Systematic Review of Literature on Dry Port Concept Evolution

Dry port plays an important role in supply chain management and mitigates seaport problems. The aim of this paper is to review the dry port concept over the different phases. Today there are different types of dry ports, different interpretations on the dry port life cycle, and different relations with seaport. We will provide a clear vision on the concept development and the advantages that can be added to the seaport and transportation flow. Then, the study will show the evolution of the research community interest on the concept. In the first step, we will briefly present all the challenges faced by seaports today. Next, we will undertake a systematic literature review in order to provide a global vision able to answer questions concerning dry port concept, types, research evolution. Finally, we will present some research topics that open for us at the dry port seaport system

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

Dry ports: research outcomes, trends, and future implications

The concept of dry ports has gained significant interest among practitioners and researchers in the last decade. Consequently, publications on this topic have followed this development, and today there are more than 100 papers available in the Scopus and Science Direct databases, compared with only two papers in 2007. The purpose of this paper is to summarize current scientific knowledge on the phenomenon and to identify research outcomes, trends, and future research implications by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR). SLR is an explicit and reproducible method that ensures the reliability and traceability of the results. The selection of relevant papers was performed independently by each author using Rayyan QCRI software; the coding and analysis were conducted with the help of NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Findings show that the research area is largely represented by qualitative cases and optimization studies covering various aspects of dry ports. Dry port examples around the world differ based on location, functions, services, ownership, and maturity level. Although the research area is young and discrete, five main thematic areas are identified: debate on the concept, environmental impact, economic impact, performance impact, and dry ports from a network perspective

Evaluation of traffic assignment models through simulation

Assignment methodologies attempt to determine the traffic flow over each network arc based on its characteristics and the total flow over the entire area. There are several methodologies—some fast and others that are more complex and require more time to complete the calculation. In this study, we evaluated different assignment methodologies using a computer simulation and tested the results in a specific case study. The results showed that the “all-or-nothing” methods and the incremental assignment methods generally yield results with an unacceptable level of error unless the traffic is divided into four or more equal parts. The method of successive averages (MSA) was valid starting from a relatively low number of iterations, while the user equilibrium methodologies (approximated using the Frank and Wolfe algorithm) were valid starting from an even lower number of iterations. These results may be useful to researchers in the field of computer simulation and planners who apply these methodologies in similar cases.Research Contract entitled “Simulación y Análisis de Tráfico dentro del Estudio Informativo de la Autovía Orbital B-40” (Simulation and Traffic Analysis within the Study Report of the B-40 Orbital Highway) between GPYO Innova, S.L. and the University of Burgos (Spain) with reference number W24T06

Heuristic Path-Enumeration Approach for Container Trip Generation and Assignment

A commonly ignored key ingredient in large-scale container network assignment is an impedance-driven geovisualization of optimal routes. In this study, we propose linear optimization models for both trip generation and trip assignment using dynamic programming on a GIS platform, which includes maps and data that are used to develop and generate trips. The proposed models are applied to intermodal railroad routes mostly in the United States. Dendritic optimal networks are figures visually depicting all optimal branches for the network