A Simulation Study of Collaborative Approach to Berth Allocation Problem under Uncertainty

The Berth Allocation Problem (BAP) is a critical issue for the efficient operation of a container terminal. While there are many works on berth allocation, most of the BAP models have used the assumption of a deterministic situation where arrival time and number of containers brought by a vessel are known in advance. Such a deterministic assumption, however, never holds true in real life. The purpose of this paper is to examine how collaboration between berth terminals could affect the port performance when dealing with uncertainty. Given the complexity of the problem, we have used discrete event simulation to model the system. Two major scenarios were evaluated, namely non-collaborative-response and collaborative-response. Collaborative-response is implemented by sharing resources such as berth, quay cranes and container yard among two terminals. The port performance was evaluated based on ship waiting time, container handling time and total ship turnaround time. The results show that collaborative strategy can reduce overall waiting time, container-handling time and total ship turnaround time; however, the impacts on each terminal vary.