Modelling the structure of intermodal transport terminals

Ekonomski razvoj, globalizacija, demografske promene, tehnološki razvoj, klimatske promene itd. generišu sve kompleksnije zahteve u oblastima logistike i transporta, kao jednog od podsistema logistike, i dovode do veoma raznovrsnih zahteva za transportom robe uz zadovoljenje visokih očekivanja svih učesnika, primenu savremenih tehnoloških rešenja i poštovanje načela održivog razvoja. Jedan od preduslova za zadovoljenje ovih zahteva jeste intenzivni razvoj i primena intermodalnog transporta, pri čemu je adekvatno planiranje i razvoj intermodalnih terminala, kao jednog od ključnih podsistema intermodalnog transporta, od presudnog značaja. Ovo je bio glavni motiv za izbor teme ove disertacije koja se bavi modeliranjem terminala intermodalnog transporta, procenom njihove efikasnosti i izborom efikasnih tipičnih struktura terminala u zavisnosti od širokog skupa zahteva, ciljeva i faktora. Cilj disertacije je bio dokazati da: efikasnost terminala intermodalnog transporta zavisi od različitih elemenata za definisanje strukture; adekvatno strukturiranje terminala zahteva analizu uticaja velikog broja različitih faktora koji opisuju društveno-privredno okruženje, zahteve logističkih tokova i razvojne karakteristike sistema;. efikasnost terminala zavisi od faktora koji utiču na njihovo strukturiranje i koji su prisutni u različitim kombinacijama i sa različitim intenzitetom i obimom; postojeći modeli i metode za planiranje terminala intermodalnog transporta u obzir uzimaju samo pojedine aspekte strukturiranja i ne sagledavaju problem na sveobuhvatan način koji u obzir uzima različite uticaje i faktore; kombinovanjem elemenata za definisanje strukture terminala mogu se dobiti potencijalne strukture terminala, čija se efikasnost može odrediti na osnovu karakteristika veza koje postoje između elemenata strukture i identifikovanih tipičnih struktura. U disertaciji su definisani i opisani sistem intermodalnog transporta i svi njegovi podsistemi, elementi za definisanje strukture terminala intermodalnog transporta, faktori koji utiču na elemente za definisanje strukture, kao i zahtevi i ciljevi interesnih grupa koje učestvuju u intermodalnom transportu. Izvršeno je vrednovanje i rangiranje elemenata strukture i izbor ključnih elemenata na osnovu kojih su definisane tipične strukture terminala i izvršeno njihovo grupisanje. Na osnovu opsežnog istraživanja i prikupljenih podataka o 180 intermodalnih terminala u Evropi izvršen je izbor efikasnih tipičnih struktura. Na osnovu identifikovanih veza između elemenata strukture terminala i njihovih efikasnosti izvršeno je modeliranje potencijalnih struktura terminala i procena njihovih efikasnosti. Takođe je izvršena analiza lokacije intermodalnih terminala i izbor tehnologije podsistema, kao elemenata strukture terminala koji nisu izabrani kao ključni, ali imaju značajan uticaj na strukture intermodalnih terminala...Economic development, globalization, demographic change, technological development, climate change, etc. generate increasingly complex requirements in the fields of logistics and transport, as one of the subsystems of logistics, and lead to very diverse requirements for the transport of goods while satisfying the high expectations of all participants, applying modern technological solutions and respecting the principles of the sustainable development. One of the preconditions for satisfying these requirements is the intensive development and application of the intermodal transport, whereby the planning and development of intermodal terminals, as one of the key intermodal transport subsystems, is crucial. This was the main motive for the choice of the topic of this dissertation dealing with the modeling of the intermodal transport terminals, the assessment of their efficiency and the selection of efficient typical terminal structures, depending on a wide set of requirements, goals and factors. The aim of the dissertation was to prove that: the efficiency of the intermodal transport terminal depends on different elements for defining the structure; adequate terminal structuring requires an analysis of the impact of a large number of different factors describing the socio-economic environment, the requirements of logistics flows and the developmental characteristics of the system; the efficiency of the terminal depends on the factors that influence their structuring, which are present in different combinations and with different intensities and volumes; existing models and methods for planning intermodal transport terminals take into account only certain aspects of structuring and do not perceive the problem in a comprehensive way that takes into account different influences and factors; by combining the elements for defining the structure of the terminal, potential terminal structures can be obtained, the efficiency of which can be determined based on the characteristics of the relationships that exist between the elements of the structure and the identified typical structures. The dissertation defines and describes the system of intermodal transport and all its subsystems, elements for defining the structure of the intermodal transport terminal, the factors that influence the elements for defining the structure, as well as the requirements and objectives of the stakeholders participating in intermodal transport. The evaluation and ranking of the elements of the structure is performed, as well as the selection of the key elements on the basis of which the typical structures of the terminal were defined and their grouping was performed. Based on the extensive research and data collected on over 180 intermodal terminals in Europe, a selection of efficient typical structures was carried out. On the basis of identified connections between the elements of the terminal structure and their efficiency, modeling of potential terminal structures and estimation of their efficiency was performed. An analysis of the intermodal terminal location and the selection of the subsystem technology, as the elements of the terminal structure which were not selected as the key ones, but have a significant impact on the intermodal terminal structures, is also made..

Ocena opravdanosti investicija u reciklažu otpada - izazovi za upravljanje održivim razvojem u Republici Srbiji

Besides the all positive effects on economic growth the modern business environment also has some disadvantages, reflected in generating different kinds of waste in large quanti ties The issue of waste has become more apparent i n the period of transition from the traditional economic into the so called consumer society It is characterized by the c onsumption of a plethora of di fferent products , which, in combination with the decreasing lifespan of products, results in an enormous pressure and negative impact on the environment , bringing sustainabl e development into jeopardy . In th ese circumstances , the development of the recycli ng industry presents itself as a possible solution to the problem of waste generation and management, while creating the basic preconditions for sustainable development. The empirical research is based on the case study of the companies that are dealing wi th recycling of cars and electrical and electronic equipment, and the cost benefit analysis is used for the evaluation of both the financial and non financial, i.e. socioeconomic benefits. The f inancial anal ysis has confirmed the justification of investmen t s in both projects, not only car recycling but also the electronic and electrical equipment recycling. From the investors’ perspective , car recycling is a more acceptable project , since it generates more profit, and it is less depend e nt on government ince ntives. The i ncentive oriented policy in the area of e waste recycling is requiredrequired since thesince the research has shown that theresearch has shown that the continuity of continuity of this process isthis process is directlydirectly dependdependentent onon governmentgovernment support. support. The The significant amount of socioeconomic benefitssignificant amount of socioeconomic benefits,, created by created by ththee electronic electronic and electrical equipment recycling projectand electrical equipment recycling project, makes it acceptable, makes it acceptable from the from the social perspective, social perspective, creating a longcreating a long--term contribution term contribution to sustainable to sustainable developmentdevelopment. The sensitivity analysis results indicate the variation in stock prices of secondary rawprices of secondary raw materials, which are the product of the materials, which are the product of the recycling process, and disparity of incentive policies towards this recycling process, and disparity of incentive policies towards this process in the Republic of Serbia represent factors which are the most process in the Republic of Serbia represent factors which are the most influential on the investment analysis criteria of recycling projects. This influential on the investment analysis criteria of recycling projects. This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of the current dissertation contributes to a better understanding of the current conditions in the recycling industry in the Republic of Serbia, and conditions in the recycling industry in the Republic of Serbia, and demonstrates the direction of future development as well as the most demonstrates the direction of future development as well as the most important challenges which stand in the way of reachiimportant challenges which stand in the way of reaching the goal of ng the goal of sustainable development.sustainable development

Evaluation of Smart City Logistics Solutions

The negative effects of goods flows realisation are most visible in urban areas as the places of the greatest concentration of economic and social activities. The main goals of this article were to identify the applicable Industry 4.0 technologies for performing various city logistics (CL) operations, establish smart sustainable CL solutions (SSCL) and rank them in order to identify those which will serve as the base points for future plans and strategies for the development of smart cities. This kind of problem requires involvement of multiple stakeholders with their opposing goals and interests, and thus multiple criteria. For solving it, this article proposed a novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, based on BWM (Best-Worst Method) and CODAS (COmbinative Distance-based ASsessment) methods in grey environment. The results of the model application imply that the potentially best SSCL solution is based on the combination of the concepts of micro-consolidation centres and autonomous vehicles with the support of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies. The main contributions of the article are the definition of original SSCLs, the creation of a framework and definition of criteria for their evaluation and the development of a novel hybrid MCDM model

Dry Port Terminal Location Selection by Applying the Hybrid Grey MCDM Model

Globalization and decentralization of production generate the intensive growth of goods and transport flows, mostly performed by the maritime transport. Ports, as the main nodes in the global logistics networks, are becoming congested, space for their expansion limited, and traffic in their hinterland congested. As a solution to these and many other hinterland-transport-related problems stands out the development of dry port (DP) terminals. Selection of their location is one of the most important strategic decisions on which depends their competitiveness in the market and the functionality of the logistics network. Accordingly, the evaluation and selection of locations for the development of the DP in accordance with the requirements of various stakeholders is performed in this paper, as a prerequisite for the establishment of an ecological, economic, and socially sustainable logistics network in the observed area. To solve this problem, a new hybrid model of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) that combines Delphi, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process), and CODAS (Combinative Distance-based Assessment) methods in a grey environment is developed. The main contributions of this paper are the defined model, the problem-solving approach based on finding a compromise solution, simultaneous consideration of the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the DP concept and its implementation in the regional international markets. The applicability of the approach and the defined MCDM model is demonstrated by solving a real-life case study of ranking the potential DP locations in the Western Balkans region. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that in the current market conditions, it would be most realistic to open three DP terminals, in Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Belgrad

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

Ranking of Logistics System Scenarios for Central Business District

This paper presents the procedure for logistics system scenario selection for the central business district (CBD) of the city in the phase of significant urban changes. Scenarios are defined in accordance with the overall logistics concept of the city. Conflicting goals of stakeholders (residents, shippers and receivers, logistics providers and city government) generate a vast number of criteria that need to be included when selecting the scenario for the city area logistics system. Due to limited resources and linguistic assessment of criteria, fuzzy extensions of conventional multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were used. Fuzzy "analytical hierarchy process" (FAHP) is applied to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria, and fuzzy "technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution" (FTOPSIS) is applied to rank the logistics systems scenarios. This paper contributes to the literature in the field of city logistics (CL), as it applies the integrated FAHP-FTOPSIS method for the evaluation of scenarios, which are also integrated combinations of different CL initiatives. The integrated combined approach proved to be accurate, effective and a systematic tool for the decision support in the process of selecting CBD logistics scenarios

The Selection of Intermodal Transport System Scenarios in the Function of Southeastern Europe Regional Development

The development of intermodal transportation (IT) systems is of vital importance for the sustainability of logistics activities. The existing research point at individual directions of action for system improvement and increase of IT participation in overall transportation, thus reducing negative impacts of logistics on sustainability. However, there is a lack of research defining complex scenarios that unite existing ideas and concepts of IT system development and improvement. Accordingly, this article deals with the definition and selection of the most appropriate IT development scenario for the region of Southeastern Europe. Six different potential scenarios that differ in the network configuration, the required level of logistics infrastructure development, the role of different IT terminal categories, the involvement of different transportation modes, and goods flows’ transformation degree, are defined. The scenarios are analyzed according to four stakeholder groups and twelve defined criteria. A novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model, based on fuzzy Delphi, fuzzy Factor Relationship (FARE), and fuzzy Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution (MARCOS) methods, is developed for solving the problem. The definition and analysis of the problem, the way of establishing the scenarios, as well as the development of a novel hybrid model are the main contributions of this article. A significant contribution is also the consideration of the Dry Port (DP) concept for the first time in the context of river ports. The results indicate that the scenario referring to the development of the IT core network with the Danube DP terminals is potentially the most appropriate scenario for the Southeastern Europe IT system

Karakteristike i potencijalna primena savremenih adsorbenata u formulaciji nosača lekovitih supstanci

In latest years, many natural and synthetic solid carriers attract increasing attention, due to theirs biocompatibility, acceptable ecological and toxicological properties, possible modification of physico-chemical properties, simple production, high stability and relatively low price. These carriers have similar chemical structure, mostly based on silicon-dioxide, magnesium aluminometasilicate and calcium phosphate, and differ from each other in structure porosity, specific surface area, size, volume and shape of pores, and possibility of surface functionalization. Ordered mesoporous materials like MCM - 41 and SBA - 15, as well as porous materials from Neusilin® and Sylysia® groups, represent the most common adsorbents evaluated in order to increase drug dissolution rate, and its bioavailability, and also in modifiedand targeted drug release formulations. Also, natural silica material, isolated from diatomites, diatom microshells, with its unique characteristics, represents relatively cheap solid carrier used in formulation of oral dosage forms and implants. Modern adsorbents are mostly used in formulations of solid dispersions with low water-soluble drugs, or as solid carriers for lipid formulations. In latest years, modern porous carriers are evaluated for possible surface functionalization in order to achieve prolonged or signal-initiated drug release.Poslednjih godina veliki broj adsorpcionih nosača prirodnog i sintetskog porekla privlači sve više pažnje zbog svoje biokompatibilnosti, prihvatljivih ekoloških i toksikoloških osobina, velike mogućnosti za modifikaciju fizičkohemijskih osobina, jednostavnog dobijanja, visoke stabilnosti i relativno niske cene. Ovi nosači su slične hemijske strukture, najčešće na bazi silicijum-dioksida, magnezijum-aluminometasilikata i kalcijum-fosfata, a međusobno se razlikuju po poroznosti struktura, specifičnoj površini, veličini, zapremini i obliku pora kao i mogućnosti funkcionalizacije površine. Uređeni mezoporozni materijali kao što su MCM - 41 i SBA - 15, kao i porozni materijali iz grupe Neusilin®-a i Sylysia®-a predstavljaju najčešće ispitivane adsorbente sa ciljem da povećaju brzinu rastvaranja lekovite supstance, a samim tim i biološku raspoloživost, ali se koriste i u formulaciji preparata sa modifikovanim ili ciljanim oslobađanjem lekovite supstance u određeno tkivo. Takođe prirodni silika materijal jedinstvenih karakteristika, izolovan iz dijatomita, dijatomitne mikrokapsule, predstavlja relativno jeftin adsorbent za formulaciju nosača za peroralnu primenu lekovite supstance kao i primenu u obliku implanta. Savremeni adsorbenti najčešće se koriste u izradi čvrstih disperzija sa nisko rastvorljivom lekovitom supstancom, ili kao adsorbenti za različite lipidne formulacije. Jedna od mogućnosti primene savremenih nosača koja se poslednjih godina ispituje jeste i funkcionalizacija površine poroznih materijala u cilju postizanja usporenog ili signalinicirajućeg oslobađanja lekovite supstance

Planning an Intermodal Terminal for the Sustainable Transport Networks

Growing competition in the global market imposes the need for adequate planning of transportation processes and development of intermodal transport networks, whereby intermodal terminals play a key role. This paper proposes a methodology for prioritization of the intermodal terminal’s development features, as the procedure in its planning process, leading to the design of the intermodal terminal in accordance with the needs of various stakeholders and the principles of the sustainable development. As the stakeholders often have conflicting interests and objectives, it is necessary to consider a broad set of requirements and developmental features that enable the fulfillment of the defined requirements. In order to solve the problem this paper proposes a new hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model that combines Delphi, Analytical Network Process (ANP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methods in the fuzzy environment. The applicability of the proposed model is demonstrated by solving an example of planning an intermodal terminal in Belgrad

The Impact of Lubricant Viscosity and Materials on Power Losses and Efficiency of Worm Gearbox

The results of the experimental research of the power losses and efficiency of single-stage worm gearbox, which is designed for such purpose, are presented in this paper. Three worm pairs (coupled gears) ZI type with the same geometric characteristics were used in the research, where worms are made of the same material (hardened and ground steel type 42CrMo4) and worm gears are made of three different types of material (zinc-aluminium alloy ZA12, aluminium alloy A356 and tin bronze CuSn12). The main part of the research is conducted to investigate the application of new materials for the manufacturing of worm gears (alloys ZA12 and A356) and their impact on the power losses and efficiency in comparison to tin bronze CuSn12. The values of efficiency are determined for different operating modes of the gearbox, that is, for different values of input rotational speed and load, where different viscosity lubricants were used. Depending on the operating mode and measured operating temperatures, the calculation of power losses and coefficient of friction for all experimental worm pairs was performed. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the best tribological characteristics has worm pair 42CrMo4/ZA12, which is the recommendation for the use of ZA alloy for manufacturing of worm gears as the alternative for tin bronze and other non-ferrous metals