A computer simulation model of container movement by sea

We describe a computer simulation model of ocean container carrier operations. The simulation is called SimSea and was developed through collaboration between the CSIR, a research organization in South Africa, and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). SimSea simulates the transport of containers by container vessels. Containers are transported from container depots to customers. The customers load the containers, and thereafter the containers are transported to the ports. At the ports the containers are loaded onto and offloaded from vessels, and the vessels transport the containers between ports according to the vessels' schedules. Containers are transported from the ports to receiving customers who unload the containers, and from there the empty containers are transported to container depots. Empty containers are also transported between container depots to compensate for imbalances in the flow of loaded containers