A fuzzy approach to addressing uncertainty in Airport Ground Movement optimisation

Funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Counci

Modelling Dry Port Systems in the Framework of Inland Waterway Container Terminals

Overcoming the global sustainability challenges of logistics requires applying solutions that minimize the negative effects of logistics activities. The most efficient way of doing so is through intermodal transportation (IT). Current IT systems rely mostly on road, rail, and sea transport, not inland waterway transport. Developing dry port (DP) terminals has been proven as a sustainable means of promoting and utilizing IT in the hinterland of seaport container terminals. Conventional DP systems consolidate container flows from/to seaports and integrate road and rail transportation modes in the hinterland which improves the sustainability of the whole logistics system. In this article, to extend literature on the sustainable development of different categories of IT terminals, especially DPs, and their varying roles, we examine the possibility of developing DP terminals within the framework of inland waterway container terminals (IWCTs). Establishing combined road–rail–inland waterway transport for observed container flows is expected to make the IT systems sustainable. As such, this article is the first to address the modelling of such DP systems. After mathematically formulating the problem of modelling DP systems, which entailed determining the number and location of DP terminals for IWCTs, their capacity, and their allocation of container flows, we solved the problem with a hybrid metaheuristic model based on the Bee Colony Optimisation (BCO) algorithm and the measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (i.e., MARCOS) multi-criteria decision-making method. The results from our case study of the Danube region suggest that planning and developing DP terminals in the framework of IWCTs can indeed be sustainable, as well as contribute to the development of logistics networks, the regionalisation of river ports, and the geographic expansion of their hinterlands. Thus, the main contributions of this article are in proposing a novel DP concept variant, mathematically formulating the problems of its modelling, and developing an encompassing hybrid metaheuristic approach for treating the complex nature of the problem adequately

Operational Research IO2017, Valença, Portugal, June 28-30

This proceedings book presents selected contributions from the XVIII Congress of APDIO (the Portuguese Association of Operational Research) held in Valença on June 28–30, 2017. Prepared by leading Portuguese and international researchers in the field of operations research, it covers a wide range of complex real-world applications of operations research methods using recent theoretical techniques, in order to narrow the gap between academic research and practical applications. Of particular interest are the applications of, nonlinear and mixed-integer programming, data envelopment analysis, clustering techniques, hybrid heuristics, supply chain management, and lot sizing and job scheduling problems. In most chapters, the problems, methods and methodologies described are complemented by supporting figures, tables and algorithms. The XVIII Congress of APDIO marked the 18th installment of the regular biannual meetings of APDIO – the Portuguese Association of Operational Research. The meetings bring together researchers, scholars and practitioners, as well as MSc and PhD students, working in the field of operations research to present and discuss their latest works. The main theme of the latest meeting was Operational Research Pro Bono. Given the breadth of topics covered, the book offers a valuable resource for all researchers, students and practitioners interested in the latest trends in this field.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Freight transport modal choice in North West England's Atlantic Gateway

Overuse of the road network has led to greater levels of congestion, elevated levels of road surface wear and tear and an increase in transport related air pollution. When taken in combination with the failure of attempts to balance modal split the road network’s continuing slide towards breaking point seems to be beyond question. However, circumstances have conspired to present one particular region of England with a tabula rasa for the development of new policies to influence the modal split of freight transportation. England’s economy is currently based around a London-centric model. The current move towards developing what has become known as a Northern Powerhouse is aimed at rebalancing the economy of the nation for the betterment of all of its citizens. The Atlantic Gateway is an integral part of these efforts. The devolution of powers and responsibilities from national government to regional authorities may provide an opportunity for positive change the likes of which has not be seen in the North of England since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Different regions are influenced by their own geographical and infrastructure constraints. Devolution ensures that decisions are made locally and are therefore more able to meet local needs. A greater understanding of what influences modal choice within the Atlantic Gateway allows local policy makers to make better informed decisions on how to accommodate the increasing levels of freight transportation on the existing local transport infrastructure. Two different multi-criteria decision making analysis tools are utilised in this study. The first model uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the weights of a range of criteria identified as influencing modal choice. The second model combines AHP with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to allow the modes of transport under consideration to be ranked. This AHP-TOPSIS approach was adopted to address the limited data made available by the freight transportation industry in support of this research and the inadequacy of the data which is publicly available from mainstream sources. With billions of Pounds having been spent over many years to balance modal split it was disappointing to find that today, in the North West of England, road is still, by far, the preferred mode for transporting freight. The margin by which road leads the other modes within this geographical region shows the degree to which modal shift policy has so far failed. It also shows the amount of work needed to be done if modal shift is to be delivered in the future

Ocean container transport in global supply chains: Overview and research opportunities

This paper surveys the extant research in the field of ocean container transport. A wide range of issues is discussed including strategic planning, tactical planning and operations management issues, which are categorized into six research areas. The relationships be- tween these research areas are discussed and the relevant literature is reviewed. Representative models are selected or modified to provide a flavour of their functions and application context, and used to explain current shipping practices. Future research opportunities bearing in mind the emerging phenomena in the field are discussed. The main purpose is to raise awareness and encourage more research into and application of operations management techniques and tools in container transport chains

Inter-Port Competition and Inland Container Transport: A multiple Criteria Decision-Making Approach to Achieve Intermodal Transport System Development Stratergies in Taiwan.

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/2833 on 10.04.2017 by CS (TIS)Inland container transport has intensified over the past thirty years in Taiwan. It is closely related to inter-port competition and port selection by container carriers. In the 1980's, large containerships only berthed at Kaohsiung port due to the limit of container terminal operation capacities of Keelung port and the carrier's regional hub port decision in the country region. The container traffic of the south-north motorways made them more crowded and increased road maintenance expenses. The purpose of this research is to study inter-port competition and inland container transport flows in Taiwan. Although Taiwan is an island, the freight transport policy has been focused on rail and motorway rather than sea transportation. Therefore, it is intended to study the contexts of inland container traffic flows and the inter-port competition model. Following from this, the main objectives are to understand the details of container ports in order to identify the major criteria and variables related to the development of the intermodal freight transport system and then to create an integrated decisionmaking process model as a framework to help the public sector make quality decisions. We designed, tested and evaluated a public involvement process that identified public values for use in the development of an intermodal transport system for the container port. The methodology of this research includes the development of a Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and validated by the use of priority setting for the intermodal transport system at Kaohsiung port as a case study. The main idea behind mathematical programming is the optimal selection of a set of research activities given limited resource availability, decision constraints and the pursuit of multiple objectives. A final model addresses the simultaneous analysis of the selection process clearly able to be traced back by all parties. This research developed a framework that will enable the public sector to make better decisions when selecting intermodal transport system proposals and also save decision-makers time and effort

Coastal vulnerability: Impact of port disruptions and the economic impacts of tropical cyclones

Coastal counties in the United States account for less than 10% of the nation’s land mass. Yet, approximately 40% of the country’s population, or over 127 million people, live in these areas. The population density of coastal counties is 461 people per square mile, much larger than the nation’s average population density of 87 people per square mile. Coasts also present the logistic benefit of allowing the transportation of goods between countries and continents through maritime ports. However, the increase in coastal population and economic activity means an increased exposure and vulnerability to potential natural hazards, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. These weather events are powerful, with the capacity to devastate coastal regions. Therefore, understanding these potentially catastrophic events is critical to assess vulnerability and support informed decision-making at local, state, and federal levels. This research provides valuable insights related to the characteristics of tropical cyclones and to their potential impacts to the coastal United States. First, an extensive review of the literature related to maritime supply chain resilience and the impacts of port disruptions to the maritime supply chain is performed. Ports are complex enterprises, comprised of a wide variety of stakeholders and subject to risks of many kinds, both man-made and natural hazards. This review allowed the identification of gaps of knowledge to be explored on the topic of maritime supply chain resilience. One of the gaps is the lack of a clearly quantifiable metric for the impacts of one of the most common sources of weather disruptions: hurricane and tropical storms. Albeit the immediate impacts are limited to areas prone to these events, tropical cyclones have been known to impact extensive areas and cause long lasting negative effects. Second, machine learning is used to rigorously explore and quantify the relationship of tropical cyclone characteristics and their destructive outcomes on the coast of the United States. Historical data on hurricanes and tropical storms is identified and curated to support supervised learning. A novel Storm Damage Ratio is introduced to address the inherent challenge of comparing damage to regions with distinct assets and population. Multiple mathematical models to predict economic impacts from tropical events are created using machine learning methods and the results are compared. Additionally, the storm features that most influence the accuracy of predictions are identified and ranked. The third research component consists in analyzing coastal vulnerability to tropical cyclones at the state-level by providing mechanisms to account for uncertainty in studying the destructive potential of storms, supporting the decision-making process to improve community resilience. The previously developed concept of Storm Damage Ratio is extended, creating the Local Storm Damage Ratio, which assess the destructive potential of storms with respect to intrinsic characteristics, regardless of the local economic characteristics. Multiple machine learning models are developed to predict the value of Local Storm Damage Ratio at a state-level. The most promising machine learning model is used to study the relationship between state and damage, as well as evaluate state preparedness. Finally, this work makes the innovative approach of building state-level empirical fragility curves to tropical storms. The novelty curves are built for three damage levels: minor, moderate, and major damage

Sustainable Freight Transport

This Special Issue of Sustainability reports on recent research aiming to make the freight transport sector more sustainable. The sector faces significant challenges in different domains of sustainability, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the management of health and safety impacts. In particular, the intention to decarbonise the sector’s activities has led to a strong increase in research efforts—this is also the main focus of the Special Issue. Sustainable freight transport operations represent a significant challenge with multiple technical, operational, and political aspects. The design, testing, and implementation of interventions require multi-disciplinary, multi-country research. Promising interventions are not limited to introducing new transport technologies, but also include changes in framework conditions for transport, in terms of production and logistics processes. Due to the uncertainty of impacts, the number of stakeholders, and the difficulty of optimizing across actors, understanding the impacts of these measures is not a trivial problem. Therefore, research is not only needed on the design and evaluation of individual interventions, but also on the approach of their joint deployment through a concerted public/private programme. This Special Issue addresses both dimensions, in two distinct groups of papers—the programming of interventions and the individual sustainability measures themselves

Optimal Transportation Plans and Portfolios for Synchromodal Container Networks

This dissertation proposes an integrated approach for optimising synchromodal container transportation, motivated by two separate trends in the container transportation practice in North-West Europe. On the one hand, competition in hinterland transportation and the societal need for a modal shift towards sustainable modes require more integrated network optimisation of container transports. On the other hand, hinterland users increasingly require a cost-effective, but flexible and reliable delivery service. The concept of synchromodality was developed as an answer to these developments, combining efficient planning with a business model based on customer-oriented transportation services. This dissertation contributes by bringing together optimal transport planning in intermodal networks and the design of an optimal fare class mix of customer-oriented services. It includes 5 new models for operating such a synchromodal transportation network: service network design, disturbance analysis, real-time decision support and two variants of the cargo fare class mix design. All models are developed with the perspective of a centralised operator in an intermodal container network, with scheduled services between a deep-sea terminal and multiple inland ports. These scheduled services can be trains or barges, but not necessarily both have to be available. All 5 models have been applied to case studies based on the intermodal container network of European Gateway Services (EGS), a subsidiary of Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT)