A simulation model for straddle carrier operational assessment in a marine container terminal

Abstract

The globalization combined with the success of containerization has brought about tremendous increases in the transportation of containers across the world. This leads to an increasing size of container ships which causes higher demands on seaport container terminals and their equipment. In this situation, the success of a seaport container terminal resides in a fast transshipment process with reduced costs. For these reasons it is necessary to optimize the terminal´s processes. The aim of this paper is to optimize the internal transport cycle in a marine container terminal managed by straddle carriers. Three sub-systems are analyzed in detail: the landside and the quayside transportation and the storage of containers in the yard. The conflicts and decisions that arise from these three subsystems are analytically investigated. Moreover, a decision support system (DSS) is developed in order to obtain valid results for the whole transport chain. Simulation has been used to compare different straddle carrier´s operation strategies, such as single-cycle versus double-cycle, and different dimensions in the handling equipment fleet. The simulation model is explained in detail and the main decision-making algorithms from the model are presented and formulated.