Integrated planning of berth allocation and vessel sequencing in a seaport with one-way navigation channel

• Published in: Transportation research. Part B: methodological Vol. 143; pp. 23 - 47
• Main Authors: Liu, Baoli, Li, Zhi-Chun, Sheng, Dian, Wang, Yadong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adaptive algorithms; Adaptive large neighborhood search; Algorithms; Berth allocation; Integer programming; Linear programming; Lower bounds; Mixed integer; Navigation; One-way navigation channel; Port operations; Search algorithms; Vessel sequencing; Vessels; One-way navigation channel; Adaptive large neighborhood search; Port operations; Vessel sequencing; Berth allocation
• ISSN: 0191-2615; 1879-2367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trb.2020.10.010

•One-way navigation channel restrictions and heterogeneous vessel sailing speeds are incorporated in berth allocation problem.•Multi-type berths and multi-harbor basins are considered to investigate the berth planning of vessels at different terminals.•A mixed-integer linear programming model determines the optimal planning of berth allocation and vessel sequencing for port operators.•A tailored adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm is developed to solve the problem efficiently. Many seaports worldwide are equipped with one-way navigation channel, in which only one direction is allowed to sail through at a time and vessels thus have to queue up to enter and leave the port alternately. This paper proposes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for integrated planning of berth allocation and vessel sequencing in such a one-way navigation channel seaport, aiming to minimize weighted dwelling time of all vessels. A tailored adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm is developed for solving the model within a reasonable time. To evaluate the solution quality, a lower bound of the solution of the problem is given by a column generation algorithm that solves a set-partitioning model adapted from the MILP model. Numerical experiments on Jingtang port of China show that (i) the integrated planning model can reduce 20.90%-29.21% of the weighted dwelling time of vessels compared to the current port scheduling schemes; and (ii) the proposed adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm outperforms the GUROBI solver and some existing methods, solving all problem instances within 3 minutes with a 4.83% average optimality gap. Some managerial insights are offered to guide the port operations in a one-way navigation channel seaport.