OVERVIEW

The teaching unit aims at providing the basic concepts on transport systems and logistics systems, with particular attention to maritime transport and logistics port operations.

More in detail, the teaching unit provides the capability to represent, simulate, and optimize goods and people flows in both the "sea side" and "land side" of port terminals.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching unit aims at introducing the basic concepts on transport and logistic systems, with a particular focus on maritime transport and port operations. In particular the teaching unit will provide the capability of modelling, simulating, and optimizing freights and people flows in ports considering both the seaside and ground-side operations. 

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the proposed training activities (lectures and laboratory activities) and Individual study will allow the student to:

• analyze and understand the dynamics of transport and logistic systems 
• formalize and analytically solve simple problems related to transport and logistic systems
• formalize and simulate complex transport and logistic systems such as maritime terminals for cargo and passengers, as well as analyse and discrete their performance

PREREQUISITES

The following basic knowledge are required to profitably attend the teaching unit: 

• Basic calculus
• Operations Research and Optimization

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures consist of classes (60%) and laboratory activities (40%)

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the School's contact person for disability at the beginning of teaching to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns. Contacts of the teacher and the School's disability contact person can be found at the following link: University Committee for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities or DSAs | UniGe | University of Genoa

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching unit is articulated in three main topics:

1. Basics on transport systems
   • Transprt supply with focus on maritime transport: models and congestion
   • Transprot Demand: (zonization and origin-destination matrices)
   • Demand/supply interaction in simple cases (User's deterministic behaviour and uncongested networks)
2. Basics on Discrete Event Systems (DES) and their simulation approaches
3. Basic on port operations:
   • Equipment and material handling system of terminals and warehouses
   • Ship and terminal simple operations (e.g., berth allocation, import/export cycles, combined cycle)
   • Complex port operation: simulations and performance assessment

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Basics bibliography:

Notes provided the teacher

Insights:

• M.G. Burns, Port Management and Operations, CRC press, 2015 (ENG)
• J. Banks, J.S. Carson, B.L. Nelson, D. M. Nicol, Discrete-Event System Simulation, 5th Edition, Pearson, 2010 (ENG)
• A. Di Febbraro, A. Giua, Sistemi ad Eventi Discreti, 2002, McGrawHill (ITA)

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/10948/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of a written test on theory (weight: 1/3 of the final mark) and practical activity on the simulations (weight: 2/3 of the final mark).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

With the test, it will be assessed:

• the student's knowledge of the lecture topics

With the practical part of the exam, it will be assessed:

• the student's capability to formalize maritime transport problems 
• the student's capability to perform simulations to estimate the performances of freight and passenger terminals

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule