The estimated useful lives are summarized as follows:
Freehold buildings
10 - 33 years
Leasehold land and buildingsThe lesser of life of lease or freehold rate
Machinery and equipment
3 - 25 years
Including: 
Heavy production equipment (including casting, rolling, extrusion and press equipment)
20 - 25 years
Chemical production plant and robotics
7 - 10 years
Other production machinery
5 - 10 years
Furniture, fittings, storage and equipment
3 - 10 years
Computer equipment5 years

About PP&E Disclosures

The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.

Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.