Time-Window Based Berth and Yard Allocation Planning of Container Vessels

Mathematical programming could help improve the operability of container-vessel oriented ports in terms of coupling the management of vessel berth allocation and container yard allocation under various realistic constraints. In this paper, a time-window based MINLP (mixed-integer nonlinear programming) model has been developed for the simultaneous planning of berth and yard allocation problems at container-vessel oriented ports. It can simultaneously optimize the spatial berthing schedule of each vessel as well as container transshipment schedule at the port yard, so as to minimize the overall port operating cost subject to various port resource limits and operating constraints. A detailed case study has also been utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the developed model.