The Tactical Berth Allocation Problem: integrated optimization in container terminals

In the context of container terminal operations, the simultaneous optimization of decision problems that are usually solved hierarchically by terminal's planners represents nowadays a promising research trend. In this talk we introduce the Tactical Berth Allocation Problem (TBAP), that deals with the integration of the berth allocation problem (BAP) and the quay crane assignment problem (QCAP). The objective is to schedule incoming ships over a time horizon, assigning them a berthing position and a certain quay crane profile (i.e. number of quay cranes per working shift). The problem has been modeled as a mixed integer program and housekeeping costs generated by the berth assignment are taken into account by a quadratic term in the objective function. The added value of the integrated optimization approach will be analyzed and illustrated by numerical examples based on real-world data.