Solving the 3-D yard allocation problem for break bulk cargo via variable neighborhood search branching

The 3-D Yard Allocation Problem for Break Bulk Cargo consists in finding the optimal disposition of the cargo (granite blocks) that minimizes the handling time to move the cargo to/from vessels that are moored in specific berthing positions. Here we develop a Variable Neighborhood Search and Branching based on a Mixed Integer Linear Programming formulation of the problem introduced in a previous work. The solution method has been tested on some real world instances built for the port yard of Vitoria (Espirito Santo, Brazil) with encouraging results.