Integrated operation models with quay crane maintenance in a container terminal

Abstract

This paper investigates an integrated optimization problem concerning berth allocation, quay crane assignment, and truck deployment in container terminals, with a specific focus on incorporating quay crane maintenance into the integrated models. A nonlinear integer programming model is proposed, and then a number of equivalent or relaxed models are developed to ease the model. To solve the model on large-scale instances, a SWO-GA is developed to provide a solution. Finally, a set of test instances are randomly generated to access the applicability of the proposed models and the efficiency of the algorithm. The results show that the SWO-GA can obtain a good solution with a small gap within a much shorter computation time than that of CPLEX. Quay crane maintenance significantly affects the operation plans and increases costs. The maintenance time step and the number of berths required for quay crane have a proportional impact on the total cost. It is also found that quay crane maintenance is of great concern for large-sized container terminals. The model and algorithm proposed in this paper provide important insights for operation managers.