Abstract
Since the cost of transportation is more than the mining costs in resource for mass production, efficient methods of transporting, which are appropriate for individuals, are being used. Tough the amount of crushed stone produced is large, the main means for transportation of it is trucking between quarry and a place of demand, for its small lots demand. Therefore, the efficiency of trucking for crushed stone supply is an important problem with respect to the stability of cost and supply. However, the efficiency of trucking is greatly influenced by the traffic situation in individual districts, conditions of location of supply sites and the distant to the place of demand. Thus, it is difficult to clarify the optimum transportation system. A method of reducing the total time taken in trucking and of minimizing the cost was investigated by a simulation model.
The area investigated was the south of Hyogo prefecture. The large amounts of crushed stone are expected to be needed in several years because of the reconstruction work after the Hanshin earthquake in this area. It is important for the smooth implementation of the reconstruction plan to secure crushed stone and to transport it quickly. Vehicles for reconstruction work take precedence over others around the stricken areas. Despite such traffic control, serious traffic snarls occur every day. The efficiency of trucking was therefore investigated by clarifying changes in the total transporting costs and by investigating the influence of the establishment of a transit place and traffic snarls by a simulation model. Some transit places were quite effective for reducing the total time of transportation. The simulation analysis used in this study can be easily performed for other districts with same conditions.
