As a comparative study, the global performance of two cases for a floating harbor system are researched by numerical analysis and compared with results from experiments: one is a two-body case such that a floating quay is placed next to a fixed quay, a normal harbor, and the other is a three-body case such that a container ship is posed in the middle of the floating quay and the fixed quay. The numerical modeling is built based on the experimental cases. Mooring system used in the experiments is simplified to sets of linear springs, and gaps between adjacent bodies are remarkably narrow as 1.3m~1.6m with reference to large scales of the floating structures; a water plane of the fixed quay is 480m×160m, and the ship is 15000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) class. With the experiment-based models, numerical analysis is implemented on two domains: frequency domain using a three dimensional constant panel method, WAMIT, and time domain using a coupled dynamic analysis program of moored floating structures, CHARM3D/HARP. Following general processes of the two main tools, additional two calibrations are implemented if necessary: revision of external stiffness and estimation of damping coefficients. The revision of the external stiffness is conducted to match natural frequency of the simulation with that of the experiment; to find out natural frequencies RAO comparison is used. The next, estimation of damping coefficients is carried out on time domain to match the responses of the simulation with those of the experiment. After optimization of the numerical analysis, a set of experimental results from regular wave tests is compared with RAO on frequency domain, and results from an irregular wave test of the experiment are compared with response histories of simulation on time domain. In addition, fender forces are compared between the simulation and experiment. Based on response histories relative motions of the floating quay and container ship are compared. And the floating harbor system, the three-body case, is compared with a conventional harbor system, a fixed quay on the portside of the container ship, in terms of motions of the container ship. As an additional simulation, the three-body case is investigated on an operating sea state condition. From the present research, the experimental results are well matched with the numerical results obtained from the simulation tools optimized to the experiments. In addition, the floating harbor system show more stable motions of the container ship than the conventional harbor system, and the floating harbor system in the operating sea state condition have motions even smaller enough to operate in term of relative motions between the floating quay and the container ship.

Container cranes represent one of the most critical components of ports worldwide. Despite their importance to port operations, the seismic behavior of cranes has been largely ignored. Since the 1960s, industry experts have recommended allowing cranes to uplift, believing that it would limit the amount of seismic loading. However, modern cranes have become larger and more stable, and the industry experts are now questioning the seismic performance of modern jumbo cranes. The main goal of this research was to experimentally investigate the seismic behavior of container cranes from the general elastic behavior through collapse, including non-linear behavior such as buckling and cross section yielding, utilizing the 6 degree-of-freedom shake tables at the University at Buffalo. The testing was divided into two phases. The first phase of testing was conducted on a 1/20th scale model. The second phase of testing was conducted on a 1/10th scale model, which was designed such that no inelastic action would develop prior to uplift (as is the common design practice). In support of the experiments, finite element models were created to determine what simplifications could be made to the structure to aid in testing. The data collected from the testing has been used to validate finite element models, to give a better understanding of the behavior of container cranes under seismic excitations, validate fragility models, and to develop recommendations and guidelines for the design and testing of container cranes.

<p>The report is part of the university´engineer program within Industrial Organization and Economics with specialization in Logistics and Managment at Jönköping´s university.</p><p>Skoghall´s mill underlies a large supply chain, which means there should be a lot of areas in need of small improvement measures. This report illustrates a small part of one of these areas and is focused on the loading distribution services in the terminal Vänern.</p><p>At the moment there´s a very unequal load of the load carriers SECU box and Container at the terminal. Skoghall´s mill has the desire to equalize the high and low load levels of the 2 loading carriers named previously. One of the options to solve the problem is to set a limit of how much the carriers can load per week or per day. The mill also wants it to be investigated if the proposition would influence the customers in any way and if both the company and its customers could handle a lower level of delivery services in case the proposition was to be applied.</p><p>The goal to be achieved with this thesis is to provide balance to the unequall loading of the 2 load carriers, SECU and Container, and investigate whether or not the Skoghall´s mill´s customers, could manage the lower degree of delivery service that the proposition would imply.</p><p>For this goal to be achieved, random sample investigations were taken from orders of a customer that is provided with SECU load carriers and the same was made with a Container´s customer. The orders were analysed from production to consumption on the investigation.</p><p>As a result of random sample investigations and customers´s evaluations, the thesis shows that it is possible to lower the resources at Vänerterminalen. This means that there is a full possibility to limitate the loadingprocess without causing any major effects on Stora Enso´s customers. Further investigation should be made by the company, such as random sample investigations of more customers, to generate a better picture of what the proposition would mean in reality. In case that investigation turn out to be not in accordance with the thesis, the authors worked on other two solution propositions. Both of them also would contribute to a more even torrent of unloading at Vänerterminalen.</p>

Background: In the past, enterprises had no recognition of information integration and operated as independent units within a chain. As a result, most of the firms throughout the supply chain faced inadequate information sharing, lack of collaboration, and absence of compatible IT infrastructure. Theses three elements play a crucial role in information integration that assists companies’ goal congruence. In a highly competitive market, companies from different industries take these three elements into consideration in order to synchronize their activities. Nowadays, transportation industry plays a crucial role in all developed countries in order to fulfill the customer’s needs and act as a connection between manufacturers and consumers. Intermodal freight transportation is one of the elements of transportation industry that includes two main players - freight company and terminal operator. In this respect, it is essential to review theoretical framework and explore the practice of information integration within intermodal freight transportation. Hence, this study carries an investigation on information integration in accordance with theoretical framework from the perspective of the dyad that includes a freight company and a terminal operator. Purpose: The research defines the level of information integration within intermodal freight transportation. A freight company and a terminal operator are the players studied in this research. Three elements of information integration, which are collaboration, information sharing, and IT implementation and adaptation, are investigated in order to identify the level of information integration. The main objective is to understand the information integration and its level within the industry from a dyadic perspective. Method: This research is conducted from a positivist scientific perspective along with qualitative research method and deductive approach. The authors conduct the embedded multiple-case study with a dyadic perspective. In this context, the freight companies and terminal operators are the studied players within this research. In order to gather the empirical data, semi- structured interviews are conducted via telephone and email. Empirical data is analyzed by utilizing two different methods, which are within-case and cross-case analysis. Furthermore, ethical issues are considered in this research, based upon trustworthiness and accuracy. Result and Conclusions: The conclusion of this research is based upon within and cross case analysis. Three studied dyads have shown the same result of medium level, while one dyad has demonstrated high level of information integration. In this regard, each dyad has been rated separately in accordance with the theoretical framework that provides scale with low, medium and high levels regarding collaboration, information sharing, and IT implementation and adaptation in order to find the level of information integration. From the dyadic perspective and with help of cross case analysis, the level of information integration regarding the whole research population is defined at medium level. It is remarkable that obtained results, in accordance with the theoretical framework, are different from the companies’ representatives’ perception of information integration.

Denna studie beskriver effekterna beträffande överlevnad och tillväxt hos gran (Picea abeis L. Karst) vid tillsats av superabsorbent Luquasorb 1280R i samband med plantering under olika betingelser. Plantor i form av täckrot och barrot studerades. Tillsats av superabsorbent visade sig ha en positiv inverkan på de studerade parametrarna i jämförelse med referensmaterial utan tillsats av superabsorbent. Detta visade sig särskilt vid extremförsök under tak utan tillgång till vattentillförsel under försöksperioden, förutom vattentillsats i samband med plantering. / This study describes the effects concerning survival and growth of Norway spruce seedelings (Picea abeis L. Karst) by addition of superabsorbent Luquasorb 1280R in connection with planting under differnt conditions. Container seedlings and bare-root seedlings were studied. The addition of superabsorbent showed a positive influence regarding the studied parameters in comparision with reference material without the addition of superabsorbent. This was most obvious at the the extreme test under roof without access to additional water during the test period, except water added in connection with planting.

SkePU (Skeleton Programming Framework for Multi-core CPU and Multi-GPU Systems) is a parallel computing framework developed by Johan Enmyren and Christoph Kessler at Linköpings Universitet. This C++ template library provides a simple and unified interface for specifying data-parallel computations with the help of skeletons and is targeted to multiple backends e.g. for a sequential CPU, parallel CPUs using MPI and OpenMP or GPUs using CUDA and OpenCL. SkePU is comprised of seven data-parallel skeletons and one task-parallel skeleton and these skeletons use two types of containers: vector and matrix to model real-life parallel applications. In this thesis, we address the extension of the SkePU framework by extending the matrix container (which stores 2-D data values) that can efficiently use the existing skeletons to develop parallel scientific applications on large-scale clusters using MPI. This piece of work focuses on the distribution of the matrix among the participating processes which after receiving their share of data can execute the application in parallel. This work covers all of the seven data-parallel skeletons. Each skeleton has been tested with a small application program. In addition to measurement of performance improvement from the application program’s execution time, we have also done a communication cost analysis for all skeletons with MPI using the LogGP model. In order to evaluate and test the operational efficiency of the extension, we have considered a PDE solver application. Through this application, we have demonstrated the performance gain and scalability of the extended framework. The performance improvement was more when computational load dominates the memory I/O operations. The results show that using the extension can serve as a viable approach while implementing real-life parallel applications on large-scale clusters.

Container vessel motions need to be small when loading and offloading cargo while moored to wharfs. Waves and their reflections from structures can induce ship motions. These motions are characterized by six degrees of freedom, including translations of surge, sway, and heave and rotations of pitch, roll, and yaw. Monitoring and quantifying these motions offer a reference for design and selection of the mooring system and wharf types. To measure the six degrees of freedom motions of a container ship moored to a dock, a 1:50 scale model is moored to two types of dock, solid wall dock and pile supported dock. Irregular waves of TMA spectrum with various periods, heights, and directions are generated in the wave basin to induce the motions of the model container ship. Optical motion capturing cameras are used to measure and quantify the six degree of freedom motions. Results of the effects of wave period, significant wave height, and wave direction on the motion characteristics of the model container ship moored at the solid dock and a pile supported dock are described in detail. A numerical simulation called aNySIM is applied to numerically predict the motion characteristics of the container ship moored to a solid wall dock only. The physical model experimental results of solid dock are also compared with the numerical simulation. These comparisons indicate that the motion characteristics of the model container ship represent similar trends for both rotations and translations. The experimental and numerical prediction values of motions of the ship moored to a solid wall dock display the same tendencies while differing in magnitude.

The design of a waste collection system affects public health, the extent of participation in the system by residents, the recovery of resources from waste, and the cost of collection. Many developing countries use communal container collection [CCC] systems in which large containers are dispersed throughout neighbourhoods for the storage of waste until collection. These systems tend to have limited success as they often do not garner viable amounts of participation and containers are prone to being overfilled. The communal container waste collection system in the city of Aguascalientes, AGS, Mexico was assessed according to the Integrated Solid Waste Management [ISWM] principles of social acceptability, environmental effectiveness, economic affordability and effective management. Information was collected through seven interviews with waste-related managers, 282 residential questionnaires, and 12 informal collector questionnaires. The collection system garners a high participation rate (99%) attributed to: non-burdensome one-way distances from residences to containers (mean 114+/-71m); thorough, daily collection; and a culture of cleanliness. Factors of adherence to waste collection regulations were found to be public knowledge, social acceptability, convenience and perception of importance. The collection system was assessed by rational-intuitive consideration of all indicators and principles, to be mostly acceptable from an ISWM framework due to: a high collection rate (~100% daily) which is enabled by effective monitoring and efficient operation; a high participation rate; similarity of the resource recovery rate to that of other developing and developed countries; and long-term affordability. Areas for improvement in equality of service provision, collaboration with informal collectors, and communication were identified. Lessons learned about communal container collection are applicable to lower-middle and upper-middle income countries.

A range of Proteaceous shrubs and other nursery plants were grown in containers with soilless media and various N levels. Plants demonstrated a range of responsiveness. Supplying soilless media with Osmocote (26% N) and other short term fertilisers proved to be a satisfactory method of studying the comparative nutrition of a wide range of container grown nursery plants using factorial experiments incorporating N, P, K and lime. Nutrient response surfaces were obtained using a central composite incomplete block design. Most Proteaceous shrubs were intolerant of high P levels due to excessive luxury consumption resulting in toxic foliar nutrient levels, especially in the presence of high N. Phosphorus sensitivity in plants appeared to correspond with the soil nutrient levels in their native habitat. This applied to species studied in the 2 main sub-families in the Proteaceae while similar findings were indicated for other Australian genera. A range of optimum N requirements in the Proteaceae was found – lowest needs for Protea which also had the greatest tolerance of very low fertiliser additions, compared to Grevillea robusta with much higher N requirements and strong foliage growth inhibition if nutrient levels are very low. Proteoid root growth on Grevillea rosmarinifolia only occurred at low nutrient levels and was not required for satisfactory foliage growth of container grown plants. Pot plants and seedlings, especially tomato, responded strongly to N and often there were positive NK interactions influencing foliage growth. Lime requirements were studied and in erica increasing lime rates depressed foliage growth. Comparative nutrition studies indicate that general or broad spectrum container media may be unsuitable for some groups of nursery plants and that they could be replaced by potting mixes designed to meet the widely differing needs of the species often grown. The number of specialist mixes would depend on the range of plants and be governed by management considerations.

Orientador: Rubén Augusto Romero Lázaro / Resumo: Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma nova meta-heurística, o Algoritmo Genético Evolucionário Especializado (AGE-E) para resolver uma das categorias dos Problemas de Carregamento de Contêiners, objeto de estudo que pertence à otimização, na Pesquisa Operacional. Considera-se a existência de múltiplos contêiners de iguais dimensões que permitem o carregamento completo da carga disponível em um contexto de transporte industrial. Esta carga é composta por caixas de sortimento fortemente hete-rogêneo e que permite a rotação em qualquer dasseis possibilidades, tornando o problema ainda mais complexo, e, porisso,menos estudado na literatura. Uma revisão bibliográfica é também apresentada, contendo uma visão geral das classificações do problema e, em particular, um estudo aprofundado sobre algoritmos genéticos. A implementação do AGE-E foi realizada, e os resultados computacionais foram comparados com as melhores soluções já apresentadas na literatura, demonstrando o potencial do AGE-E para estudosfuturos. / Doutor