Copyright © IFAC Transportation Systems

Chania. Greece, 1997

A PARADIGM OF INFORMATION AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL

IN PORT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Dr. Athanassios Ballis and Dr. Antony Statbopoulos

National Technical University of Athens

Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering
5, Iroon Polytechniou str. Zografou, Athens,GR-15773,GREECE

Abstract: Intelligent Systems have made their appearance in the port sector as innovations
for effective operations control appeared in the early 70's and gradually have been
implemented in a wide range of port operations. The sea. yard. berth and freight station
planning operations, the administrativelfinancial management as 'Well as the management
and control of the handling activities (that may include computerized equipment control)
are the elements of the modern Port Information System (PIS) architecture that makes the
port operations more effective and provides valuable services to shipping lines, planners,
operators and clients.

Key-words: Intelligent Systems, Transportation control, Information integration. Control

engineering applications

1. INTRODUCTION Maritime container terminals have to plan their

Intelligent Systems have made their appearance in
the port sector well in advance of road transportation
applications as innovations for effective operations
control appeared in the early 70's. Modern ports play
an active role in the development of transportation
infrastructure and services, which improve the flow of
international cargo over their wharves and beyond to
the surrounding region.
The maritime container terminals provide an excellent
example of the integration of the various Information
Systems and Control Engineering applications in an
overall Port Information System (PIS) architecture
that incorporates the vessel traffic management,
the sealyard and freight station planning
operations, the administrativeIcial management,
the management and control of the handling
activities, the cargo consolidation/warehouse services,
the inlout gate inspections and the equipment
maintenance.
service activities based on many interrelated (and in
many cases conflicting) factors. The physical
operational procedures are rather complex (see Figure
1) and requires extensive information flows. The
associated operational environment incorporates
numerous management activities that can be
distinguished into three groups:
1. Planning operations, such as yard planning
(dynamic storage area allocation), berth planning
(berth allocation to vessel and crane allocation to
berths), ship planning (loadin&'unloading plan
optimisation with respect to cargo compatibility
and stability limitations) as well as Container
Freight Station and rail-terminal operations
planning
2. Management and control of the actua1
shipItrainItruc handling activities, including
personnel and equipment guidance and command
(and computerised equipment control - where
applicable) as well as monitorinWsupervision of

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Figure I : Operational procedures in a typical maritime terminal

the reefer container. dangerous cargoes and high
value cargo related activities.
3. Administrativelfinancial management that
includes container invoicing, custom clearance.
sanitary checks and port communication with
shipping lines/shipbrokers. stevedores and clients.
2. PORT OPERATIONS PLANNING
Yard planning is the common denominator in most
port plannjng activities due to the nature of the
maritime operations. Maritime containers have to
dwell for a number of days in storage areas before or
after the ship's arrival in order to balance the capacity
of the transport modes with the capacity of the local
transport system to hinterland and to pass customs
and/or sanitary checks. According to the current
practice. containers that will be exported are brought
to the terminal a few days before the arrival of the
ship. Containers that are associated to a specific ship
arrival are concentrated and grouped in a specific
stacking area In.order to speed up ship loading, the
associated container stacking areas are sulHtivided
into compartments (per destination and/or weight)
having a relatively low mean stacking height
However. since typical ports are suffer from space
availability the management of the storage
requirements is. essential. The maritime terminals
have gained efficiency benefits by replacing the aged
manual system with computerized systems that are
planning (aiming to mjnimize container rebandling
and oprimjzjng yard equipment movements) and
recording all happenings. Indeed. many ports would
admit that the old management system would never
lend itself to today's levels of throughput (Chaitanya
and Lobi!, 1994). The yard planning systems can also
generate projected yard images at a future point in
time taking into consideration all planned vessel
operations and the yard plans created up to that time
and thus enables the planner to start the yard
planning exercise much earlier in the container
movement cycle.
Berth plannjng is another primary port operation that
incorporates berth allocation among the expected
vessels as well as quay crane allocation to berths. The
associated decisions can have a significant impact on
terminal operations and can influence vessel turn-
around times. The computer-based birth planning
systems keep track of vessel schedules and berth
occupancy to enable the planner to decide upon the
best possIble berth for an incoming vessel. These
systems provide support for making such decisions by
taking into consideration the number of moves per
vessel and quay crane allocations and availability.
They can produce planning information for up to two
weeks in advance. and also in the short term to
accommodate adverse weather warnings etc. When
such weather conditions. equipment breakdowns., ship
rescheduling etc. occur, a revised schedule can be

830
produced instantly. The planner does not, however,
have to accept this revision and can ask for another
solution which, although not being the optimum in
tenns of service time, may be more agreeable to the
terminal's service policy.
Ship planning influences both ship and port
performance. The high level of competition in the
container shipping industry makes it extremely
important to maximise utilisation of all resources.
When many ports are included on one voyage, the
difficulty in achieving a good stowage increases very
rapidly. It therefore becomes an important planning
objective to maximise capacity (subject to stability,
ballast and trim constraints) and the decisions
require an analysis of the associated economic
implications. Computer graphics-based ship planning
systems are a tool for the ship planner to develop
better load and discharge plans in a short time frame.
In Container Freight Station (CFS) installations the
main activities that are performed are cargo
consolidation (where parcels of cargo are grouped and
packed into containers), cargo deconsolidation (the
full imported containers having cargo for more than
one customer are opened) as well as warehousing
(storage, distribution. documentation etc.). The
modern CFS systems are implemented using a
centralized computer system (with distributed
resources and visual display units placed at various
operating points) to schedule operations and allocate
the necessary equipment (such as Fork Lifts) and
working gangs.
3. MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF
HANDLING OPERATIONS
The primary objective of the Control system is to
guide and supervise on a real-time basis all the
handling equipment and the personnel involved in the
quay and yard handling activities, in order to fulfil
the handling schedule (performed by the Yard and
Ship planning systems) in an efficient and safe
manner. These operations are largely affected by the
type of the various equipment involved. The prospect
of future tecbnology that can be employed in a
maritime container terminal has stimulated the mind
of many operators and a lot of futuristic designs can
be found in the literature including container
overhead conveyors. automated container silos and
self-unloading ships. Ho\wver very few advanced
designs have been implemented successfully. (Ballis
er al.. 1991). For the seaside operations, the use of
Harbour Gantry Cranes has been widely spread,
due to its high productivity in comparison to heavy
Hook Cranes. The Harbour Gantry Crane in some
cases is embodying many developments (anti-swap
systems, semi-automatic positioning systems,
double trolleys etc.). On the contrary for the yardside
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operations a great variety of handling equipment is
available including Straddle Carriers, Fork Lifts, Yard
Cranes on wheels or on rails and Tractor-Trailers
(CEC, 1994).
The communication system used is a another key
element that determines the performance and the
technical limits of the Control system. For many low-
volume terminals, the use of voice based VHF or UHF
radio communications systems is entirely adequate,
but as the number of equipment units increases, radio
frequencies become overloaded, a point that is often
reached where no further expansion of a terminal's
radio telephone system is possible, as available
frequencies are generally tightly restricted by
government controls. A number of high throughput
terminals have adopted advanced data transmission
techniques (via inductive loop or wireless radio) that
can send the control instruction to a screen in the
operator' s cab or directly to the automatic guidance
systems (where available). Adoption of data
transmission techniques is also likely to lead to a
reduction in the amount of errors made.
The handling activity control can be accomplished
manually, automatically by the computer or semi-
automatically by a combination of computer guidance
and manual execution.
The advanced equipment control can be applied not
only to the handling equipment types that have been
designed for computerised control (like automatic
stacking cranes and automatic guided vehicles) but
also to equipment types that can be easily converted
for the automation process (like rail mounted Gantry
Cranes) as well as for the manned mobile handling
equipment (like Straddle Carriers or Gantry Cranes
on wheels).
There is growing use of Radio Data Transfer (ROT) to
connect container handling terminal equipment with
the control room and computer systems. Data is
downloaded from a main frame computer to RDT
personal computers and relayed by modem-radio link
to an RDT terminal in the operators cabin. With the
above advanced data transmission systems the
operator of a straddle carrier or Fork Lift Truck does
not have to wait until a channel is free to confirm
completion of the control's instructions and then to
receive others. Data from the operator, flows in the
reverse direction. The above support provides the
operator with information (work priorities, choice of
destination. minimum path selection etc.) and also via
feedback allows the control system to be kept up-to-
date about the equipment status. More advanced
systems are making use of position detection
techniques (inductive loops, synchro-transmitter
coupled to wbeels) and automatically drive the
equipment (usually a rubber wheeled or a rail mounted
crane), slow the travel speed and stop the crane to the
location instructed by the Yard Control system.
The new container terminal at Delta Rotterdam
provides an example of the computerised control of
the handling equipment activities. Automatic Guided
Vehicles perform all the transport activities while
Automatic Stacking Cranes serve the seaside as well
as the main part of the yardside handling activities.
Only the last part of the store-tcrtruck handling is
performed by use of manned Straddle Carriers since
the incoming trucks can not park with the accuracy
required by the Automatic Stacking Cranes.
4. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT
under two hours. Port information systems can now be
traced all over the world Rotterdam has INTIS;
Antwerp has SEA~ Bremen has COMPASS;
Hamburg has DAKOSKY; New York has ACES;
Singapore has Portnet. In some cases (like
INTISIRotterdam), the communications scheme can
offer a method of electronic dialogue, linking
container tenniDals with ship brokers (Willmott,
1992). In this environment, emerging standards such
as UNIEDIFAcr as well as the International Freight
Transport Message Framework for bookings and other
operations in the hinterland, set the pace for the
adoption of a set of messages that will enable shipping
lines and ports to exchange stowage (or bayplan)
details as well as position of containers on the
terminal.

The administrativelfinancial management covers
activities such as container invoicing, equipment
maintenance, stock control as \Wll as port customs
clearance procedures and communications with port
customers. Customs clearance traditionally poses one
of the worst bottlenecks on port operation.
(Stathopoulos, 1980). However, the introduction of
computers reduced the clearance times from days to
This can be done through a group of -commonly
accepted- messages to be used (in electronic data
interchange) between trading partners involved in
administration. commerce and transport, both in
national and in international trade. However, even
thought most of the terminal operators do some part
of the communication work by use of Electronic Data
Interchange (EO!), the majority of the information

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SHIP aUTIlIY AIUI
M AJ'lAGEM ENT AND CONTROL onltA nONS
OJ'IlAI<DLING OP£ltAnONS PLANNING

MODE

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SERVICE

SEASIDE ACTrVlTIU :)

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Figure 2 : Overall Port Information and Control System

832
exchange is still performed by use of hardcopies or
hardcopies structured formats.
5. OVERALL PORT INFORMATION SYSTEM
The overall pon system incorporates and suppons
numerous services that include the planning and
control of the handling operations and the
administrativelfinancial management together with
vessel traffic management, the inlout gate inspections
and the equipment maintenance. Figure 2 presents
graphically this operational environment.
The function and the development process for the
various planning management and control StJl>.
systems has been already ctiscussed. The inlout gate
inspection includes both the document and the
transfer mode check-over (e.g. inspection for possible
damages in the incoming truck and the container
carried on). The inlout gate is the interface between
the port and its hinterland and its performance can
creaIe a bottleneck or conversely speed up the port's
internal transpon chain.
traffic route to the anticipated berth etc.). Moreover,
the effectiveness of the ship planning system is greatly
enhanced through the incorporation of the quay crane
sequencing function. This function enables the
planner to take the quay crane allocation (made in the
berth planning system) for the vessel and work out the
detailed working plan for the cranes.
Since the system monitors the current status (and
estimates the future) status of the cargoes under his
responsibility, all the necessary information can be
available to other trading partners involved in
administration, commerce and transpon both in
national and in international trade, through a group of
-commonly accepted- messages, like for example, the
INTRACON message set (used in Rotterdam)
covering all the aspects of container transpon. from
Shipper to receiver by all modes (road, rail, barge
and sea) transpon modes. This operational
environment transforms the pon into a hub of
information flow that makes the pon operations more
effective and provides valuable services to shipping
lines, planners, operators and clients.

The Vessel Traffic Management System (vrMS) is 6. CONCLUSIONS

another system to ensure the safe and expeditious flow
of vessel traffic up to the benh. VI'MS is much more
than a shore-based radar system: it is a navigational
aid and a planning instrument that (through
communication systems) combines a network of
radars, tag-boats, patrol-boats and a shore-based
decision suppon mechanism to make up an integral
traffic management and information system which is
capable moreover of giving early warning when
dangerous situations threaten.
When the various pan StJl>.systems are integrated, the
outcome presents a much more useful picture of the
resource availability and allocation. The yardlberth
planning can undenake "preferred area settings" to
optimise the number of containers in a stack and their
position in the yard, based on information concerning
the incoming, outgoing and transhipment
arrangements of the cargoes plus the various specific
considerations (hazardous content. proximity and
Many ports have already implemented various
computer-based applications for the sea, yard, berth
and CFS operations planning and the equipment
control as -well as for the administrative and financial
management of their activities. The integration of all
information and control StJl>.systems, forms an overall
pan operational environment that transforms the pon
into a hub of information flow that stans with the
producer of the goods and ends with the buyer,
covering all the actors and having access in all the
necessary information. The progress in pon
information systems as -well as in the computerised
equipment control seems inevitable and only the
rate of implementation is open to debate. This
prospect will undoubtedly have repercussion to other
fields and application areas, including the telelematics
sector.

References
Ballis A. & Stathopoulos A (1995). "Monitoring, elaboration and exchange of information in the maritime
container terminals" First Conference on the Infortnation Society. Technical Chamber of Greece, Athens
(In Greek).
Ballis A., Golias J.• & Abacoumkin C .• "A comparison bet-ween conventional and advanced handling systems for
low volume container maritime terminals". To be published in the Maritime Policy Management, 1991.
Chaitanya & Harsha Lohit (1994). "Information Systems in Container TerminaJs" The World of Cargo Handling.
ICHCA ReviewI993-94, (pp. 66-68).
Commission of the European Communities (1994). DG Vll-A4. "Future Fast Transfer Technologies" Doe.
EURET/410/94.
Stalhopoulos A (1980). "Indirect cost factors" Proc.. Cant Problems and perspectives of the Piraeus Pon,
Mercantile and Industrial Chamber ofPiraeus (In Greek).
Willmott K. (1992). "Computers" The Buyers' Guide to Manufacturers 1992, ICHCA. (pp122-l24).

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