Title: Mathematical model for planning the layout and stacking of granite blocks in a maritime terminal

Authors: Andrea Guenzani; Eliane Gerzelj; Rodrigo De Alvarenga Rosa; Karina Pedrini Fraga; Bianca Passos Arpini; Dahlen Siqueira Silva

Addresses: Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil ' Graduate Program in Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract: The break-bulk trade has a significant role in international maritime trade. Brazil exports several break-bulk cargoes, especially granite blocks. The port administration should plan the yard operations, putting more granite blocks in the same area and also reducing the distance travelled by the trucks from the storage yard to the seaside. This paper proposes a mathematical model to plan the layout of the storage yard, named 3D-yard allocation problem (3D-YAP) that considers that a small block goes on top of a big block, only blocks from the same vessel can be stacked in one stack and blocks can be rotated on the X-Y plane. The model was tested on instances based on real data from Praia mole terminal (PMT), Brazil, that were solved by CPLEX 12.6. It is also important to say that the model can be applied to any kind of break-bulk cargo in any port yard or terminal.

Keywords: 3D yard allocation problem; 3D-YAP; break-bulk ports; 3D bin packing problem; 3D-BPP; mathematical modelling; layout planning; block stacking; granite blocks; maritime terminals; Brazil; storage yards; break-bulk cargo; port yards; truck travel distance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2017.082613

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2017 Vol.26 No.4, pp.453 - 474

Received: 23 Nov 2015
Accepted: 26 Dec 2015
Published online: 03 Mar 2017 *

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