Center for Advances in Port Management

Research

The center supports port and related industry research needs in Texas and nationwide through the expertise of faculty in Lamar’s engineering, business, and arts and sciences colleges.

Relevance is assured through the center’s close ties with industry and government. Research needs and resources are coordinated by the center’s executive director, along with the center’s industry expert adjunct faculty members.

New Research

2023-2024

  • The center is currently collaborating with a TXDOT Maritime on a grant regarding AIS transponder data. This analysis will improve navigation efficiency and safety. In addition, the research will help provide economic justification for coastal resiliency projects.
  • The center is also conducting financial, cybersecurity and asset resiliency analysis for the Port of Beaumont, and analyzing logical prioritization of truck and rail car loading at the Port of Port Arthur.

Featured Publications

Maritime Innovation

A published paper by Christopher Clott, Ph.D. (visiting assistant professor in Lamar University's Center for Advances in Port Management)

Past Research

  • Resilience and Disasters
    1. Increasing Resiliency and Safety of Waterways and Ports: A Noble Approach Based on Drone and Artificial Intelligence. (PI: Dr. Seokon Hwang , 2021)
    2. Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience of Port Systems Under Extreme Weather Conditions. (PI: Dr. Reda Amer, 2021)
    3. Resilience Study for Port-related Refinery Supply Chain Management. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2021)
    4. Development of a Center for Flood Resiliency and the Southeast Texas Flood Coordination Study: Ports Connection (SETx FCS Ports). (PI: Dr. Liv Haslebach, 2020)
    5. Develop A Collaborative Unmanned System to Enhance Port Security in Unconstrained Environment. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li, 2019)
    6. Analysis and Modeling of Resilience of a Port to Natural Disasters employing Systems Dynamics Perspective: A Case Study of the Port of Beaumont. (PI: Dr. Vivek Natarajan, 2018)
    7. Designing a Resilient Cyber-Physical Energy Infrastructure for Port and Coastal Areas. (PI: Dr. Reza Barzegaran, 2017)
    8. Research on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in Port Industry. (PI: Dr.  Yueqing Li, 2016)
    9. Simulation-based Decision Support System for Port Management: Operations, Expansion and Disaster Recovery Planning. (PI: Dr. Weihang Zhu, 2016)
  • Scheduling and Operations
    1. Implementation of Manufacturing Execution System  (MES) in Port & Terminal Facilities. (PI: Dr. Kelly Weeks, 2021)
    2. Real-Time Dynamic Planning for Simultaneous Berth and Yard Allocations of Container Vessels. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2020)
    3. Simultaneous Optimal Planning of Berth and Yard Allocations for Container Vessels. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2019)
    4. Large-scale chemical tanker traffic optimization on the Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Jaeyoung Cho, 2019)
    5. Vessels’ Arrival Time Estimates: an AIS Data Based Method and Application to the Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2019)
    6. Real-Time Fuel Consumption Optimization against Uncertain Weather and Sea States. (PI: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, 2018)
    7. A Decision Framework for Enhancing Waterway Utilization with Application to Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Maryam Hamidi, 2018)
    8. Study on Cost-effective Boil-of Gas Minimization and Recovery Strategies for LNG Industry. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2017)
    9. Data-driven Fuel Consumption Optimization for Ships. (PI: Dr. Weihang Zhu, 2017)
    10. Channel Capacity Analysis and Traffic Flow Optimization for Inland Waterways: An AIS-based Approach and Application to Chemical Tankers in Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2017)
    11. Real-Time Bunker Consumption Optimization against Uncertain Weather and Sea States. (PI: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, 2017)
    12. Marine Diesel Testing. (PI: Dr. Kendrick Aung, 2017)
    13. Port-related Supply-Chain Management for Refinery/Chemical/Petrochemical Industries Under Uncertainties. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2016)
    14. Analysis of Vessel Conflicts in In-land Waterways: An AIS Data based Approach and Application to Sabine-Neches Waterways. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2016)
    15. Optimization of Vessel Scheduling Problem and Evacuation Decision Making Using Real Time Location Data and Their Economic Impacts: A Case Study for Port of Houston. (PI: Dr. Berna Tokgoz, 2016)
  • Dredging and Waterway
    1. Establishing a Solution to the Problem of Managing Dredge Waste. (PI: Dr.  Paul Bernazzani, 2021)
    2. Wake Wash in the Sabine-Neches Waterway Phase II. Sponsored by Sabine-Neches Navigation District. (Dr. Victor Zaloom, Dr. Qin Qian, Dr. Mein Jao, and Dr. Xing Wu, 2019)
    3. Managing Dredge Waste in Navigation Channels. (PI: Dr. Thi Thuy Minh Nguyen, 2018)
    4. Mitigating Impacts of Waterway Closures on Vessel Traffic. Funded by Harris County Toll Road Authority. (Dr. Maryam Hamidi, 2017)
  • Asset Management
    1. An automatic system for Monitoring and Assessing the Health of Railroad Tracks Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies. (PI: Dr. Seokon Hwang, 2020)
    2. Strategic Port Automation & Asset Management. (PI: Dr. Kelly Weeks, 2019)
    3. Strategic Port Asset Management Framework. (PI: Dr. Mahdi Safa, 2017)
    4. A Reliability-Centered Track Geometry Maintenance Methodology for Railroad: A BNSF Case Study. (PI: Dr. Maryam Hamidi, 2017)
    5. Strategic Port Asset Management Framework. (PI: Dr. Mahdi Safa, 2016)
    6. Reliability and Availability Analysis of Port Equipment. (PI: Dr. Yisha Xiang, 2016)
  • Corrosion
    1. Advanced Wetting Dynamics Study: Understanding the Fundamental Physics of Anti-fouling, Anti-Corrosion and Friction Reduction. (PI: Dr. Ping He, 2021)
    2. Eco-friendly Anti-corrosion Coatings for Offshore Operation Facilities, Marine Pipeline, and Ship Structures. (PI: Dr. Chun-Wei Yao, 2019)
    3. Investigation of Environmentally Benign and Nano-Addictive based Antifouling Hull Coatings for Reduced Hydrodynamic Drag. (PI: Dr. Ramesh K. Guduru, 2017)
    4. Multiscale Characterization and Modeling of Concrete Materials under Marine Tropical Environments. (PI: Dr. Xuejun Fan, 2017)
    5. Engineering of the Surface Topography for Marine Antifouling Applications. (PI: Dr. Keivan Davami, 2017)
    6. Development of Durable Hydrophobic Coatings for Anti-Corrosion and Anti-biofouling. (PI: Dr. Chun-Wei Yao, 2017)
  • Automated Equipment, Sensors, and Drones
    1. Use Autonomous Driving to Improve Resiliency and Safety of Freight Transportation System in Port Industry in Severe Climate Change in Southeast Texas. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li, 2021)
    2. Use Automatic Driving to Improve Safety and Resiliency of Freight Transportation System in Port Industry. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li,  2020)
    3. Mobile-Phone based Ballast Water Invasive Species Rapid Detection Device. (PI: Dr. Ian Lian, 2018)
    4. Autonomous Robot Measurement of pH Clouds Surrounding Recycled Concrete in Marine End-of-Life Applications. (PI: Dr. Harley Myler, 2017)
    5. A Study on Innovative Port System: Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Port Operations. (PI: Dr. Jaeyoung Cho, 2017)
    6. Development of Mobile-Phone based Ballast Water Invasive Species Rapid Detection Device. (PI: Dr. Ian Lian, 2017)
    7. An automatic system for Monitoring and Assessing the Health of Railroad Tracks Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies. (PI: Dr. Seokon Hwang, 2020)
  • Economic Analysis and Impact
    1. Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Rebuild and Expansion of Transit Shed 1 project at the Port of Port Arthur”. Analysis Port Infrastructure Development Program of the Department of Transportation. (Dr. Alberto Marquez and Dr. Victor Zaloom, 2019)
    2. Reconstruction of Wharves 2, 3, and 4 and Addition of a Second Rail Line at the Port of Beaumont. INFRA 2019 Grant Application. (Dr. ALberto Marquez and Dr. Victor Zaloom, 2019)
  • All Projects By Year
    1. Increasing Resiliency and Safety of Waterways and Ports: A Noble Approach Based on Drone and Artificial Intelligence. (PI: Dr. Seokon Hwang , 2021)
    2. Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience of Port Systems Under Extreme Weather Conditions. (PI: Dr. Reda Amer, 2021)
    3. Establishing a Solution to the Problem of Managing Dredge Waste. (PI: Dr.  Paul Bernazzani, 2021)
    4. Resilience Study for Port-related Refinery Supply Chain Management. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2021)
    5. Use Autonomous Driving to Improve Resiliency and Safety of Freight Transportation System in Port Industry in Severe Climate Change in Southeast Texas. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li, 2021)
    6. Advanced Wetting Dynamics Study: Understanding the Fundamental Physics of Anti-fouling, Anti-Corrosion and Friction Reduction. (PI: Dr. Ping He, 2021)
    7. Implementation of Manufacturing Execution System  (MES) in Port & Terminal Facilities. (PI: Dr. Kelly Weeks, 2021)
    8. Development of a Center for Flood Resiliency and the Southeast Texas Flood Coordination Study: Ports Connection (SETx FCS Ports). (PI: Dr. Liv Haslebach, 2020)
    9. An automatic system for Monitoring and Assessing the Health of Railroad Tracks Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies. (PI: Dr. Seokon Hwang, 2020)
    10. Use Automatic Driving to Improve Safety and Resiliency of Freight Transportation System in Port Industry. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li , 2020)
    11. Real-Time Dynamic Planning for Simultaneous Berth and Yard Allocations of Container Vessels. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2020)
    12. Eco-friendly Anti-corrosion Coatings for Offshore Operation Facilities, Marine Pipeline, and Ship Structures. (PI: Dr. Chun-Wei Yao, 2019)
    13. Simultaneous Optimal Planning of Berth and Yard Allocations for Container Vessels. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2019)
    14. Large-scale chemical tanker traffic optimization on the Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Jaeyoung Cho, 2019)
    15. Strategic Port Automation & Asset Management. (PI: Dr. Kelly Weeks, 2019)
    16. Vessels’ Arrival Time Estimates: an AIS Data Based Method and Application to the Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2019)
    17. Develop A Collaborative Unmanned System to Enhance Port Security in Unconstrained Environment. (PI: Dr. Yueqing Li, 2019)
    18. Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Rebuild and Expansion of Transit Shed 1 project at the Port of Port Arthur”. Analysis Port Infrastructure Development Program of the Department of Transportation. (Dr. Alberto Marquez and Dr. Victor Zaloom, 2019)
    19. Wake Wash in the Sabine-Neches Waterway Phase II. Sponsored by Sabine-Neches Navigation District. (Dr. Victor Zaloom, Dr. Qin Qian, Dr. Mein Jao, and Dr. Xing Wu, 2019)
    20. Reconstruction of Wharves 2, 3, and 4 and Addition of a Second Rail Line at the Port of Beaumont. INFRA 2019 Grant Application. (Dr. ALberto Marquez and Dr. Victor Zaloom, 2019)
    21. Managing Dredge Waste in Navigation Channels. (PI: Dr. Thi Thuy Minh Nguyen, 2018)
    22. Mobile-Phone based Ballast Water Invasive Species Rapid Detection Device. (PI: Dr. Ian Lian, 2018)
    23. Real-Time Fuel Consumption Optimization against Uncertain Weather and Sea States. (PI: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, 2018)
    24. A Decision Framework for Enhancing Waterway Utilization with Application to Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Maryam Hamidi, 2018)
    25. Analysis and Modeling of Resilience of a Port to Natural Disasters employing Systems Dynamics Perspective: A Case Study of the Port of Beaumont. (PI: Dr. Vivek Natarajan, 2018)
    26. Investigation of Environmentally Benign and Nano-Addictive based Antifouling Hull Coatings for Reduced Hydrodynamic Drag. (PI: Dr. Ramesh K. Guduru, 2017)
    27. Study on Cost-effective Boil-of Gas Minimization and Recovery Strategies for LNG Industry. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2017)
    28. Designing a Resilient Cyber-Physical Energy Infrastructure for Port and Coastal Areas. (PI: Dr. Reza Barzegaran, 2017)
    29. Autonomous Robot Measurement of pH Clouds Surrounding Recycled Concrete in Marine End-of-Life Applications. (PI: Dr. Harley Myler, 2017)
    30. Data-driven Fuel Consumption Optimization for Ships. (PI: Dr. Weihang Zhu, 2017)
    31. Channel Capacity Analysis and Traffic Flow Optimization for Inland Waterways: An AIS-based Approach and Application to Chemical Tankers in Houston Ship Channel. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2017)
    32. Multiscale Characterization and Modeling of Concrete Materials under Marine Tropical Environments. (PI: Dr. Xuejun Fan, 2017)
    33. A Study on Innovative Port System: Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Port Operations. (PI: Dr. Jaeyoung Cho, 2017)
    34. Strategic Port Asset Management Framework. (PI: Dr. Mahdi Safa, 2017)
    35. Engineering of the Surface Topography for Marine Antifouling Applications. (PI: Dr. Keivan Davami, 2017)
    36. Real-Time Bunker Consumption Optimization against Uncertain Weather and Sea States. (PI: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, 2017)
    37. Development of Durable Hydrophobic Coatings for Anti-Corrosion and Anti-biofouling. (PI: Dr. Chun-Wei Yao, 2017)
    38. Development of Mobile-Phone based Ballast Water Invasive Species Rapid Detection Device. (PI: Dr. Ian Lian, 2017)
    39. Marine Diesel Testing. (PI: Dr. Kendrick Aung, 2017)
    40. A Reliability-Centered Track Geometry Maintenance Methodology for Railroad: A BNSF Case Study. (PI: Dr. Maryam Hamidi, 2017)
    41. Strategic Port Asset Management Framework. (PI: Dr. Mahdi Safa, 2016)
    42. Reliability and Availability Analysis of Port Equipment. (PI: Dr. Yisha Xiang, 2016)
    43. Port-related Supply-Chain Management for Refinery/Chemical/Petrochemical Industries Under Uncertainties. (PI: Dr. Qiang Xu, 2016)
    44. Analysis of Vessel Conflicts in In-land Waterways: An AIS Data based Approach and Application to Sabine-Neches Waterways. (PI: Dr. Xing Wu, 2016)
    45. Research on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in Port Industry. (PI: Dr.  Yueqing Li, 2016)
    46. Simulation-based Decision Support System for Port Management: Operations, Expansion and Disaster Recovery Planning. (PI: Dr. Weihang Zhu, 2016)
    47. Optimization of Vessel Scheduling Problem and Evacuation Decision Making Using Real Time Location Data and Their Economic Impacts: A Case Study for Port of Houston. (PI: Dr. Berna Tokgoz, 2016)