SEGMENT REPORTING (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) state segment mi	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Number of operating segments \| segment	4
Number of reportable segments \| segment	4
Radius for delivering product, minimum \| mi	20
Radius for delivering product, maximum \| mi	25
Equity method investments \| $	$ 22,967	$ 22,924	$ 22,962
Concrete [Member]
Number Of States In Which Segments Serve	6
Percentage of product weight attributable to Aggregates	80.00%
Asphalt Mix [Member]
Number Of States In Which Segments Serve	4
Percentage of product weight attributable to Aggregates	95.00%
Aggregates [Member]
Number Of States In Which Segments Serve	20
Number Of Additional States Served	6
Nondomestic [Member]
Long-lived assets \| $	$ 160,125	139,427	140,504
Nondomestic [Member] \| Aggregates [Member]
Product sales \| $	$ 11,408	$ 14,699	$ 12,339

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35755396&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 41
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number Of Additional States Served

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vmc_NumberOfAdditionalStatesServed
Namespace Prefix:	vmc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number Of States In Which Segments Serve

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vmc_NumberOfStatesInWhichSegmentsServe
Namespace Prefix:	vmc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage Of Product Weight Attributable To Aggregates

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vmc_PercentageOfProductWeightAttributableToAggregates
Namespace Prefix:	vmc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Radius for Delivering Product, Maximum

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vmc_RadiusForDeliveringProductMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	vmc_
Data Type:	num:lengthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Radius for Delivering Product, Minimum

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vmc_RadiusForDeliveringProductMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	vmc_
Data Type:	num:lengthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=vmc_ConcreteMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=vmc_AsphaltMixMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=vmc_AggregatesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=vmc_NondomesticMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: