Fixed assets consisted of the following as of December 31:

(dollars in millions)Estimated Useful Lives20252024
Land$39 $38 
Buildings and improvements
20 - 40 Years
498 516 
Machinery and equipment
3 - 12 Years
1,311 1,234 
Assets under construction156 105 
2,004 1,893 
Less: Accumulated depreciation(1,261)(1,192)
Total$743 $701 

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.