Title: Fuzzy bi-objective model for hazardous materials routing and scheduling under demand and service time uncertainty

Authors: Kamran S. Moghaddam; Jalil Kianfar

Addresses: Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, College of Business, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA 30260, USA ' Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA

Abstract: We develop a fuzzy-based bi-objective optimisation model for hazardous materials (hazmat) vehicle routing and scheduling problem with time windows. The task is to find optimal links and routes to maintain a balance between safe and fast distribution of hazmats between origins and destinations through a transport network. We consider unknown probabilities for hazmat incidents along with a game-theoretic demon approach in a link-based model. Using the Nash game theory approach, an integrated routing and scheduling hazmat shipment problem is formulated. Since the formulated problem is a bi-objective model with travel time and population risk objectives, we also propose a solution method based on a hybrid Monte-Carlo simulation and fuzzy goal programming to obtain the set of Pareto optimal solutions. Computational results of a carefully crafted numerical example are also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed mathematical model and the solution method in obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions.

Keywords: hazardous material; VRPTW; fuzzy multi-objective optimisation; fuzzy goal programming; FGP.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2021.117071

International Journal of Operational Research, 2021 Vol.41 No.4, pp.535 - 568

Received: 31 Jan 2019
Accepted: 15 Apr 2019
Published online: 16 Aug 2021 *

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