailed, process- level, discrete-event simulation. A multi-echelon planning framework is established in the context of modeling end-to-end military deployments with the focus on detailed seaport operations

Projeto de terminais intermodais de carga utilizando os conceitos CADD e simulação

Orientador: Orlando Fontes Lima JrDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia CivilResumo: O projeto de terminais intermodais de carga rodoferroviários assume uma importância cada vez maior no cenário nacional, principalmente a partir da privatização das malhas ferroviárias existentes no Brasil. Com a atual competição modal torna-se imperativo buscar eficiência tanto no dimensionamento físico quanto operacional dos terminais. Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia de projeto de terminais intermodais de carga utilizando de forma integrada ferramentas de desenho técnico e de simulação. Esta estratégia propicia o desenvolvimento mais rápido e eficiente de diferentes alternativas de projeto, uma vez que são considerados no projeto tanto os aspectos físicos quanto operacionais dos componentes, além das suas inter-relações. A presente pesquisa foi desenvolvida no âmbito da Faculdade de Engenharia Civil da Unicamp, na área de concentração de Engenharia de Transportes, contando com o apoio da FAPESP ¿ Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloAbstract: The process of designing freight intermodal terminals is growing in magnitude in the Brazilian cenary since the privatization of the former state railways. Given the modal competition at the present time, it is imperative to achieve a high level of efficiency in both physical and operational design of terminals. The aim of this work is to present a design methodology for Freight Intermodal Terminals that combines a computer aided drafting and design tool as well as a simulation tool. This strategy provides a fast, efficient way to develop different options of design, as it is taken into account both the dimensional and operational characteristics, as well as the relationship between the components. This work was developed at the Civil Engineering area, at Unicamp, in the Transportation field, and has been supported since the beginning by FAPESP - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloMestradoEngenharia de TransporteMestre em Engenharia Civi

Sequence-Based Simulation-Optimization Framework With Application to Port Operations at Multimodal Container Terminals

It is evident in previous works that operations research and mathematical algorithms can provide optimal or near-optimal solutions, whereas simulation models can aid in predicting and studying the behavior of systems over time and monitor performance under stochastic and uncertain circumstances. Given the intensive computational effort that simulation optimization methods impose, especially for large and complex systems like container terminals, a favorable approach is to reduce the search space to decrease the amount of computation. A maritime port can consist of multiple terminals with specific functionalities and specialized equipment. A container terminal is one of several facilities in a port that involves numerous resources and entities. It is also where containers are stored and transported, making the container terminal a complex system. Problems such as berth allocation, quay and yard crane scheduling and assignment, storage yard layout configuration, container re-handling, customs and security, and risk analysis become particularly challenging. Discrete-event simulation (DES) models are typically developed for complex and stochastic systems such as container terminals to study their behavior under different scenarios and circumstances. Simulation-optimization methods have emerged as an approach to find optimal values for input variables that maximize certain output metric(s) of the simulation. Various traditional and nontraditional approaches of simulation-optimization continue to be used to aid in decision making. In this dissertation, a novel framework for simulation-optimization is developed, implemented, and validated to study the influence of using a sequence (ordering) of decision variables (resource levels) for simulation-based optimization in resource allocation problems. This approach aims to reduce the computational effort of optimizing large simulations by breaking the simulation-optimization problem into stages. Since container terminals are complex stochastic systems consisting of different areas with detailed and critical functions that may affect the output, a platform that accurately simulates such a system can be of significant analytical benefit. To implement and validate the developed framework, a large-scale complex container terminal discrete-event simulation model was developed and validated based on a real system and then used as a testing platform for various hypothesized algorithms studied in this work

Integrated optimization and simulation models for the locomotive refueling system configuration problem

Master of ScienceDepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringTodd W. EastonJessica L. Heier StammLocomotives in the U.S. use over 3 billion gallons of fuel each year and faster refueling can increase rail network capacity without the infrastructure cost associated with new terminals or tracks. This thesis introduces the locomotive refueling system configuration problem (LRSCP), which seeks to improve efficiency in refueling yards through new technologies or policies. This research also creates two new methods to solve LRSCP. The first method uses an integer program to solve the off-line LRSCP and develop a static refueling policy. The train refueling integer program, TRIP, maximizes the weighted number of train combinations that can be refueled without delay. TRIP is optimized and its outputs are used as inputs to a simulation developed in Simio® for testing and validation. The second method creates an integrated integer program and simulation to solve the on-line LRSCP and produces a dynamic refueling policy. This tool, built in Python, incorporates a different integer program, the strike line integer program (SLIP), into the simulation. SLIP determines the optimal refueling assignment for each incoming train. The simulation incorporates SLIP’s solution for testing and validation. This tool is truly integrated and requires approximately 300 instances of SLIP to simulate a single day. Based on experimental results, solving either TRIP or SLIP and incorporating the optimal refueling policy improves railyard operations by 10 to 30%. This impact is statistically significant and increases the capacity of a railyard. Additionally, it impacts other important parameters such as time spent in the yard and the maximum queue for the railyard. Furthermore, there is a significant decrease in wasted time and an improvement to railyard efficiency. Implementing either method should increase a railyard’s capacity and significantly increase revenue opportunities

Analysis of marine container terminal gate congestion, truck waiting cost, and system optimization

As world container volume continues to grow and the introduction of 12,000 TEUs plus containerships into major trade routes, the port industry is under pressure to deal with the ever increasing freight volume. Gate congestion at marine container terminal is considered a major issue facing truckers who come to the terminal for container pickup and delivery. Harbor truckers operate in a very competitive environment; they are paid by trip, not by the hours they drive. Gate congestion is not only detrimental to their economic well-being, but also causes environmental pollution. This thesis applies a multi-server queuing model to analyze marine terminal gate congestion and quantify truck waiting cost. In addition, an optimization model is developed to minimize gate system cost. Extensive data collection includes field observations and online camera observation and terminal day-to-day operation records. Comprehensive data analysis provides a solid foundation to support the development of the optimization model. The queuing analysis indicates that there is a substantial truck waiting cost incurred during peak season. Three optimization alternatives are explored. The results prove that optimization by appointment is the most effective way to reduce gate congestion and improve system efficiency. Lastly, it is the recommendation to use the combination of optimization by appointment and productivity improvement to mitigate terminal gate congestion and accommodate the ever growing container volume

INNOVATIVE SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION STUDIES ON GRID SYSTEM FOR TRANSSHIPMENT TERMINAL

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Integrated vehicle dispatching for container terminal

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH