CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME [Abstract]
Total revenues	[1]	$ 1,516,506	$ 1,309,890	$ 3,945,897	$ 3,681,707
Cost of revenues		1,122,445	929,392	2,924,206	2,702,967
Gross profit		394,061	380,498	1,021,691	978,740
Selling, administrative and general expenses		103,792	83,511	293,052	261,146
Gain on sale of property, plant & equipment and businesses		2,940	1,576	120,316	2,317
Other operating expense, net		(30,843)	(10,459)	(49,541)	(20,610)
Operating earnings		262,366	288,104	799,414	699,301
Other nonoperating income, net		3,152	5,787	17,288	3,818
Interest expense, net		36,776	35,782	111,589	100,509
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes		228,742	258,109	705,113	602,610
Income tax expense		51,770	56,984	169,692	130,530
Earnings from continuing operations		176,972	201,125	535,421	472,080
Loss on discontinued operations, net of tax		(212)	(1,337)	(2,702)	(2,118)
Net earnings		176,760	199,788	532,719	469,962
Loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		146	0	146	0
Net earnings attributable to Vulcan		176,906	199,788	532,865	469,962
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Deferred loss on interest rate derivative		0	0	0	(14,679)
Amortization of prior interest rate derivative loss		364	350	1,080	1,338
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost for benefit plans		1,235	1,695	3,705	5,085
Other comprehensive income (loss)		1,599	2,045	4,785	(8,256)
Comprehensive income		178,359	201,833	537,504	461,706
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		146	0	146	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Vulcan		$ 178,505	$ 201,833	$ 537,650	$ 461,706
Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan
Continuing operations		$ 1.33	$ 1.52	$ 4.03	$ 3.56
Discontinued operations		0.00	(0.01)	(0.02)	(0.01)
Net earnings		1.33	1.51	4.01	3.55
Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan
Continuing operations		1.33	1.51	4.01	3.54
Discontinued operations		(0.01)	(0.01)	(0.02)	(0.01)
Net earnings		$ 1.32	$ 1.50	$ 3.99	$ 3.53
Weighted-average common shares outstanding
Basic		132,810	132,573	132,780	132,564
Assuming dilution		133,544	133,268	133,480	133,192
Effective tax rate from continuing operations		22.60%	22.10%	24.10%	21.70%

[1] ¹ The geographic markets are defined by states/countries as follows: East market — Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Gulf Coast market — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Quintana Roo (Mexico), South Carolina and Texas West market — Arizona, California and New Mexico U.S. Concrete — British Columbia (Canada), California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C.