Space allocating strategies for improving import yard performance at marine terminals

This paper focuses on the organization of the import storage yard at container port terminals. Three new stacking strategies are introduced which take into account the containers’ arrival and departure rates and the storage yard characteristics. A mathematical model based on probabilistic distribution functions is developed to estimate the number of rehandles required to manage an import container yard. The model is applied to the three proposed stacking strategies. Results show that the optimal strategy depends on stacking height and the relationship between vessel headway and container dwell time.

► Three space allocating strategies to organize import container yard are introduced.
► Stacking strategies take into account vessel headway and container dwell time.
► A model to estimate vertical rehandles and clearing moves is developed.
► Rehandles are estimated when containers from different ships are mixed.
► The optimal strategy depends basically on terminal’s occupation.