Optimizing continuous-time berth allocation, time-variant quay crane and yard assignment

Efficient container terminal operations depend on the coordinated use of three key resources: berths, quay cranes (QCs), and yard space. Decisions involving these components are highly interrelated. Berth allocation affects QC scheduling, which in turn influences yard-side transport. However, the majority of the literature treat these problems separately or under simplifying assumptions such as discrete berth allocation, time-invariant QC allocation, or omission of yard assignment. To the best of our known, this paper is the first to formulate a unified continuous-time optimization model that integrates continuous berth allocation, time-variant QC scheduling, and yard space assignment. To solve our proposed comprehensive decision model, we develop an exact algorithm and accelerate this by designing some novel valid inequalities and M-tightening techniques. The algorithmic efficiency and the benefits of considering the aforementioned decision features are validated through computational experiments. In addition, sensitivity analyses are conducted to derive potentially useful managerial insights.