Incorporating container location dispersion into evaluating GCR performance at a transhipment terminal

ABSTRACT The degree of container dispersion at a transhipment terminal is measured by an index termed container location dispersion, which represents the range, both horizontal and vertical, of all containers for ship loading that are scattered in the yard. First, this paper identifies the impacts of container location dispersion on loading performance with insufficient or sufficient equipment deployment in real-life settings at a terminal. Then, we investigate those scenarios with different levels of interference. This research aims to explore the relationship between the container location dispersion and Gross Crane Rate (GCR) stability at a transhipment terminal and proposes a discrete-event driven simulation model for this purpose. All data in our experiments are extracted from the terminal operation system at a real-life container terminal. It is concluded from a series of experiments that the container location dispersion well captures the overall performance of container terminal handling and can be used for yard template optimization and management. Implications of this investigation are discussed in the context of the yard template design and improvement in the overall performance of a container transhipment terminal.