Optimization of Combined Transportation Infrastructures Using Iterative Simulation. Railroad Terminal Study Articles uri icon

published in

publication date

  • August 2012

start page

  • 474

end page

  • 480

volume

  • 87

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0012-7361

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1989-1490

abstract

  • Simulation is frequently used to evaluate new scenarios to improve the present operation of combined transportation terminal. This project illustrates how simulation may be used to generate new alternative configurations in the redesign process of a terminal (changing the number of cranes, working shifts ... ). This is an iterative process, where the results obtained for a certain configuration are used as an input for the regeneration of new promising configuration alternatives. A simulation model, developed in Witness (R) commercial software, is presented to illustrate the alternative generation process. The model represents the initial configuration of a rail-road terminal. Terminal performance is assessed and based on this information and the knowledge of the system internal causality, new promising configuration alternatives are defined and implemented. The results of these new configurations may as well lead to new changes, reproducing once again the process.