Optimizing the yard layout in container terminals

The main activities of container terminals are to load outbound containers on to vessels, discharge inbound containers from vessels, and store those containers in the yard before loading (or after discharging) them. This study proposes a method for determining an optimal layout of container yards taking into consideration the storage space requirements and throughput capacities of yard cranes and transporters. Two types of yard layout are under consideration: a layout where blocks are laid out parallel to the quay and transfer points are located beside a bay per block, and a layout whose blocks are laid out perpendicular to the quay and transfer points are located at both ends of each block. Various cost factors are used for optimizing the yard layout, which include the construction cost of the ground space, the fixed overhead cost of yard cranes, and the operating costs of yard cranes and transporters. Sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effect of various design parameters on the optimal layout of the yard. The two types of yard layout are compared with each other, and the results of this study are compared against those for real-world yard layouts from the perspective of throughput capacity and storage space capacity.