Location assignments for outbound containers in container terminals

ZHANG Canrong; ZHONG Ming; MIAO Lixin

doi:10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2015.22.001

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Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology) ›› 2015, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (10) : 1150-1156. DOI: 10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2015.22.001

LOGISTICS AND MANAGEMENT

Location assignments for outbound containers in container terminals

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Abstract

This study analyzes the location assignments for outbound containers in terminals to reduce the container re-handling during loading operations. Previous studies assumed that the container arrival probability for each weight group remained unchanged during the entire receiving process, which is not true in practice. This study adjusts the probability that the remaining containers have not yet arrived at the terminal. A constrained dynamic programming model is then constructed for this problem. Small-instances can be directly optimized by the dynamic programming model. Large-instances are solved with a two-stage heuristic algorithm. The first stage develops a heuristic to generate the precedence of the stacking patterns for each container weight group. The second stage uses a heuristic algorithm based on the rolling strategy. Numerical calculations show that the dynamic programming method for small-instances and the two-stage heuristic algorithm for large-instances both significantly improve the solution quality and reduce the container re-handling.

Key words

container / location assignment / dynamic programming / heuristic algorithm

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ZHANG Canrong, ZHONG Ming, MIAO Lixin. Location assignments for outbound containers in container terminals[J]. Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology). 2015, 55(10): 1150-1156 https://doi.org/10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2015.22.001

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