01589112

Component

Port capacity is a relevant parameter to assess port performance. In literature, there are several definitions, depending on the goal. Many simulation models have been used to predict waterway traffic in ports, and the corresponding port performance, but they do generally not include a method to determine the port’s capacity. Guidelines or other studies using empirical data also do not address this important topic. The innovative method presented in this paper defines and estimates the Port Network Traffic Capacity (PNTC), by using a simulation model. The analysis and comparison of several indicators were used to find the most suitable ones. The relation between the outflow and the ratio of waiting time and service time provides the most suitable trend to identify when the port reaches unstable flow situations. The method allows to identify traffic flow trends in a port from aggregated data and to estimate the maximum vessel flow that can be sustained by a port network, given a specific port configuration and operations. The use of the method is useful during the port design phase, since with few simulations, an indicative value of the PNTC for each design can be inferred and, thus, scenarios can be compared between them.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AW010 Standing Committee on Ports and Channels.

01584066

16-1814

English

14p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Estimating; Port capacity; Ports; Simulation; Traffic flow; Water traffic

Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-1814

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 4:46PM