A fuzzy logic model for the container stacking problem at container terminals

We address the problem of storage space allocation in a sea port terminal. The problem consists of assigning a block space in the yard of a container terminal to every incoming container while ensuring operational efficiency. The proposed framework uses a 2-stage framework in combination with a fuzzy logic rule-based strategy. The concept is motivated by the problem faced by container terminals in Chile and the aim is to provide real-time decision support to deal with a high degree of uncertainty in the arrival of containers at the yard. In addition, the framework provides a more flexible design to include a set of different criteria as well as different infrastructures and layouts of container ports. Numerical results are presented, comparing the results of the fuzzy framework with respect to algorithms proposed in the literature, considering different scenarios.