Crane Scheduling in Container Terminals: Mathematical Models, Heuristics and Algorithms

The globalization of trade has lead to an enormous growth in sea transportation over the last years. A great majority of general cargo is containerized and handled in container terminals, which are essential hubs in sea transportation systems. The potential of cost saving in a container terminal is large and the workflow of a container terminal has to be very efficient. The focus of this book lies on the scheduling of cranes in container terminals in order to improve the turnaround time of a port. Crane scheduling has a strong impact on the performance of the container terminal system. In this book, models to schedule different crane types are developed with respect to their characteristic abilities. The suggested procedures and algorithms lead to crane schedules which make the container workflow more efficient and improve the performance of ports in a global and highly competitive economy. The book is addressed to logistic planners, people dealing with scheduling problems and mathematicians interested in integer programs.