Constraint programming models for integrated container terminal operations

Although operations in container terminals are highly interdependent, they are traditionally optimized by decomposing the overall problem into a sequence of smaller sub-problems, each focusing on a single operation. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated the need and potential of optimizing these interdependent operations jointly. This paper proposes the Integrated Port Container Terminal Problem (IPCTP) that considers the joint optimization of quay crane assignment and scheduling, yard crane assignment and scheduling, yard location assignments, and yard truck assignment and scheduling. The IPCTP aims at minimizing the turnover times of the vessels and maximize terminal throughput. It also considers inbound and outbound containers simultaneously and models the safety distance and the interference constraints for the quay cranes. To solve the IPCTP, the paper proposes several constraint programming (CP) models. Computational results show that CP provides exact solutions in acceptable time to IPCTP instances derived from an actual (small) container terminal in Turkey. For hard IPCTP instances, the CP model can be generalized in a two-stage optimization approach to produce high-quality solutions in reasonable times. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fulbright Program - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State; Yasar Univeristy [BAP038]This study was partly supported by a Fulbright Program grant sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education. The study was also supported under the project number BAP038 and title Solution Approaches for Integrated Liner Shipping Network Design and Container Terminal Operations at Yasar Univeristy