Inter-terminal transfer between port terminals. A continuous mathematical programming model to optimize scheduling and deployment of transport units

[EN] In most large port cities, the challenge of inter-terminal transfers (ITT) prevails due to the long distance between multiple terminals. The quantity of containers requiring movement between terminals as they connect from pre-carrier to on-carrier is increasing with the formation of the mega-alliances. The paper proposes a continuous time mathematical programming model to optimize the deployment and schedule of trucks and barges to minimize the number of operating transporters, their makespan, costs and the distance travelled by the containers by choosing the right combination of transporters and container movements while fulfilling time window restrictions imposed on reception of the containers. A multi-step routing problem is developed where transporters can travel from one terminal to another and/or load or unload containers from a specific batch at each step. The model proves successful in identifying the costless schedule and means of transportation. And a sensibility analysis over the parameters used is provided.Morales Fusco, P.; Pedrielli, G.; Zhou, C.; Lee, L.; Chew, E. (2016). Inter-terminal transfer between port terminals. A continuous mathematical programming model to optimize scheduling and deployment of transport units. En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1471-1481. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2015.4149OCS1471148

Sea Container Terminals

Due to a rapid growth in world trade and a huge increase in containerized goods, sea container terminals play a vital role in globe-spanning supply chains. Container terminals should be able to handle large ships, with large call sizes within the shortest time possible, and at competitive rates. In response, terminal operators, shipping liners, and port authorities are investing in new technologies to improve container handling infrastructure and operational efficiency. Container terminals face challenging research problems which have received much attention from the academic community. The focus of this paper is to highlight the recent developments in the container terminals, which can be categorized into three areas: (1) innovative container terminal technologies, (2) new OR directions and models for existing research areas, and (3) emerging areas in container terminal research. By choosing this focus, we complement existing reviews on container terminal operations

Optimal Stack Layout in a Sea Container Terminal with Automated Lifting Vehicles

Container terminal performance is largely determined by its design decisions, which include the number and type of quay cranes (QCs), stack cranes (SCs), transport vehicles, vehicle travel path, and stack layout. The terminal design process is complex because it is affected by factors such as topological constraints, stochastic interactions among the quayside, vehicle transport and stackside operations. Further, the orientation of the stack layout (parallel or perpendicular to the quayside) plays an important role in the throughput time performance of the terminals. Previous studies in this area typically use deterministic optimization or probabilistic travel time models to analyze the effect of stack layout on terminal throughput times, and ignore the stochastic interactions among the resou

Global seaport competitiveness: a resource management perspective

Seaport investment is lumpy, entails a long gestation period and has been referred to as a sunk cost. While seaport infrastructures have long been recognized to be a contributor of seaport performance, research on seaport competitiveness, a popular theme among mainstream maritime studies, has not directed sufficient efforts to understand the role of resource management in building seaport competitiveness. Instead, the dominant focus has been on seaport location, productivity and efficiency, price, connectivity, and organization. The manner in which global seaports manage their capital-intensive resources to develop contingent dynamic capacities and capabilities to confront the changing dynamics in the maritime market has not been systematically examined. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, this study traces the developmental paths of three geo-politically distinctive global seaports - Dubai, Kaohsiung, and Rotterdam - to examine how they achieved competitive advantages since the advent of containerization. Drawing on the tenets of resource-based view, organization learning, dynamic capability and contingency theories, this research reviewed and interpreted the planned actions of the three seaports from the perspective of resource structuring, bundling and leveraging to develop constructs of strategic resource management. From the strategic actions taken by the three case seaports, the study identifies eight resource management constructs couched within four basic capability building blocks that were instrumental in helping them to achieve, and maintain, their global competitiveness: a capital-intensive regime of developing logistics support infrastructure, a parallel program of utilizing resources in a complementary manner, a dynamically agile capability of coupling, de-coupling, and recoupling to renew resource utilization efficiency in response to external changes (regional market dynamics, industry trends), and a capability of re-orienting the use of tangible assets as an exit strategy to develop intangible resources to adapt to unfolding events. The judicious blend of the eight resource management constructs underpins the developmental paths of the three case seaports as they navigated the environmental contingencies posed by the dynamics of the regional competition they faced against the backdrop of the size of their hinterland and foreland. Offering a fresh perspective on understanding how global seaports compete by developing contingent dynamic capabilities, this study presents six working propositions, opening an avenue for building a theory of global seaport competitiveness based on seaport resource management

Assessing the applicability of participatory multi-criteria analysis (MCA) methodologies to the appraisal of mega transport infrastructure

The topic of ‘how mega transport projects should be assessed’ continues to generate disputes amongst academics, infrastructure specialists, investors and governments alike. This Ph.D. research sought to explore the applicability and effectiveness of participatory MCA methodologies to the (economic, environmental and social) appraisal of such projects. Although very popular amongst academics, participatory MCA methodologies seem to have enjoyed limited practical application and there are no studies assessing their effectiveness. This research entailed several steps, where different methods of investigation and multiple sources of information, both primary and secondary, were combined together in an effort to increase the reliability of the results. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the literature, whose findings were validated and integrated by means of an expert focus group interview, was undertaken in the attempt to determine the key features of mega transport projects. An investigation into transport appraisal practice and traditional appraisal methodologies was then carried out through a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature, complemented with unstructured interviews and informal discussions with some international experts. Successively, an examination of over 60 publications on participatory MCA methodologies was performed with the objective of determining the main attributes and critical aspects of such methods. An analysis of the current trends in mega transport infrastructure planning and decision-making practice was also undertaken based on a series of interviews with several infrastructure practitioners and the analysis of three large-scale port and port-related projects, namely the Alameda freight rail corridor (US), the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam (Holland) and the London Gateway port complex (UK). The London Gateway port complex was also adopted as case study for a practical application of participatory MCA methodologies. Overall, the outcomes of this multi-actor multi-criteria appraisal exercise, together with the findings from the previous steps of research, led to the identification of several (methodological and non-methodological) issues potentially surrounding the practical application of such methods. These issues were ultimately explored through a survey questionnaire carried out amongst specialists and proponents of participatory techniques. The overall conclusion of the thesis is that participatory MCA methodologies represent an under researched area, where some critical themes have received limited consideration; contrasting views still exist on many fundamental aspects; and where, in many cases, the disconnection between theory and practice is apparent. In particular, the key principles, steps and structure of such methods are (directly or indirectly) based on the rationalcomprehensive planning model, which hardly reflects the way projects are developed. Therefore, while, in principle, multi-actor multi-criteria procedures might be carried out to complement and integrate the information derived from conventional ex-ante analyses, it is difficult to see how such methods could significantly improve the decision-making process of major transport infrastru

Aeronautical life-cycle mission modelling framework for conceptual design

This thesis introduces a novel framework for life cycle mission modelling during conceptual aeronautical design. The framework supports object-oriented mission definition using Geographical Information System technology. Design concepts are defined generically, enabling simulation of most aeronautical vessels and many non-aeronautical vehicles. Moreover, the framework enables modelling of entire vessel fleets, business competitors and dynamic operational changes throughout a vessel life cycle. Vessels consist of components deteriorating over time. Vessels carry payload that operates within the vessel environment.An agent-based simulation model implements most framework features. It is the first use of an agent-based simulation utilising a Geographical Information System during conceptual aeronautical design. Two case studies for unmanned aircraft design apply the simulation. The first case study explores how the simulation supports conceptual design phase decisions. It simulates four different unmanned aircraft concepts in a search-and-rescue scenario including lifeboats. The goal is to learn which design best improves life cycle search performance. It is shown how operational and geographical impacts influence design decision making by generating novel performance information. The second case study studies the simulation optimisation capability: an existing aircraft design is modified manually based on simulation outputs. First, increasing the fuel tank capacity has a negative effect on life cycle performance due to mission constraints. Therefore, mission definition becomes an optimisation parameter. Changing mission flight speeds during specific segments leads to an overall improved design

Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory

The influx of data in the world today needs analysis that no one method can handle. Some reports estimated the influx of data would reach 163 zitabytes by 2025, hence the need for simulation and modeling theory and practice. Simulation and modeling tools and techniques are most important in this day and age. While simulation carries the needed work, tools for visualizing the results help in the decision-making process. Simulation ranges from a simple queue to molecular dynamics, including seismic reliability analysis, structural integrity assessment, games, reliability engineering, and system safety. This book will introduce practitioners, researchers, and novice users to simulation and modeling, and to the world of imagination

Risk Analysis and Decision Processes: The Siting of Liquefied Energy Gas Facilities in Four Countries

This book fills a gap in the growing literature on "risk", "risk analysis", and "technology assessment" by examining the political, institutional, and social processes that underlie public policies on questions such as the siting of large-scale technologies, involving health and safety risks to the public. Specifically it investigates the decision processes for siting liquefied energy gas (LEG) facilities in four countries: the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The book also compares different risk assessments prepared by analysts in each of the four countries and reveals some rather wide discrepancies between estimates of the probability of accidents even for the same facility. The concluding portion of the book examines the analyst's role within the social and political context of the siting debates and suggests selected institutional and procedural reforms. A cross-national approach to these questions serves to highlight various aspects of national procedures that otherwise might go unnoticed