Segment Reporting (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 687,616,000	$ 714,947,000	$ 1,836,357,000	$ 1,828,720,000
Gross Profit	126,923,000	115,780,000	254,820,000	209,514,000
Delivery revenues	41,245,000	45,805,000	122,522,000	121,203,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	84,108,000	90,948,000	253,391,000	273,671,000
Total revenues	728,861,000	760,752,000	1,958,879,000	1,949,923,000
Aggregates [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues	491,100,000	514,700,000	1,317,900,000	1,324,800,000
Intersegment sales	(42,500,000)	(42,400,000)	(112,900,000)	(111,800,000)
Net sales	448,600,000	472,300,000	1,205,000,000	1,213,000,000
Gross Profit	124,900,000	113,400,000	270,800,000	227,000,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	62,300,000	70,300,000	191,800,000	211,500,000
Concrete [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues	108,700,000	101,400,000	303,300,000	281,800,000
Intersegment sales	0	0	0	0
Net sales	108,700,000	101,400,000	303,300,000	281,800,000
Gross Profit	(8,500,000)	(8,900,000)	(29,900,000)	(32,300,000)
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	11,400,000	13,100,000	34,900,000	39,300,000
Asphalt Mix [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues	118,200,000	128,900,000	293,300,000	304,400,000
Intersegment sales	0	0	0	0
Net sales	118,200,000	128,900,000	293,300,000	304,400,000
Gross Profit	10,900,000	12,300,000	15,500,000	20,400,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	2,300,000	1,900,000	7,100,000	5,900,000
Cement [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues	22,700,000	19,100,000	63,600,000	52,500,000
Intersegment sales	(10,600,000)	(6,700,000)	(28,800,000)	(23,000,000)
Net sales	12,100,000	12,400,000	34,800,000	29,500,000
Gross Profit	(400,000)	(1,000,000)	(1,600,000)	(5,600,000)
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	6,400,000	4,500,000	15,000,000	13,600,000
Corporate and Other Unallocated [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization	$ 1,700,000	$ 1,100,000	$ 4,600,000	$ 3,400,000