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A Constraint Programming model for fast optimal stowage of container vessel bays

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  • Delgado, Alberto
  • Jensen, Rune Møller
  • Janstrup, Kira
  • Rose, Trine Høyer
  • Andersen, Kent Høj

Abstract

Container vessel stowage planning is a hard combinatorial optimization problem with both high economic and environmental impact. We have developed an approach that often is able to generate near-optimal plans for large container vessels within a few minutes. It decomposes the problem into a master planning phase that distributes the containers to bay sections and a slot planning phase that assigns containers of each bay section to slots. In this paper, we focus on the slot planning phase of this approach and present a Constraint Programming and Integer Programming model for stowing a set of containers in a single bay section. This so-called slot planning problem is NP-hard and often involves stowing several hundred containers. Using state-of-the-art constraint solvers and modeling techniques, however, we were able to solve 90% of 236 real instances from our industrial collaborator to optimality within 1second. Thus, somewhat to our surprise, it is possible to solve most of these problems optimally within the time required for practical application.

Suggested Citation

  • Delgado, Alberto & Jensen, Rune Møller & Janstrup, Kira & Rose, Trine Høyer & Andersen, Kent Høj, 2012. "A Constraint Programming model for fast optimal stowage of container vessel bays," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(1), pages 251-261.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:220:y:2012:i:1:p:251-261
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2012.01.028
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mordecai Avriel & Michal Penn & Naomi Shpirer & Smadar Witteboon, 1998. "Stowage planning for container ships to reduce the number of shifts," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 76(0), pages 55-71, January.
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    3. Daniela Ambrosino & Davide Anghinolfi & Massimo Paolucci & Anna Sciomachen, 2009. "A new three-step heuristic for the Master Bay Plan Problem," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 11(1), pages 98-120, March.
    4. J-G Kang & Y-D Kim, 2002. "Stowage planning in maritime container transportation," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 53(4), pages 415-426, April.
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