Performance Improvement through a Marshaling Yard Storage Area in a Container Port Using Optimization via Simulation Technique: A Case Study at Shahid Rajaee Container Port

Container ports have faced increasing development for the last 10 years. In such systems, the container transportation system has the most important effect on the total system. Therefore, there is a continuous need for the optimal use of equipment and facilities in the ports. Regarding to the several complicated structure and activities in container ports, this paper evaluates and compares two different storage strategies for storing containers in the yard. To do so and in order to cover all actual stochastic events occurring in the system, a simulation model of the real system was developed by using loading and unloading norms as important criteria to evaluate the performance of Shahid Rajaee container port. By replicating of the simulation model and considering the two strategies, it was shown that using a marshalling yard policy has a significant effect on the performance level of the port which leads to cost reductions.