Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 3,000.6	$ 2,894.1
Cost of goods sold	(2,126.1)	(2,041.2)
Selling and administrative expenses	(659.5)	(627.5)
Operating income	215.0	225.4
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Interest expense	(54.0)	(56.7)
Intercompany interest and fees	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net	(4.7)	1.9
Earnings before income taxes	156.3	170.6
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(28.7)	(41.9)
Earnings from continuing operations	127.6	128.7
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(6.5)	26.9
Net earnings	121.1	155.6
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4.0)	(3.2)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	117.1	152.4
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	120.6	142.0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	237.7	294.4
IR Ireland [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses	(2.3)	(1.5)
Operating income	(2.3)	(1.5)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	124.9	167.6
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	(5.8)	(14.0)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.1
Earnings before income taxes	116.8	152.2
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(0.3)	(0.2)
Earnings from continuing operations	117.1	152.4
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	117.1	152.4
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	117.1	152.4
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	120.6	142.0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	237.7	294.4
IR Irish Holdings [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	117.4	157.8
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	117.4	157.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	(0.2)
Earnings from continuing operations	117.4	158.0
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	117.4	158.0
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	117.4	158.0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	120.3	141.5
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	237.7	299.5
IR Lux International [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	93.9	134.9
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	(13.5)	(10.1)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	80.4	124.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	80.4	124.8
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	80.4	124.8
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	80.4	124.8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	114.9	125.4
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	195.3	250.2
IR Global [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses	(0.9)	0.0
Operating income	(0.9)	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	23.0	40.8
Interest expense	(31.7)	(31.9)
Intercompany interest and fees	(42.7)	(36.9)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	(52.3)	(28.0)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(27.4)	(25.0)
Earnings from continuing operations	(24.9)	(3.0)
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	(24.9)	(3.0)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(24.9)	(3.0)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	78.0	55.8
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	53.1	52.8
IR New Jersey [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	316.3	316.5
Cost of goods sold	(234.6)	(242.1)
Selling and administrative expenses	(121.3)	(132.6)
Operating income	(39.6)	(58.2)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	107.1	106.2
Interest expense	(11.9)	(12.1)
Intercompany interest and fees	(74.2)	(71.6)
Other income/(expense), net	(2.7)	(1.6)
Earnings before income taxes	(21.3)	(37.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(50.0)	(53.0)
Earnings from continuing operations	28.7	15.7
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(5.8)	25.1
Net earnings	22.9	40.8
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	22.9	40.8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	77.9	55.7
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	100.8	96.5
IR Lux Finance [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0.0	0.0
Cost of goods sold	0.0	0.0
Selling and administrative expenses	(0.1)	(0.2)
Operating income	(0.1)	(0.2)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	6.0	121.6
Interest expense	(10.3)	(11.2)
Intercompany interest and fees	(1.9)	(1.3)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	(6.3)	108.9
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	(6.3)	108.9
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	(6.3)	108.9
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(6.3)	108.9
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	36.1	29.2
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	29.8	138.1
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	2,777.8	2,666.8
Cost of goods sold	(1,985.0)	(1,888.3)
Selling and administrative expenses	(534.9)	(493.2)
Operating income	257.9	285.3
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Interest expense	(0.1)	(1.5)
Intercompany interest and fees	138.1	133.9
Other income/(expense), net	(2.0)	3.4
Earnings before income taxes	393.9	421.1
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	106.4	120.3
Earnings from continuing operations	287.5	300.8
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(0.7)	1.8
Net earnings	286.8	302.6
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4.0)	(3.2)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	282.8	299.4
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	118.1	192.6
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	400.9	492.0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(93.5)	(89.2)
Cost of goods sold	93.5	89.2
Selling and administrative expenses	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	(472.3)	(728.9)
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	(472.3)	(728.9)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	(472.3)	(728.9)
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	(472.3)	(728.9)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(472.3)	(728.9)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(545.3)	(600.2)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	$ (1,017.6)	$ (1,329.1)