Ship Traffic Modeling Methodology for Ports

Abstract

Simulation is a very powerful tool for the analysis and planning of seaport operations. A well-designed and calibrated simulation model can provide useful insights about complex port operations that analytical models cannot capture accurately. An important part of any port operations simulator is the module that produces the ship traffic. This paper presents a ship traffic modeling methodology based on statistical analysis of containership traffic and cargo data obtained from a port in the United States. Implementation of the described procedure led to the creation of a simulation algorithm that captured ship traffic characteristics well. Functional relationships are also developed between ship length and ship draft and between ship length and cargo capacity. The relationship between the average number of handled containers and the number of cranes used is described. The information and conclusions provided here are intended to give guidance on achieving time efficiency and accuracy in the modeling of ship traffic and calibration of container port simulation models.