Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows and Two-Dimensional Loading for Shipbuilding Block Transportation

Ohhyun Kweona, Jun Kima, Sang Hun Kimb Byung-In Kima*

aDepartment of Industrial and Management Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). dhgus5676@gmail.com, jun1209@postech.ac.kr, bkim@postech.ac.kr

bSamsung Heavy Industries Co. sh2105.kim@samsung.com

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +82 54 279 2371; Fax: +82 54 279 2870.

 

Benchmark Instances (click)

Last updated: 2026/01/16

 

1. Introduction

The many-to-many pickup and delivery problem with time windows (M2MPDPTW) is a variant of the pickup and delivery problem with time windows (PDPTW), as classified by request types in Berbeglia et al. (2007). The M2MPDPTW deals with many-to-many (M-M) requests, in which pickup and delivery locations can be chosen from multiple alternatives. This flexibility allows decision-makers to generate more feasible and adaptable routing schedules.

In the steelmaking industry, M-1 and 1-M requests have been applied to the transportation of non-motorized Torpedo Ladle Cars, which are containers used for molten iron, as discussed by Kweon and Kim (2024). In addition, the shipbuilding industry has adopted M-M requests for transporting subassemblies. These subassemblies are transferred between quays by barges, subject to specific time windows. However, unlike land transportation, quay availability may be restricted due to tidal conditions. To accommodate this, the shipbuilding industry allows subassemblies to be picked up from or delivered to alternative quays. These subassemblies are then transported over land by specialized transporters, and an additional charge is incurred when such alternatives are used.

Since subassemblies often have irregular shapes, they are stacked on top of rectangular blocks. Therefore, when loaded onto barges, these subassemblies can be treated as rectangular items due to the uniform shape of the blocks beneath them. Accordingly, each request that involves transporting a subassembly is associated with a rectangular item, referred to as a block.

The many-to-many pickup and delivery problem with time windows and two-dimensional (2D) loading constraints (2L-M2MPDPTW) has not yet been investigated in the literature. The objective of the 2L-M2MPDPTW is to minimize the total travel cost and additional charges, while accounting for 2D loading constraints. Reflecting the block transportation characteristics of the shipbuilding industry, the following assumptions are made:

1)      Barges are heterogeneous.

2)      Each barge has two types of capacity constraints: total weight and unit weight capacity.

3)      Some barges may not have predefined initial locations; if not specified, they are assumed to be available anywhere at the start of the schedule.

4)      Each barge has a fixed rectangular loading area.

5)      All distances satisfy the triangle inequality.

6)      Each request involves only one item (i.e., one block)

7)      Each request may have alternative pickup and delivery quays, each associated with different time windows and additional charges.

2. Benchmark Problems

To the best of our knowledge, the 2L-M2MPDPTW has not been studied yet. Therefore, we introduce 180 new benchmark instances generated to reflect real-world conditions, including quay utilization and barge specifications. The generated instances are categorized based on the number of requests and the number of alternative combinations. The numbers of requests considered are 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125, labeled as XXS, XS, SS, MM, LL, and XL, respectively. Alternatives for each pickup and delivery quay are generated based on a binomial distribution with two trials and probabilities of 25%, 50%, and 75%, labeled as "25", "50", and "75". The additional charges incurred by using alternative quays are set identical to the corresponding travel distances. The number of barges is fixed at 30% of the number of requests, each with a workhour limit of 400 minutes. All pickup and delivery time windows are set to 60 minutes. A service time of 5 minutes is required for loading or unloading a block.

Table 1. Summary of new benchmark instances.

Data Group

Num

Requests

Alternatives

Barges

XXS25

10

10

23.3

3

XS25

10

25

54.8

7

SS25

10

50

112.1

13

MM25

10

75

165.1

19

LL25

10

100

219.8

25

XL25

10

125

288.5

32

XXS50

10

10

42.7

3

XS50

10

25

98.5

7

SS50

10

50

201.2

13

MM50

10

75

286.7

19

LL50

10

100

383.9

25

XL50

10

125

495.2

32

XXS75

10

10

61.5

3

XS75

10

25

152.0

7

SS75

10

50

310.7

13

MM75

10

75

469.7

19

LL75

10

100

628.1

25

XL75

10

125

789.1

32

 

Table 1 presents a summary of the generated data. The second column of Table 1 indicates the number of instances belonging to each data group. The third column indicates the number of requests, while the fourth column shows the number of combinations of all possible pickup and delivery quays. The fifth column presents the number of barges.

Four input files are provided in .txt format: "Barge.txt", "Block.txt", "OD.txt", and "Filelist.txt". All values in different columns are separated using tab delimiters. The "Barge.txt" file contains the following four columns:

-            ID: Identifier of the barge

-            Starting: Initial quay assigned to the barge

-            TW: Working hours of the barge

-            Spec (M, L, W, UM): Capacity specifications of the barge, where each value denotes mass (or weight), length, width, and unit mass (or weight) capacity, respectively.

The "Block.txt" file contains the following four columns:

-            ID: Identifier of the block

-            Spec (M, L, W): Specifications of the block, where each value denotes mass (or weight), length, and width, respectively

-            Pickup Info: This column contains the list of possible pickup quays. Different quays are separated using space delimiters. Each quay entry includes, in order, the quay ID, pickup time window, and the associated additional charge, sequentially.

-            Delivery Info: This column contains the list of possible delivery quays. Different quays are separated using space delimiters. Each quay entry includes, in order, the quay ID, delivery time window, and the associated additional charge, sequentially.

All distances are recorded in an adjacency list format in the "OD.txt" file. The "OD.txt" file contains the following three columns:

-            From: departure quay

-            To: arrival quay

-            Travel time: travel time between the departure and arrival quays

The "Filelist.txt" file contains the names of the above three types of files for each instance.

3. Computational results

A total of 180 benchmark instances were tested using the hybrid ALNS algorithm and the MILP model. The detailed results are presented in Table 2. The ¡°C0,¡± ¡°C1,¡± and ¡°C2¡± denote the objective value, the total travel time required by the barges, and the additional charges incurred by selecting alternative quays, respectively. The ¡°L.¡± and ¡°T(s)¡± represent the lower bound provided by the solver and the computational time, respectively. The ¡°–¡± indicates that no result was obtained within the time limit, and the bolded letters indicate the optimal solution. The MILP was not tested on instances with more than 50 requests, because it was unlikely to provide either a meaningful lower bound or any incumbent solution.

Table 2. Results of benchmark instances.

Data

ALNS

MILP

Data

ALNS

MILP

C0

C1

C2

T(s)

L.

C0

C1

C2

T(s)

C0

C1

C2

T(s)

L.

C0

C1

C2

T(s)

XXS2501

525

430

95

1.3

525

525

430

95

578.7

MM5001

2665

2270

395

84.2

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2502

585

550

35

1.4

585

585

520

65

1080.2

MM5002

2850

2120

730

104.2

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2503

575

530

45

1.3

575

575

530

45

438.3

MM5003

2725

2000

725

130.4

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2504

580

550

30

1.7

575

575

470

105

14539.6

MM5004

2585

2490

95

106.9

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2505

550

550

0

1.2

550

550

540

10

222.8

MM5005

2520

2070

450

204.3

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2506

590

570

20

2.4

590

590

570

20

2140.3

MM5006

2550

1900

650

191.2

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2507

655

600

55

1.7

655

655

600

55

2632.7

MM5007

2775

1830

945

148.5

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2508

575

490

85

2.7

575

575

490

85

340.0

MM5008

2640

1860

780

136.7

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2509

560

500

60

3.0

560

560

500

60

387.6

MM5009

2780

2140

640

151.9

 

 

 

 

 

XXS2510

525

480

45

3.4

525

525

480

45

347.5

MM5010

2365

2140

225

173.6

 

 

 

 

 

XS2501

1170

1010

160

10.0

597

¡¡

¡¡

¡¡

7207.5

LL5001

3120

2450

670

245.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS2502

1170

990

180

10.4

377

 

 

 

7211.7

LL5002

2725

2090

635

435.4

 

 

 

 

 

XS2503

1175

1100

75

11.1

436

 

 

 

7210.3

LL5003

3080

2780

300

282.2

 

 

 

 

 

XS2504

1120

1030

90

13.0

403

 

 

 

7202.3

LL5004

2710

2050

660

633.3

 

 

 

 

 

XS2505

1015

940

75

10.8

373

 

 

 

7210.5

LL5005

2910

2250

660

412.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS2506

1175

1050

125

10.3

452

 

 

 

7202.5

LL5006

3445

2400

1045

492.6

 

 

 

 

 

XS2507

1105

1010

95

14.4

356

 

 

 

7204.2

LL5007

3145

2170

975

472.9

 

 

 

 

 

XS2508

1175

1050

125

10.3

449

 

 

 

7203.1

LL5008

3600

2450

1150

305.6

 

 

 

 

 

XS2509

1215

1020

195

9.0

442

 

 

 

7210.2

LL5009

3085

2530

555

393.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS2510

1230

1100

130

11.1

441

 

 

 

7215.3

LL5010

3630

2740

890

199.3

 

 

 

 

 

SS2501

1815

1660

155

52.0

 

 

 

 

 

XL5001

3695

2810

885

411.4

 

 

 

 

 

SS2502

2085

1840

245

37.1

 

 

 

 

 

XL5002

3505

2380

1125

863.2

 

 

 

 

 

SS2503

2125

1870

255

34.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL5003

3540

3300

240

373.3

 

 

 

 

 

SS2504

2065

1800

265

33.6

 

 

 

 

 

XL5004

3740

2650

1090

344.9

 

 

 

 

 

SS2505

1960

1710

250

30.7

 

 

 

 

 

XL5005

3690

3100

590

513.2

 

 

 

 

 

SS2506

1910

1630

280

35.1

 

 

 

 

 

XL5006

3450

3110

340

595.1

 

 

 

 

 

SS2507

1785

1660

125

40.7

 

 

 

 

 

XL5007

3840

3590

250

555.1

 

 

 

 

 

SS2508

1645

1480

165

54.0

 

 

 

 

 

XL5008

3845

3410

435

387.2

 

 

 

 

 

SS2509

1845

1710

135

32.5

 

 

 

 

 

XL5009

3450

3120

330

790.7

 

 

 

 

 

SS2510

2195

2000

195

34.6

 

 

 

 

 

XL5010

3530

3460

70

233.2

 

 

 

 

 

MM2501

2330

2060

270

78.7

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7501

440

380

60

7.7

200

605

460

145

5408.4

MM2502

2775

2560

215

53.6

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7502

520

400

120

3.4

313

605

520

85

5401.7

MM2503

2705

2390

315

71.3

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7503

525

420

105

3.7

350

570

440

130

5401.2

MM2504

2210

1980

230

114.9

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7504

565

370

195

3.9

367

 

 

 

5407.0

MM2505

2520

2270

250

86.2

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7505

520

410

110

4.2

336

575

440

135

5401.0

MM2506

2385

2120

265

94.7

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7506

525

410

115

5.2

284

935

650

285

5402.1

MM2507

2625

2170

455

78.3

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7507

580

430

150

6.4

321

840

640

200

5405.3

MM2508

2670

2270

400

61.3

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7508

525

330

195

3.5

305

715

550

165

5401.5

MM2509

2685

2460

225

65.4

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7509

595

480

115

3.8

318

745

620

125

5449.3

MM2510

2725

2300

425

53.5

 

 

 

 

 

XXS7510

485

370

115

5.1

236

705

510

195

5402.5

LL2501

3340

2750

590

127.7

 

 

 

 

 

XS7501

1225

950

275

17.3

412

 

 

 

7258.6

LL2502

3135

2810

325

131.5

 

 

 

 

 

XS7502

1135

810

325

13.3

344

 

 

 

7246.0

LL2503

3310

2800

510

275.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS7503

1280

860

420

15.3

359

 

 

 

7265.3

LL2504

2740

2590

150

96.7

 

 

 

 

 

XS7504

1010

750

260

19.1

268

 

 

 

7261.4

LL2505

3295

3080

215

165.9

 

 

 

 

 

XS7505

985

760

225

19.3

292

 

 

 

7258.2

LL2506

3460

2900

560

101.4

 

 

 

 

 

XS7506

1045

670

375

26.2

191

 

 

 

7274.9

LL2507

3125

2910

215

217.1

 

 

 

 

 

XS7507

990

840

150

19.5

317

 

 

 

7242.5

LL2508

2780

2390

390

160.7

 

 

 

 

 

XS7508

1230

800

430

16.0

363

 

 

 

7267.3

LL2509

3110

2900

210

137.4

 

 

 

 

 

XS7509

1030

820

210

20.7

221

 

 

 

7257.6

LL2510

3655

3150

505

155.7

 

 

 

 

 

XS7510

1040

590

450

23.5

261

 

 

 

7271.5

XL2501

3785

2990

795

308.8

 

 

 

 

 

SS7501

1785

1490

295

69.6

 

 

 

 

 

XL2502

3485

3270

215

310.9

 

 

 

 

 

SS7502

1980

1110

870

62.2

 

 

 

 

 

XL2503

4045

3080

965

322.2

 

 

 

 

 

SS7503

2200

1260

940

86.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL2504

3460

3410

50

188.9

 

 

 

 

 

SS7504

1810

1160

650

135.3

 

 

 

 

 

XL2505

3965

3530

435

347.6

 

 

 

 

 

SS7505

1945

1290

655

73.3

 

 

 

 

 

XL2506

3770

3070

700

255.1

 

 

 

 

 

SS7506

2020

1420

600

78.3

 

 

 

 

 

XL2507

4080

3460

620

233.7

 

 

 

 

 

SS7507

1720

1380

340

64.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL2508

4000

3860

140

200.5

 

 

 

 

 

SS7508

2025

1390

635

86.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL2509

3480

3120

360

223.4

 

 

 

 

 

SS7509

1820

1020

800

155.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL2510

3680

3230

450

278.7

 

 

 

 

 

SS7510

1840

1280

560

120.7

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5001

455

420

35

2.8

345

475

420

55

5408.7

MM7501

2390

1450

940

521.6

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5002

570

460

110

1.9

357

590

480

110

5400.7

MM7502

2470

1510

960

513.7

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5003

625

490

135

2.3

625

625

490

135

4293.4

MM7503

2635

1470

1165

202.2

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5004

495

310

185

2.8

375

515

390

125

5400.7

MM7504

3005

1540

1465

199.1

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5005

580

490

90

2.2

355

675

550

125

5400.9

MM7505

2715

1640

1075

249.0

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5006

540

440

100

3.5

540

540

440

100

4821.0

MM7506

2660

1760

900

395.5

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5007

515

390

125

3.3

396

595

440

155

5401.2

MM7507

2625

1670

955

217.8

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5008

625

550

75

3.6

404

960

770

190

5401.1

MM7508

2815

1550

1265

271.1

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5009

465

390

75

1.6

385

455

400

55

5401.1

MM7509

2770

1500

1270

212.9

 

 

 

 

 

XXS5010

515

410

105

3.5

420

530

390

140

5400.7

MM7510

2730

1500

1230

513.2

 

 

 

 

 

XS5001

1095

880

215

16.3

278

 

¡¡

¡¡

7219.1

LL7501

3060

2860

200

521.1

 

 

 

 

 

XS5002

1140

900

240

15.2

373

 

 

 

7225.0

LL7502

3030

1880

1150

687.1

 

 

 

 

 

XS5003

990

810

180

16.3

284

 

 

 

7212.0

LL7503

3200

2290

910

884.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS5004

1120

980

140

14.1

386

 

 

 

7219.6

LL7504

3705

2070

1635

877.3

 

 

 

 

 

XS5005

1085

800

285

18.8

249

 

 

 

7219.0

LL7505

2865

1860

1005

913.8

 

 

 

 

 

XS5006

1205

1080

125

31.0

319

 

 

 

7214.7

LL7506

3665

2280

1385

442.3

 

 

 

 

 

XS5007

1235

930

305

17.8

484

 

 

 

7211.4

LL7507

3110

3050

60

275.8

 

 

 

 

 

XS5008

1045

940

105

11.9

257

 

 

 

7211.8

LL7508

3500

2190

1310

510.0

 

 

 

 

 

XS5009

895

880

15

11.0

308

 

 

 

7210.0

LL7509

3500

1970

1530

876.8

 

 

 

 

 

XS5010

1210

820

390

12.7

378

 

 

 

7218.2

LL7510

3195

3080

115

307.2

 

 

 

 

 

SS5001

1915

1510

405

41.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL7501

3825

2480

1345

924.0

 

 

 

 

 

SS5002

1920

1380

540

64.8

 

 

 

 

 

XL7502

3615

2960

655

921.4

 

 

 

 

 

SS5003

1975

1370

605

41.3

 

 

 

 

 

XL7503

4060

2790

1270

857.9

 

 

 

 

 

SS5004

1970

1640

330

57.5

 

 

 

 

 

XL7504

3845

2360

1485

923.6

 

 

 

 

 

SS5005

1915

1440

475

90.1

 

 

 

 

 

XL7505

3835

3720

115

751.3

 

 

 

 

 

SS5006

1750

1420

330

52.7

 

 

 

 

 

XL7506

3555

3450

105

528.6

 

 

 

 

 

SS5007

1815

1260

555

43.3

 

 

 

 

 

XL7507

3715

3000

715

914.1

 

 

 

 

 

SS5008

1795

1520

275

86.7

 

 

 

 

 

XL7508

3870

3730

140

666.9

 

 

 

 

 

SS5009

1815

1340

475

81.0

 

 

 

 

 

XL7509

3340

3250

90

920.4

 

 

 

 

 

SS5010

1830

1580

250

37.4

 

 

 

 

 

XL7510

4000

2290

1710

928.2

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Berbeglia, G., Cordeau, J. F., Gribkovskaia, I., & Laporte, G. 2007. Static pickup and delivery problems: a classification scheme and survey. TOP 15: 1–31.

Kweon, O., & Kim, B. I. 2024. Many-to-many locomotive routing problem for the steel industry. International Journal of Production Research: 1–24.