The two-dimensional vehicle routing problem (2L-VRP) is a realistic extension of the classical vehicle routing problem where customers’ demands are composed by sets of non-stackable items. Examples of such problems can be found in many real-life applications, e.g. furniture or industrial machinery transportation. Often, these real-life instances have to deal with uncertainty in many aspects of the problem, such as variable traveling times due to traffic conditions or customers availability. We present a hybrid simheuristic algorithm that combines biased-randomized routing and packing heuristics within a multi-start framework. Monte Carlo simulation is used to deal with uncertainty at different stages of the search process. With the goal of minimizing total expected cost, we use this methodology to solve a set of stochastic instances of the 2L-VRP with unrestricted oriented loading. Our results show that accounting for systems variability during the algorithm search yields more robust solutions with lower expected costs.
DOCUMENT
Abstract In the late medieval and early modern period, beer and herring emerged as the predominant export products from the coastal region of the Netherlands. The archaeological tangible evidence of these two products are represented by casks. Even though these casks are a common find during archaeological research determining the original contents of these casks remains a challenge. This makes it difficult to connect users of the casks to specific products and their trade networks. This study is focused on the identification of Dutch beer and herring casks that were produced between the 15th and 18th centuries. To address this goal, various types of sources were utilized. Information regarding cask construction was obtained from archival legislative records. During their use, the casks were subject to monitoring by urban authorities and guild councils, who employed gauge instruments that are now preserved in museum collections, which were used to ascertain their specifications. Additionally, the casks themselves provide valuable insights into the packing material of beer and herring. Both casks depicted in artwork and those recovered from maritime archaeology sites were examined to gain a comprehensive understanding of beer and herring casks
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