Modelling navigation in muddy areas through captive model tests

Many access channels and harbours suffer from sedimentation and formation of mud layers. To keep navigation safe and economic, extensive maintenance dredging is needed. Until now, the required level of dredging has always been determined by making use of the physical characteristics of the mud layer, which does not necessarily result in efficient dredging. Ship behaviour also matters, and knowledge of ship manoeuvrability can help to redefine the level of dredging required. A mathematical model of manoeuvring for simulation purposes, based on a comprehensive series of captive model tests, is presented, along with a selection of results.     

Collaborative Logistics from the Perspective of Road Transportation Companies

ABSTRACT

To survive under the ever increasing competitive and global pressures to operate more efficiently, transportation companies are obliged to adopt a collaborative focus. Various types of cooperative supply chain relationships have been discussed in both professional and academic literature over the last decades. However, research on horizontal cooperation in logistics remains scarce and scattered across various research domains. Companies operating at the same level of the supply chain and performing comparable logistics functions may cooperate horizontally to increase their productivity, improve their service level and enhance their market position. In this paper, the focus is on the operational planning of horizontal cooperations between road transportation carriers. Following a scientific literature review, a distinction may be made between two operational approaches to horizontal logistics collaboration: order sharing and capacity sharing. For both research streams, a detailed overview of solution techniques proposed in literature is presented. Moreover, some interesting opportunities for future research are identified.