2

I would like to explain about the necessity of making some change on a traffic control system when the road layout is changed. Can I use "revamp" for the explanation like,

You have to consider about how to revamp the control system when you reengineer the road layout.

Sorry for my poor English.

Improve this question
4

I've been making corrections to badly translated English for a Italian construction firm. They've been using the word "revamped" to mean upgrades and modifications to old machinery. Personally I don't like it. I think "revamping" in regular use has an aesthetic connotation more closely related to fashion and design (the word origin is from shoe repair). I think you can revamp a clothing collection, or a store layout but for more technical applications I'd agree with the commentator above and use terms like "reconfigure" for minor changes and "overhaul" for major ones.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    Further to this good answer by @Kevin_Ryan, I would confirm that "revamping" is used in the business world to connote an aesthetic change, rather than a substantive one. For instance, if I'm brought as the new CEO of a business I might say: "Let's start by just revamping the website and then figure out how to redevelop the back end technology" Or: "If we revamp the offices this year, we can then consider relocation next year."
    – TechnoCat
    Feb 1 '20 at 17:04
  • 1
    Similarly, a real estate agent might say: "You can revamp the house for less than $20k, to make the place more marketable for sale. However, if you want to live in the house, you'll need to completely replace the flooring and the roof, which will cost $100k+." Or an engineer could say: "If you revamp the bridge with new lighting and guard rails, that will buy you 2-3 years, but ultimately you'll need to fully rebuild the bridge to hold forecast traffic levels." In other words, "revamp" is intrinsically an aesthetic/superficial/visual change, not an "engineering" change.
    – TechnoCat
    Feb 1 '20 at 17:18
2

When you re-engineer a road layout, you have to assess its impact on the control system. The existing system may be adequate, it may require an update, or it may have to be completely revamped.

Generally speaking, revamped implies a major change but not a complete replacement, e.g. lifting a house from its original footings, adding a room on the side, ripping out the interior for a new room layout, adding windows and skylights, changing the exterior trim, but staying on the same basic foundation.

When you use revamped in this context, you are telling the reader indirectly that a large change will be needed. If your control system was just a few painted signs, revamped would make sense. If the control system was a component in a city-wide traffic management system, revamped might be going too far.

However, the audience also matters. For the budget-minded supervisor, a minor reconfiguration of existing control assets sounds responsible and professional. For the mayor’s speech, completely revamped might not be going far enough.

Improve this answer
4
  • Thank you for your detailed advice. I understand that revamping is a bit exaggerated on my case and reconfigtration sounds suitable.
    – Kojisugi
    Jul 22 '18 at 8:29
  • 1
    In the context of traffic control system algorithms, if I want to include protected left turns to the intersection control, I'd call that a revamp. These traffic control system options are discrete, not gradable, so any change is a change from one package to another package. And IMO, that licences revamp.
    – Phil Sweet
    Jan 20 '20 at 12:32
  • 1
    We are both assuming the OP is only concerned with the algorithms. The traffic signal support system usually needs to be revamped as well.
    – Phil Sweet
    Jan 20 '20 at 12:39
  • 1
    As someone who has worked on major infrastructure projects for big cities, the term 'revamp' tends to refer to a substantial but fairly superficial change (especially an aesthetic change). Revamping a control system sounds like it could include redoing the web interface, adding extra functionality, modernising the database, etc ... but would not involve starting all over again to construct a new control system. And therein is the key: a "revamp" is a change to something that exists already and will exist at the end of a revamp. It's not a brand new system.
    – TechnoCat
    Feb 1 '20 at 17:26

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.