ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES (Narrative) (Details)			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Aug. 26, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) item
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Cash					$ 1,639,400,000	$ 43,200,000	$ 44,200,000
Goodwill	[1]				524,600,000	5,100,000
Gain on sale of property, plant & equipment and businesses				$ 4,100,000	120,100,000	4,000,000.0	23,800,000
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Assets held for sale					0	0	0
Acquisitions 2021 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets recognized					676,600,000
Goodwill					524,600,000
Goodwill, deductible for income tax purposes					115,600,000
Acquisitions 2020 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Total consideration						73,400,000
Cash						43,200,000
Consideration payable amount						30,200,000
Amortizable intangible assets recognized						$ 65,500,000
Intangible assets amortization period, tax purposes						15 years
Goodwill						$ 5,100,000
Intangible assets, not deductible for income tax purposes						$ 25,700,000
Acquisitions 2019 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Total consideration							45,300,000
Amortizable intangible assets recognized							$ 25,400,000
Intangible assets amortization period, tax purposes							15 years
Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Total consideration					4,900,000
U.S. Concrete, Inc. [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Total consideration		$ 1,634,500,000			1,634,500,000
Cash		$ 1,268,500,000
Cash					1,634,500,000
Goodwill					524,600,000
Deferred income taxes, net					222,800,000
U.S. Concrete, Inc. [Member] | Acquisition-Related Costs [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Supplemental Pro Forma Results, Net earnings attributable to Vulcan					22,000,000.0
California [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Consideration transferred, net of assets divested			$ 12,900,000
Gain on sale of property, plant & equipment and businesses			$ 114,700,000
New Mexico [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Supply agreement period						20 years
Virginia [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Supply agreement period						20 years
Aggregates [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Goodwill	[1]				$ 236,100,000	$ 5,100,000
Aggregates [Member] | Georgia [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities divested | item							2
Contractual Rights - Straight-Line Method [Member] | Acquisitions 2019 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets							19 years 6 months
Amortizable Intangible Asset Straight-Line Method [Member] | Acquisitions 2021 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets					15 years
Amortizable Intangible Asset Straight-Line Method [Member] | Acquisitions 2020 [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets recognized						$ 65,500,000
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets						20 years

[1] See Note 19 for a summary of recent acquisitions.