“ Terminal Simulation Test - bed and Design Tool ” A proposal submitted to METRANS

The ability to simulate at the microscopic level all terminal transport processes is of paramount importance to ports and terminals, to the industry, to a wide range of multidisciplinary researchers, and to many other stakeholders. In a microscopic simulation, every significant piece of equipment is modeled and tracked. Terminal operators report that such detailed modeling capabilities do not exist. Macroscopic models using container flow rates are available, but such models are of limited use as they cannot accurately describe the detailed processes occurring inside the terminal. In this proposal we propose the development of a detailed terminal simulation test-bed and design tool, based on microscopic terminal characteristics.