CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets
Cash and equivalents	$ 287,120	$ 390,761
Investments in short-term commercial paper		84,830
Accounts receivable, net	656,517	679,898
Accounts receivable-related parties	56,233	42,893
Inventories	1,209,079	1,199,584
Deferred income taxes	28,229	25,341
Income taxes receivable	939	16,722
Other current assets	24,107	15,229
Total current assets	2,262,224	2,455,258
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,213,703	2,193,745
Restricted cash	27,436	26,528
Intangible assets, net	425,034	450,893
Goodwill	740,192	745,066
Other assets	106,927	107,736
Total assets	5,775,516	5,979,226
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	364,380	414,240
Accounts payable-related parties	12,833	6,584
Income taxes payable	12,014	10,880
Accrued expenses	166,845	185,964
Accrued profit sharing	19,213	38,671
Current maturities of long-term debt	30,114	444,078
Total current liabilities	605,399	1,100,417
Long-term debt
Term loan	250,938
Other long-term debt	35,491	37,272
Total long-term debt	2,173,925	1,936,022
Deferred income taxes	544,800	489,915
Other liabilities	18,564	82,278
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	93,774	70,694
Equity
Common stock voting, $.0025 par value; 900,000,000 shares authorized; 255,299,134 and 255,052,811 shares issued; and 219,228,888 and 218,873,720 shares outstanding, as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	636	636
Treasury stock, at cost; 36,070,246 and 36,179,091 shares, as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	(720,479)	(722,653)
Additional paid-in capital	1,033,857	1,026,157
Retained earnings	2,049,011	2,011,801
Total Steel Dynamics, Inc. equity	2,363,025	2,315,941
Noncontrolling interests	(23,971)	(16,041)
Total equity	2,339,054	2,299,900
Total liabilities and equity	5,775,516	5,979,226
7 3/8% senior notes, due 2012
Long-term debt
Senior notes		261,250
5.125% convertible senior notes, due 2014
Long-term debt
Convertible senior notes	287,496	287,500
6 3/4% senior notes, due 2015
Long-term debt
Senior notes	500,000	500,000
7 3/4% senior notes, due 2016
Long-term debt
Senior notes		500,000
6 1/8% senior notes, due 2019
Long-term debt
Senior notes	400,000
7 5/8% senior notes, due 2020
Long-term debt
Senior notes	350,000	350,000
6 3/8% Senior Notes, due 2022
Long-term debt
Senior notes	$ 350,000