01158439

Component

The goal of this research is to develop a comprehensive model that describes the integrated logistics operations in response to natural disasters. We propose a mathematical model that controls the flow of several relief commodities from the sources through the supply chain and until they are delivered to the hands of recipients. The structure of the network is in compliance with FEMA’s complex logistics structure. The proposed model not only considers details such as vehicle routing and pick up or delivery schedules; but also considers finding the optimal location for several layers of temporary facilities as well as considering the capacity constraints for each facility and the transportation system. Such an integrated model provides the opportunity for a centralized operation plan that can eliminate delays and assign the limited resources to the best possible use. A set of numerical experiments is designed to test the proposed formulation and evaluate the properties of the optimization problem. The numerical analysis shows the capabilities of the model to handle the large-scale relief operations with adequate details. However, the problem size and difficulty grows rapidly with adding the equity constraints and extending the length of the operations. In these cases, it is suggested to find fast solution algorithms and heuristics methods in future research.

01147878

10-3557

English

23 p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (4) ; References; Tables (2)

Computer models; Disaster preparedness; Disaster relief; Disasters and emergency operations; Routes and routing

Security and Emergencies

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-3557

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 11:48AM