An Integrated Quay Crane Assignment and Scheduling Problem with Several Contractors in Container Terminals

Document Type : Article

Authors

Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

The last decade has seen an important role of container terminals in the global trade centers. By another point of view, the high cost of quay cranes on the other hand is a motivation for a set of real-world problems including of Quay Crane Assignment Problem (QCAP) and the Quay Crane Scheduling Problem (QCSP) in the hotspot of research. The main innovation of this proposal is to integrate both QCAP and QCSP to improve Quay Crane (QC) performance by an optimization goal, i.e., QCASP. A real case study in Iran has been applied to validate the proposed problem which has been formulated by a mixed integer linear programming (MILP). Due to inherent complexity of problem proposed in the real-world cases, the Teaching-Learning-Based-Optimization (TLBO) algorithm has been used to find an optimal/global solution in a reasonable time. The applied TLBO has been tuned by Taguchi method and validated in small instances in comparison with an exact method. The computational results show that our proposed TLBO algorithm can solve QCASP, especially in large size instances, successfully. Finally, a set of managerial implications has been recommended to consider the benefits of proposed methodology and algorithm regarding the real case study presented

Keywords

Main Subjects


References
1. Frojan, P., Correcher, J.F., Alvarez-Valdes, R.,
Koulouris, G., and Tamarit, J.M., The continuous
Berth allocation problem in a container terminal with
multiple quays", Expert Systems with Applications,
42(21), pp. 7356{7366 (2015).
2. Al-Dhaheri, N. and Diabat, A. The quay crane
scheduling problem", Journal of Manufacturing Systems,
36, pp. 87{94 (2015).
3. Diabat, A. and Theodorou, E. An integrated quay
crane assignment and scheduling problem", Computers
& Industrial Engineering, 73, pp. 115{123 (2014).
4. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M., and
Mirjalili, S. Multi-objective stochastic closed-loop
supply chain network design with social considerations",
Applied Soft Computing, 71, pp. 505{525
(2018b).
5. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M. and Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M.
Integrated capacitated transportation and production
scheduling problem in a fuzzy environment", International
Journal of Industrial Engineering & Production
Research, 29(2), pp. 197{211 (2018).
6. Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M. and Fathollahi-Fard, A.M. A
set of ecient heuristics and metaheuristics to solve
a two-stage stochastic bi-level decision-making model
for the distribution network problem", Computers &
Industrial Engineering, 123, pp. 378{395 (2018).
7. Daganzo, C.F. The crane scheduling problem",
Transportation Research Part B: Methodological,
23(3), pp. 159{175 (1989).
8. Kim, K.H. and Park, Y.M. A crane scheduling
method for port container terminals", European Journal
of Operational Research, 156(3), pp. 752{768
(2004).
9. Imai, A., Chen, H.C., Nishimura, E., and Papadimitriou,
S. The simultaneous berth and quay crane
allocation problem", Transportation Research Part E:
Logistics and Transportation Review, 44(5), pp. 900{
920 (2008).
10. Goodchild, A.V. and Daganzo, C.F. Crane double
cycling in container ports: Planning methods and
evaluation", Transportation Research Part B: Methodological,
41(8), pp. 875{891 (2007).
11. Zhang, H. and Kim, K.H. Maximizing the number of
dual-cycle operations of quay cranes in container terminals",
Computers & Industrial Engineering, 56(3),
pp. 979{992 (2009).
12. Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R., Makui, A., Salahi, S.,
Bazzazi, M., and Taheri, F. An ecient algorithm for
solving a new mathematical model for a quay crane
scheduling problem in container ports", Computers &
Industrial Engineering, 56(1), pp. 241{248 (2009).
13. Bierwirth, C. and Meisel, F. A survey of berth allocation
and quay crane scheduling problems in container
terminals", European Journal of Operational Research,
202(3), pp. 615{627 (2010).
14. Zhihong, J.I.N., and Na, L.I. Optimization of quay
crane dynamic scheduling based on berth schedules
in container terminal", Journal of Transportation Systems
Engineering and Information Technology, 11(3),
pp. 58{64 (2011).
M. Safaeian et al./Scientia Iranica, Transactions E: Industrial Engineering 28 (2021) 1030{1048 1047
15. Chen, J.H., Lee, D.H., and Cao, J.X. Heuristics for
quay crane scheduling at indented berth", Transportation
Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation
Review, 47(6), pp. 1005{1020 (2011).
16. Legato, P., Trun o, R., and Meisel, F. Modeling
and solving rich quay crane scheduling problems",
Computers & Operations Research, 39(9), pp. 2063{
2078 (2012).
17. Al-Dhaheri, N., Jebali, A., and Diabat, A. The
quay crane scheduling problem with nonzero crane
repositioning time and vessel stability constraints",
Computers & Industrial Engineering, 94, pp. 230{244
(2016).
18. Liu, C., Zheng, L., and Zhang, C. Behavior
perception-based disruption models for berth allocation
and quay crane assignment problems", Computers
& Industrial Engineering, 97, pp. 258{275 (2016).
19. Wu, L. and Ma, W. Quay crane scheduling with draft
and trim constraints", Transportation Research Part
E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 97, pp. 38{68
(2017).
20. Agra, A. and Oliveira, M. MIP approaches for the
integrated berth allocation and quay crane assignment
and scheduling problem", European Journal of Operational
Research, 264(1), pp. 138{148 (2018).
21. Azevedo, A.T., de Salles Neto, L.L., Chaves, A.A., and
Moretti, A.C. Solving the 3D stowage planning problem
integrated with the quay crane scheduling problem
by representation by rules and genetic algorithm",
Applied Soft Computing, 65, pp. 495{516 (2018).
22. Liang, C., Fan, L., Xu, D., Ding, Y., and Gen,
M. Research on coupling scheduling of quay crane
dispatch and con guration in the container terminal",
Computers & Industrial Engineering, 125, pp. 649{657
(2018).
23. Zhang, A., Zhang, W., Chen, Y., Chen, G., and
Chen, X. Approximate the scheduling of quay cranes
with non-crossing constraints", European Journal of
Operational Research, 258(3), pp. 820{828 (2017).
24. Kaveshgar, N., Huynh, N., and Rahimian, S.K. An
ecient genetic algorithm for solving the quay crane
scheduling problem", Expert Systems with Applications,
39(18), pp. 13108{13117 (2012).
25. Chen, J.H. and Bierlaire, M. The study of the unidirectional
quay crane scheduling problem: complexity
and risk-aversion", European Journal of Operational
Research, 260(2), pp. 613{624 (2017).
26. Lee, D.H., Wang, H.Q., and Miao, L. Quay crane
scheduling with non-interference constraints in port
container terminals", Transportation Research Part E:
Logistics and Transportation Review, 44(1), pp. 124{
135 (2008).
27. Fard, A.M.F. and Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M. Red Deer
Algorithm (RDA); a new optimization algorithm inspired
by Red Deers' mating", In International Conference
on Industrial Engineering, IEEE, 12, pp. 331{
342 (2016).
28. Bhattacharjee, K., Bhattacharya, A., and Dey, S.H.N.
Teaching-learning-based optimization for di erent
economic dispatch problems", Scientia Iranica, Transaction
D, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical,
21(3), p. 870 (2014).
29. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M., and
Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R. A bi-objective green home
health care routing problem", Journal of Cleaner
Production, 200, pp. 423{443 (2018a).
30. Rao, R.V., Savsani, V.J., and Vakharia, D.P.
Teaching-learning-based optimization: A novel
method for constrained mechanical design optimization
problems", Computer-Aided Design, 43(3), pp.
303{315 (2011).
31. Fu, Y., Tian, G., Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Ahmadi, A.,
and Zhang, C. Stochastic multi-objective modelling
and optimization of an energy-conscious distributed
permutation
ow shop scheduling problem with the
total tardiness constraint", Journal of Cleaner Production,
226, pp. 515{525 (2019).
32. Asim, M., Zubair Khan, M., Alam Khan, L., and
Umer, M. An integrated approach of quality for polymer
composite manufacturing validated and optimized
through Taguchi method", Scientia Iranica, 24(4), pp.
1985{1995 (2017).
33. Jamshidi, R., Ghomi, S.F., and Karimi, B. Multiobjective
green supply chain optimization with a new
hybrid memetic algorithm using the Taguchi method",
Scientia Iranica, 19(6), pp. 1876{1886 (2012).
34. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M., and
Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R. A Lagrangian relaxationbased
algorithm to solve a home health care routing
problem", International Journal of Engineering,
31(10), pp. 1734{1740 (2018).
35. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M., and
Mirjalili, S. Hybrid optimizers to solve a tri-level
programming model for a tire closed-loop supply chain
network design problem", Applied Soft Computing, 70,
pp. 701{722 (2018c).
36. Mohammadzadeh, H., Sahebjamnia, N., Fathollahi-
Fard, A.M., and Hahiaghaei-Keshteli, M. New approaches
in metaheuristics to solve the truck scheduling
problem in a cross-docking center", International
Journal of Engineering-Transactions B: Applications,
31(8), pp. 1258{1266 (2018).
37. Fathollahi-Fard, A.M. A set of ecient heuristics for
a home healthcare problem", Neural Computing and
Applications, 32(10), pp. 6185{6205 (2020).
38. Imai, A., Yamakawa, Y., and Huang, K. The strategic
berth template problem", Transportation Research
Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 72, pp.
77{100 (2014).
1048 M. Safaeian et al./Scientia Iranica, Transactions E: Industrial Engineering 28 (2021) 1030{1048
39. Safaeian, M., Fathollahi-Fard, A.M., Tian, G., Li,
Z., and Ke, H. A multi-objective supplier selection
and order allocation through incremental discount in
a fuzzy environment", Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy
Systems, 37(1), pp. 1435{1455 (2019).