Vehicle routing optimization for hazmat shipments considering catastrophe avoidance and failed edges

This research is a bi-objective vehicle routing optimization for hazmat shipments considering catastrophe avoidance and failed edges. The risk is defined as load dependent incident consequence, and the maximum risk is minimized based on the principle of catastrophe avoidance. A 2-stage decision-making is proposed to deal with the failed edges after incidents, and two different strategies are discussed. In each strategy, a bi-objective vehicle routing model is developed to decide the initial vehicle routing plan in the first decision-making stage, and a path selection model is developed to decide the paths of substitute vehicles in order to complete the unfinished deliveries of incident vehicles in the second decision-making stage. The exact algorithms and approximation algorithms are developed for both strategies. Whereafter, the two strategies are compared by mathematical analysis. Finally, numerical results are reported and the sensitivity analysis provides several managerial insights.

Automated summary

This research presents a bi-objective vehicle routing optimization model for hazmat shipments considering catastrophe avoidance and failed edges. It introduces a 2-stage decision-making process with two different strategies developed for dealing with failed edges after incidents. Both strategies are compared using mathematical analysis, with numerical results reported and managerial insights provided through sensitivity analysis.