An Exact Algorithm for the Integrated Planning of Berth Allocation and Quay Crane Assignment

Ilaria Vacca (), Matteo Salani () and Michel Bierlaire ()
Additional contact information
Ilaria Vacca: Transport and Mobility Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Matteo Salani: Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), CH-6928 Manno-Lugano, Switzerland
Michel Bierlaire: Transport and Mobility Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Transportation Science, 2013, vol. 47, issue 2, 148-161

Abstract: In this paper we study the simultaneous optimization of berth allocation and quay crane assignment in seaport container terminals. We propose a model based on an exponential number of variables that is solved via column generation. An exact branch and price algorithm is implemented to produce optimal integer solutions to the problem. In particular, we present several accelerating techniques for the master and the pricing problem that can be generalized to other branch and price schemes. Computational results show that the proposed approach outperforms commercial solvers. Furthermore, the developed algorithm allows for a comparative analysis between the hierarchical and the integrated solution approach that confirms the added value of integration in terms of cost reduction and efficient use of resources. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first exact branch and price algorithm for both the berth allocation problem and the berth allocation problem with quay crane assignment.

Keywords: container terminal management; berth allocation; quay crane assignment; integrated planning; column generation; branch and price (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (43)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/trsc.1120.0428 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ortrsc:v:47:y:2013:i:2:p:148-161

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Transportation Science from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().