A Computer Simulation Model for Fleet Sizing for the Marine Division of the New York City Department of Sanitation

Abstract

The Marine Division of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DOS) operates a fleet of tugboats and barges for the transport of refuse from New York City to Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. In the early 1980s, DOS was faced with a situation whereby many of its barges were aged and decrepit, yet workload was scheduled to increase as another major landfill was shut down. With major barge investment decisions on the horizon, DOS commissioned the development of the Barge Operations Systems Simulator (BOSS), for assistance in the task of fleet sizing. This paper reports on the development and use of the BOSS model.

Keywords

Computer simulation marine waste transport refuse barges fleet sizing tug dispatching capital expense decisions transfer stations.

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References

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Minkoff, A.S. & Larson, R.C. (1983), Barge Operations System Simulator, A Planning Model Developed for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Cambridge, MA: ENFORTH Corporation.