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An agent-based approach to simulate the containership stowage problem

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Abstract

This article presents a graphic simulation tool for the containership stowage problem at maritime ports using an agent-based approach to verify the effect of weight equilibrium stability on the containership. The container stowage problem is developed to guide the planning and procedures to allocate containers into a containership, based on the origin and destination ports previously schedule for each container. A methodological framework was developed to conduct the implementation of the graphic tool, using NetLogo® to setup and run the agent-based simulation. To test the graph simulation tool implemented, a total of 12 case studies were created based on combinations of the most influent input parameters with the weight equilibrium stability output variables. The computational results show that the assigned values for the input parameters allocation ordering sequence, number of containers, and stability limits have a direct influence on the weight equilibrium stability simulation during the allocation process.

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Fig. 1

Source: Delgado et al. (2012)

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Source: Delgado et al. (2012)

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Funding

This work was supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [Grant No. 422095/2018–4, 105034/2020–7], by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) [Grant No. BEX200936/2014], and by BE MUNDUS project awarded by the European Commission Erasmus Mundus programme [Grant No. BM13DF0018/2014];

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovation and Competitiveness Group, Production Engineering post-graduation program, Federal University of Santa Maria, Avenue Roraima 1000, building 7, room 302, Santa Maria, 97105-900, Brazil

    Alvaro Neuenfeldt-Júnior & Bruna de Oliveira

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  1. Alvaro Neuenfeldt-Júnior
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  2. Bruna de Oliveira
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Correspondence to Alvaro Neuenfeldt-Júnior.

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Neuenfeldt-Júnior, A., de Oliveira, B. An agent-based approach to simulate the containership stowage problem. Soft Comput 26, 12583–12597 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-022-07222-5

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