A geographic systems approach to modeling inland waterway traffic

Inland waterway systems are used throughout the world to move goods both into and out of continents. They are vital to the economies of the world. They are used for commercial, military, and recreational waterway traffic.; A model of the Ohio River system is described in which geographic data is added to a simulation model. In this paper it is shown that adding geographic data to a stochastic simulation model has great value as well as promise for the future. This methodology can be applied to many different problem domains such as military, rail, roadway, or waterway operations. Geographic information adds necessary detail because it affects the preciseness of a simulation model. Benefits of adding the geographic data include short term analysis and more detailed analysis. A case study simulation model of the Ohio River system is described. It is developed by adding geographic data to the model. Adding this geographic data such as locations of tows and geographic referenced boundaries adds needed detail for a model of such a system. Geographic information affects the preciseness of the simulation model. In turn it adds valuable information in the output of these models and therefore, needs to be included for detailed analysis.