Database models for road inventories are based on classical schemes for relational databases: many related tables, in which the database designer establishes, a priori, every detail that they consider relevant for inventory management. This kind of database presents several problems. First, adapting the model and its applications when new database features appear is difficult. In addition, the different needs of different sets of road inventory users are difficult to fulfil with these schemes. For example, maintenance management services, road authorities and emergency services have different needs. In addition, this kind of database cannot be adapted to new scenarios, such as other countries and regions (that may classify roads or name certain elements differently). The problem is more complex if the language used in these scenarios is not the same as that used in the database design. In addition, technicians need a long time to learn to use the database efficiently. This paper proposes a flexible, multi-language and multipurpose database model, which gives an effective and simple solution to the aforementioned problems. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.