An Efficient Procedure for Inserting Buffers to Generate Robust Berth Plans in Container Terminals

Uncertainty is an inevitable aspect of seaside operations in container terminals. Operators therefore need to find robust plans that can resist the impact of uncertainties. Instead of solving a stochastic berth allocation problem, this paper proposes an efficient procedure for inserting buffers into baseline berth plans to strengthen the schedule stability. Such a method is highly versatile and compatible with various solutions to berth allocation problem with different objectives. Numerical results obtained by using simulation on a representative set of instances of the problem are reported; these indicate that the proposed procedure not only increases the flexibility of operations with minor loss of resource utilization but also addresses the impact of service priority. Hence, the contribution in this paper will provide a short path that bridges the gap between berth allocation problem in deterministic and stochastic circumstances.

Automated summary

Uncertainty is a key aspect of seaside operations in container terminals, and this paper proposes a method to insert buffers into baseline berth plans to improve schedule stability, increasing operational flexibility and addressing service priority impact.