Sustainable urban logistics: A case study of waterway integration in Amsterdam

This paper tackles the growing challenges in urban logistics by presenting an optimal distribution network that integrates urban waterways and last-mile delivery, tailored for cities boasting extensive waterway networks. We examine Amsterdam's city center as a case study, prompted by the strain on quay walls, congestion, and emissions, urging...

Zero-emission Fueling Infrastructure for IWT: Optimizing the Connection between Upstream Energy Supply and Downstream Energy Demand

A key challenge in the energy transition for Inland Water Transport is the functional design of bunker networks and first-order dimensioning of individual bunker stations. A fundamental ingredient for this is an improved understanding of how upstream energy supply (‘well-to-bunker-station’) and downstream demand (‘bunker-station-to-tank’) may...

A robust optimization approach for platooning of automated ground vehicles in port hinterland corridors

Modern ports face significant challenges as strategic nodes of global supply chains, being responsible for the coordination of inbound and outbound flows at deep-sea and in hinterland transport corridors. Digitization and the adoption of disruptive technologies can help ports to tide over operational challenges. Automated Ground Vehicles ...

Safety and Sustainable Development of Automated Driving in Mixed-Traffic Urban Areas—Considering Vulnerable Road Users and Network Efficiency

Next to environmental aspects, establishing areas for safe and economically viable automated driving in mixed-traffic settings is one major challenge for sustainable development of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). This work investigates safety in the interactions between AVs, human-driven vehicles, and vulnerable road users, including cyclists and...

Equitable post-disaster relief distribution: a robust multi-objective multi-stage optimization approach

Purpose: This paper aims to address a location-distribution-routing problem for distributing relief commodities during a disaster under uncertainty by creating a multi-stage model that can consider information updates during the disaster. This model aims to create a relief network that chooses distribution centers with the highest value while...

Co-procurement: making the most of collaborative procurement

While the procurement decision is generally made by individual buyers, this study investigates how a group of buyers can make a shared decision. We call this collaborative approach, co-procurement. A mathematical model is formulated for the decision of procurement from multiple suppliers. The model is solved for individual buyers. The outcome...

Platooning of Automated Ground Vehicles to Connect Port and Hinterland: A Multi-objective Optimization Approach

Automated ground vehicles (AGVs) are essential parts of container operations at many ports. Forming platoons—as conceptually established in trucking—may allow these vehicles to directly cater demand points such as dry ports in the hinterland. In this work, we aim to assess such AGV platoons in terms of operational efficiency and costs,...

Platform-based Platooning to Connect Two Autonomous Vehicle Areas

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been successfully applied in closed environments such as ports and industrial zones, while their operation in open areas has a long way to go. The current research is initiated to overcome this limitation by the introduction of platooning as a transfer mode. It investigates a container transportation problem...