An Integer Linear Programming Model for Continuous Berth Allocation Problem

The continuous berth allocation problem (BAPC) in this study is a more practical berth allocation problem (BAP) with the following key features of modern multi-user terminal (MUT): the quayside space is allocated to incoming ships in a continuous manner other than divided into discrete berths; the space and time are allocated to dynamically calling vessels by predicting the arrival time; the position relative to yards can be configured to reduce the handling time of vessels; the handling time of vessel is inversely proportional to the allocated quay cranes which are critical resources in ports. Some solutions aiming at a partial set of above features were studied in literature. An integer linear programming (ILP) models of BAPC are studied in this paper to obtain an optimal solution for MUT. The ILP model of middle scale problems can be solved by commercial operational software with promising performance and the global optimal solutions can be obtained.