Transportation of the Future Understanding Port Logistics

8/6/2019 Transportation of the Future Understanding Port Logistics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/transportation-of-the-future-understanding-port-logistics 1/5



• The Technology Teacher • Sptmb 2009

Dealing with large cargo ships and trying to managethousands o containers to their nal destination can cause

several kinds o logistical problems. Problems associatedwith dispatching and routing vehicles and locating itemsor acilities arise requently in logistic systems (Bramel &Simchilevi, 1997). According to the American Associationo Port Authorities (AAPA), the average “dwell time” o containers sitting idle in the yard is six to seven days orU.S. ports, compared with only one to two days or evenhours in some Asian ports. Tereore a system is necessary to promote stability and organization in the process.ransportation logistics problems have been studied in theoperations research and management science literatureunder dierent settings including vehicle eet, truckrouting, warehouse management, and acility location. Yet

the amount o research that deals specically with portlogistics is limited (Korular, 1999). Most o the existingresearch is not directly applicable to a container terminaldue to its unique characteristics. One o the rst detailedanalyses o port operations appears in Atkins (1983), whodocumented landside operations at the ports. Usually whena ship arrives at the terminal, containers are rst unloadedrom the ship and loaded on vehicles using the quay cranesand then moved to various locations or storage in the yard.Tese types o vehicles usually travel on a complex networko lanes within the terminal area.

ypically, ater most or all containers have been discharged

rom the ship, other containers are loaded. It is well knownthat speed is the major contributing actor in today’stransportation industry; thereore, the main intention o every port is to increase its throughput, or in particular,to reduce ship turnaround times (McKinsey & Company,1967). Tus, an ef cient port is one that allows speedy transshipment to and rom the ships (Korular, 1999). Boththe carrier and the port benet rom speedy operation.Unortunately, in many regions around the globe, the portsor terminals are now working at or close to capacity, andthere is signicant pressure rom the political and businesssectors to increase terminal throughput and in particulardecrease ship turnaround time at the port (Korular, 1999). In

most cases this requires the development o methodologiesand tools that allow the ef cient coordination o activitieswithin the terminal area. Even though the global economicpicture has sotened substantially in 2008, the volumeo worldwide container traf c is signicant. Te UnitedStates remains the world’s largest economy, with one in tencontainers originating in the United States or in-bound romother nations around the world (Research and Innovativeechnology Administration, 2009).

Norolk, Virginia hosts the largest naval base in the nationand houses one o the largest civilian ports. Te needor individuals to deal with port logistics is great, andpromoting individuals or such jobs is essential. Te rststep necessary to eed the pipeline o the port logistics

proession is the exposure o young individuals to the worldo port logistics and transportation.

Design Initiative for Students

Te activity described below will emphasize modeling,simulation, and the application o port logistics toamiliarize individuals and promote the exploration o SEM-related careers. Te activity will emphasize modelingand simulation o physical systems in the port environmentsin order to bring real-world problems closer to students whomay be interested in pursuing SEM-related careers. Teactivity will include modeling and simulation o typical portlogistics.

As a part o this activity, students will simulate port logisticapplications according to specications and under guidanceo the instructor, who in this case will serve as the managero the port authority. o be able to complete this activity,students need to be able to read technical specications todetermine dierent types o cranes and other transportation vehicles required in a port environment. A week o researchon the related topic is suggested. In starting the activity,students will receive an overview and instructions rom theport authority, including the number and type o cargo ships

Photo 2. Port logistics can be complex and challenging. Te Elly Maersk is one o the largest container cargo ships in the world.

While the Elly Maersk is a super container ship, it is also environ-mentally riendly, with silicone hull paint that reduces riction andimproves uel economy. Te Elly Maersk can carry 11,000 twenty-oot containers. In theory, a ship the size o the Elly Maersk couldcarry 528 million bananas!

P h o t o c r e

d i t : M a e r s k L i n e s



9 • The Technology Teacher • Sptmb 2009

that will be visiting the port. As a second step, they willplan and design a logistics operation plan to be distributed

to crane and transportation vehicle operators. Once theplan layouts are made, students will simulate the arrivalo a cargo ship and coordinate the dierent applicationsunder specic time and space constraints. Logistic materialsconsisting o timers, signs, and communication devicescan also be used so that students can better communicateand correspond with each other during the loading andunloading process. Once operation is complete, thestudents should prepare a report identiying glitches duringthe operation process and suggesting alternative ways o operation or uture applications. Students should use atleast one type o port logistics sotware during the planlayout process. At the end o the activity the instructor

should evaluate the operation and speciy positive andnegative components.

Upon the observation o several complex port logisticsystems and by using the engineering design process (seeFigure 1), students will identiy potential problems ound onthe port site. Following the second step o the engineeringdesign process, students will generate potential ideas andthen, using modeling and simulation techniques (M&S), allpotential ideas will be analyzed and tested. Depending uponthe results, the best idea will be chosen and executed duringthe port logistics activity. Upon completion o the activity,an evaluation will take place or the students to draw

conclusions and identiy design aws they encountered.

Activities such as the one described above are easy tocorrelate with Standards for Technological Literacy: Content

for the Study of Technology, created by the Internationalechnology Education Association in 2000. See able 1 or

correlations with IEA’s technological literacy standards.

Figure 1. Te engineering design process begins with stating theproblem and ends with presenting the results. Tis model can be

used to solve simple problems around the home or in complex lo-gistics and operations management scenarios. oday’s jobs requirecompetent people who can identiy problems, select solutions, anddeliver results in a timely and ef cient manner. Engineering DesignProcess Model. Adopted rom: www.nasa.gov/.../183835main_edc_ow_k4_540.jpg.

The Nature of Technology

Standard 1: Students will develop an

understanding of the characteristics and scope

of technology.


understanding of the core concepts of

technology.


understanding of the relationships among

technologies and the connections between

technology and other elds of study.

Technology and Society


understanding of the cultural, social,

economic, and political effects of technology.


understanding of the effects of technology on

the environment.


understanding of the role of society in the

development and use of technology.


understanding of the inuence of technology

on history.

Design


understanding of the attributes of design.


understanding of engineering design.


understanding of the role of troubleshooting,

research and development, invention and

innovation, and experimentation in problem

solving.

able 1. Correlation with Standards for Technological Literacy

Note. Adapted rom the International echnology Education Association. (2006). Technological Literacy for All : A Rationale

and Structure for the Study of Technology. Reston, VA: Author.



• The Technology Teacher • Sptmb 2009

Summary

Sea shipping is a sustainable transportation mode andan environmentally riendly solution or the capacity and mobility problems o the U.S. reight transportationsystem (Denisis, 2009). However, combining sea and landtransit by utilizing complex port logistics can promotemore sustainable reight transportation and, according tothe U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), is “a ormo commercial waterborne transportation that does nottransit an ocean and utilizes inland and coastal waterwaysto move commercial reight.” However, being able tocreate an ef cient system o transportation that is alsoriendly to the environment and prevents pollution is amajor goal o this activity—to enhance understanding o

young individuals so they make intelligent and inormedcareer decisions and protect the environment or uturegenerations will remain vital.

References

Atkins, W. H. (1983). Modern marine terminal operations

and management. Te Port o Oakland. Oakland.Caliornia.

Bish, E.K. (1999). Teoretical analysis and practical algorithms for operational problems in container terminals. Ph.D. dissertation, Northwestern University,Evanston, IL. Retrieved July 11, 2009, rom Dissertations& Teses: Full ext. (Publication No. AA 9953244).

Bramel, J. & Simchilevi. (1997). Te logic of logistics: Teory,algorithms and applications for logistics management.

Springer Series in Operations Research.McKinsey & Company. Inc. (1967). Containerization: Te

key to low transport. A report by McKinsey, Inc. or the

British ransport Docks Board.Denisis, A. (n.d.) An economic feasibility study of short

sea shipping including the estimation of externalitieswith fuzzy logic. Ph.D. dissertation, University o Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Retrieved July 12, 2009, romDissertations & Teses: Full ext. (Publication No. AA3354137).

Goldsman, D., Pernet, S., & Keebom, K.(2002). Simulationo transportation logistics. Simulation Conference, 2002.

Proceedings of the Winter, Vol. 1, 8-11, Dec. 2002, 901-904. Retrieved (n.d.) rom http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=1172977&isnumber=26360.

Maersk Line, (n.d.) 80th anniversary of Maersk Line

milestones, Retrieved July 12, 2009, rom www.maerskline.com/link/?page=brochure&path=/about_us/milestones.

Maritime ransportation System ask Force. (1999). Anassessment of the U.S. Marine ransportation System

(MS): A report to Congress. Washington, DC: U.S.Department o ransportation. Retrieved (n.d.) romwww.cmts.gov/index.htm.

U.S. Department o ransportation, Research andInnovative echnology Administration, Bureau o ransportation Statistics. (2009). America's U.S.Department o ransportation. America’s container ports:

Freight hubs that connect our nation to global markets.

Retrieved July 12, 2009, rom www.bts.gov/publications/americas_container_ports/2009/pd/entire.pd.

Petros J. Katsioloudis, Ph.D is an

ambassador to Cyprus for the International echnology Education Association. He is

an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational and echnical Studies at Old

Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.

Photo 3. Mariners on cargo ships such as the Emma Maersk rely on harbor masters, tugboats, and port logistics operators to get inand out o ports in a timely manner. Te ships must be piloted intoa harbor and docked or loading and unloading. Specialized cranesload and unload ships very ef ciently acccording to a plan.

P h o t o C r e

d i t : M a e r s

k L i n e s .



Documents

Transportation of the Future Understanding Port Logistics