ENBIS: European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics

Container positioning strategies for the management of terminal storage areas

22 September 2009, 16:35 – 16:55

Abstract

Submitted by

Rossella Burruano

Authors

Alberto Lombardo, Rossella Burruano

Affiliation

Dipartimento di Tecnologia Meccanica, Produzione e Ingegneria Gestionale – Università di Palermo – Viale delle Scienze – 90128 Palermo

Abstract

The available storage area is a critical resource for many terminals because its space is limited. Moreover, the output sequence in which a truck will pick up the containers arrived at the same time, is unpredictable.
In this paper we show a yard planner decision process to arrange the containers in order to optimize the space of the yard and, simultaneously, the pick-up time of containers. The optimization is evaluated in terms of minimization of re-handling operations.
To solve the issue of allocation, two strategies have been studied: a) the random positioning and b) the positioning “per area”.
The random positioning strategy aims at levelling stacks and allows that loads from various vessels could be stacked in the same stack. This method of allocation is appropriate in case of the waiting time to pick up is a no-memory process, i.e. the instantaneous probability of the pick up does not increase with the increasing of waiting time.
The positioning strategy “per area” consists in allocating cargoes, coming from vessels with different arrival times, in different areas. In this way, each “area” includes the containers unloaded from a single ship; therefore, the areas will be homogeneous respect to arrival time and then containers will be identified according to their dwell time in the yard. This method of allocation is appropriate in case in which the instantaneous probability of the pick up increases with the increasing of the waiting time.
In this paper, moving from a real problem, we present the rules for the optimal allocation of containers in a given area of the import zone. The creation of these rules allowed to construct a software for the positioning, in order to ensure a better management of the logistic port platform and an optimization of traffic flow of the containers.
This software is also presented.

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