IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/oropre/v68y2020i3p686-715.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modeling and Design of Container Terminal Operations

Author

Listed:
  • Debjit Roy

    (Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, 380015 India; Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, Netherlands)

  • René De Koster

    (Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, Netherlands)

  • René Bekker

    (Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Abstract

The design of container terminal operations is complex because multiple factors affect operational performance. These factors include numerous choices for handling technology, terminal topology, and design parameters and stochastic interactions between the quayside, stackside, and vehicle transport processes. In this research, we propose new integrated queuing network models for rapid design evaluation of container terminals with automated lift vehicles and automated guided vehicles. These models offer the flexibility to analyze alternate design variations and develop insights. For instance, the effect of different vehicle dwell point policies is analyzed using state-dependent queues, whereas the efficient terminal layout is determined using variation in the service time expressions at the stations. We show the relation among the dwell point–dependent waiting times and also show their asymptotic equivalence at heavy traffic conditions. These models form the building blocks for design and analysis of large-scale terminal operations. We test the model efficacy using detailed in-house simulation experiments and real-terminal validation by partnering with an external party.

Suggested Citation

  • Debjit Roy & René De Koster & René Bekker, 2020. "Modeling and Design of Container Terminal Operations," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 68(3), pages 686-715, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:68:y:2020:i:3:p:686-715
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.2019.1920
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2019.1920
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/opre.2019.1920?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Iris F. A. Vis & Kees Jan Roodbergen, 2009. "Scheduling of Container Storage and Retrieval," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(2), pages 456-467, April.
    2. Wiegmans, Bart W. & Ubbels, B. & Rietveld, P., 2002. "Investments in container terminals: public private partnerships," Serie Research Memoranda 0003, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    3. Changqian Guan & Rongfang (Rachel) Liu, 2009. "Container terminal gate appointment system optimization," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 11(4), pages 378-398, December.
    4. Evangelos Mennis & Agapios Platis & Ioannis Lagoudis & Nikitas Nikitakos, 2008. "Improving Port Container Terminal Efficiency with the use of Markov Theory," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 10(3), pages 243-257, September.
    5. Amir Hossein Gharehgozli & Debjit Roy & René de Koster, 2016. "Sea container terminals: New technologies and OR models," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 18(2), pages 103-140, June.
    6. Li, Wenkai & Wu, Yong & Petering, M.E.H. & Goh, Mark & Souza, Robert de, 2009. "Discrete time model and algorithms for container yard crane scheduling," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 198(1), pages 165-172, October.
    7. Frank Meisel & Christian Bierwirth, 2013. "A Framework for Integrated Berth Allocation and Crane Operations Planning in Seaport Container Terminals," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 131-147, May.
    8. Roy, Debjit & de Koster, René, 2018. "Stochastic modeling of unloading and loading operations at a container terminal using automated lifting vehicles," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 266(3), pages 895-910.
    9. Vis, Iris F. A. & de Koster, Rene, 2003. "Transshipment of containers at a container terminal: An overview," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 1-16, May.
    10. Mark B. Duinkerken & Rommert Dekker & Stef T. G. L. Kurstjens & Jaap A. Ottjes & Nico P. Dellaert, 2007. "Comparing transportation systems for inter-terminal transport at the Maasvlakte container terminals," Springer Books, in: Kap Hwan Kim & Hans-Otto Günther (ed.), Container Terminals and Cargo Systems, pages 37-61, Springer.
    11. Bart W Wiegmans & Barry Ubbels & Piet Rietveld & Peter Nijkamp, 2002. "Investments in Container Terminals: Public Private Partnerships in Europe," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 4(1), pages 1-20, March.
    12. Ng, W. C., 2005. "Crane scheduling in container yards with inter-crane interference," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 164(1), pages 64-78, July.
    13. Branislav Dragović & Nam Kyu Park & Zoran Radmilović, 2006. "Ship-berth link performance evaluation: simulation and analytical approaches," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(3), pages 281-299, July.
    14. Kim, Kap Hwan & Park, Young-Man, 2004. "A crane scheduling method for port container terminals," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(3), pages 752-768, August.
    15. Jing Jia & Sunderesh S. Heragu, 2009. "Solving Semi-Open Queuing Networks," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(2), pages 391-401, April.
    16. Kap Hwan Kim & Ki Young Kim, 1999. "An Optimal Routing Algorithm for a Transfer Crane in Port Container Terminals," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(1), pages 17-33, February.
    17. Petering, Matthew E.H., 2011. "Decision support for yard capacity, fleet composition, truck substitutability, and scalability issues at seaport container terminals," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 85-103, January.
    18. Iris F. A. Vis & Hector J. Carlo, 2010. "Sequencing Two Cooperating Automated Stacking Cranes in a Container Terminal," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(2), pages 169-182, May.
    19. Easa, Said M., 1987. "Approximate queueing models for analyzing harbor terminal operations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 269-286, August.
    20. Ernest Koenigsberg & Richard C. Lam, 1976. "Cyclic Queue Models of Fleet Operations," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 516-529, June.
    21. Ilaria Vacca & Matteo Salani & Michel Bierlaire, 2013. "An Exact Algorithm for the Integrated Planning of Berth Allocation and Quay Crane Assignment," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 148-161, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Wanying (Amanda) & De Koster, René B.M. & Gong, Yeming, 2021. "Performance evaluation of automated medicine delivery systems," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    2. Feng, Xuehao & He, Yucheng & Kim, Kap-Hwan, 2022. "Space planning considering congestion in container terminal yards," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 52-77.
    3. Legros, Benjamin & Fransoo, Jan & Jouini, Oualid, 2024. "How to optimize container withholding decisions for reuse in the hinterland?," Other publications TiSEM 8c64b894-e9ee-415a-b396-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Zhen, Lu & Zhuge, Dan & Wang, Shuaian & Wang, Kai, 2022. "Integrated berth and yard space allocation under uncertainty," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1-27.
    5. Gao, Zhendi & Ji, Mingjun & Kong, Lingrui & Hou, Xinhao, 2024. "Scheduling of automated ore terminal operations based on fixed inflow rhythm," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    6. Rodrigues, Filipe & Agra, Agostinho, 2022. "Berth allocation and quay crane assignment/scheduling problem under uncertainty: A survey," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(2), pages 501-524.
    7. Zhang, Xiaoju & Jia, Nan & Song, Dongping & Liu, Baoli, 2024. "Modelling and analyzing the stacking strategies in automated container terminals," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    8. Raj, G. & Roy, D. & de Koster, R. & Bansal, V., 2024. "Stochastic modeling of integrated order fulfillment processes with delivery time promise: Order picking, batching, and last-mile delivery," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 316(3), pages 1114-1128.
    9. Roy, Debjit & van Ommeren, Jan-Kees & de Koster, René & Gharehgozli, Amir, 2022. "Modeling landside container terminal queues: Exact analysis and approximations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 73-102.
    10. Fragapane, Giuseppe & de Koster, René & Sgarbossa, Fabio & Strandhagen, Jan Ola, 2021. "Planning and control of autonomous mobile robots for intralogistics: Literature review and research agenda," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(2), pages 405-426.
    11. Xiaoju Zhang & Huijuan Li & Meng Wu, 2022. "Optimization of Resource Allocation in Automated Container Terminals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Zhang, Xiaoju & Li, Huijuan & Sheu, Jiuh-Biing, 2024. "Integrated scheduling optimization of AGV and double yard cranes in automated container terminals," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    13. Kenneth Løvold Rødseth & Rasmus Bøgh Holmen & Timo Kuosmanen & Halvor Schøyen, 2023. "Market access and seaport efficiency: the case of container handling in Norway," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-25, December.
    14. Legros, Benjamin & Fransoo, Jan & Jouini, Oualid, 2024. "How to optimize container withholding decisions for reuse in the hinterland?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 316(3), pages 930-941.
    15. Li, Xinyan & Xie, Chi & Bao, Zhaoyao, 2022. "A multimodal multicommodity network equilibrium model with service capacity and bottleneck congestion for China-Europe containerized freight flows," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roy, D. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2014. "Modeling and Design of Container Terminal Operations," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2014-008-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    2. Gharehgozli, A.H. & Roy, D. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2014. "Sea Container Terminals," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2014-009-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    3. Gharehgozli, Amir & Yu, Yugang & de Koster, René & Du, Shaofu, 2019. "Sequencing storage and retrieval requests in a container block with multiple open locations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 261-284.
    4. Gharehgozli, Amir Hossein & Vernooij, Floris Gerardus & Zaerpour, Nima, 2017. "A simulation study of the performance of twin automated stacking cranes at a seaport container terminal," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 261(1), pages 108-128.
    5. Gharehgozli, Amir & Zaerpour, Nima, 2018. "Stacking outbound barge containers in an automated deep-sea terminal," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 267(3), pages 977-995.
    6. Amir Hossein Gharehgozli & Gilbert Laporte & Yugang Yu & René de Koster, 2015. "Scheduling Twin Yard Cranes in a Container Block," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(3), pages 686-705, August.
    7. Roy, D. & Gupta, A. & Parhi, S. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2014. "Optimal Stack Layout in a Sea Container Terminal with Automated Lifting Vehicles," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2014-012-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    8. Amir Gharehgozli & Nima Zaerpour & Rene Koster, 2020. "Container terminal layout design: transition and future," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 22(4), pages 610-639, December.
    9. Lashkari, Shabnam & Wu, Yong & Petering, Matthew E.H., 2017. "Sequencing dual-spreader crane operations: Mathematical formulation and heuristic algorithm," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(2), pages 521-534.
    10. Jenny Nossack & Dirk Briskorn & Erwin Pesch, 2018. "Container Dispatching and Conflict-Free Yard Crane Routing in an Automated Container Terminal," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(5), pages 1059-1076, October.
    11. Roy, Debjit & van Ommeren, Jan-Kees & de Koster, René & Gharehgozli, Amir, 2022. "Modeling landside container terminal queues: Exact analysis and approximations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 73-102.
    12. Damla Kizilay & Deniz Türsel Eliiyi, 2021. "A comprehensive review of quay crane scheduling, yard operations and integrations thereof in container terminals," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 1-42, March.
    13. Roy, D. & de Koster, M.B.M., 2015. "Stochastic Modeling of Unloading and Loading Operations at a Container Terminal using Automated Lifting Vehicles," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2015-005-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    14. Chung-Yee Lee & Ming Liu & Chengbin Chu, 2015. "Optimal Algorithm for the General Quay Crane Double-Cycling Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(4), pages 957-967, November.
    15. Dirk Briskorn & Florian Jaehn & Andreas Wiehl, 2019. "A generator for test instances of scheduling problems concerning cranes in transshipment terminals," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 41(1), pages 45-69, March.
    16. Boysen, Nils & Briskorn, Dirk & Meisel, Frank, 2017. "A generalized classification scheme for crane scheduling with interference," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(1), pages 343-357.
    17. Vibhuti Dhingra & Debjit Roy & René B. M. Koster, 2017. "A cooperative quay crane-based stochastic model to estimate vessel handling time," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 97-124, March.
    18. Branislav Dragovic & Nenad Dj. Zrnic, 2011. "A Queuing Model Study of Port Performance Evolution," Analele Universitatii "Eftimie Murgu" Resita Fascicola de Inginerie, "Eftimie Murgu" University of Resita, vol. 2(XVIII), pages 65-76, December.
    19. Sumin Chen & Qingcheng Zeng & Yushan Hu, 2022. "Scheduling optimization for two crossover automated stacking cranes considering relocation," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 2099-2120, July.
    20. Amir Gharehgozli & Debjit Roy & Suruchika Saini & Jan-Kees Ommeren, 2023. "Loading and unloading trains at the landside of container terminals," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 25(3), pages 549-575, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:68:y:2020:i:3:p:686-715. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.