Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 3,384.5	$ 3,000.6
Cost of goods sold	(2,420.2)	(2,126.1)
Selling and administrative expenses	(720.9)	(659.5)
Operating income	243.4	215.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Interest expense	(72.9)	(54.0)
Intercompany interest and fees	0.0	0.0
Other income/(expense), net	(4.0)	(4.7)
Earnings before income taxes	166.5	156.3
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(33.0)	(28.7)
Earnings from continuing operations	133.5	127.6
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(9.4)	(6.5)
Net earnings	124.1	121.1
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(3.7)	(4.0)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	120.4	117.1
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	152.1	120.6
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	272.5	237.7
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	(1.7)	(2.3)
Operating income	(1.7)	(2.3)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	124.2	124.9
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	(1.0)	(5.8)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	121.5	116.8
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	1.1	(0.3)
Earnings from continuing operations	120.4	117.1
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	120.4	117.1
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	120.4	117.1
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	152.1	120.6
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	272.5	237.7
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	123.5	117.4
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	123.5	117.4
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	123.5	117.4
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	123.5	117.4
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	123.5	117.4
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	151.9	120.3
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	275.4	237.7
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	110.9	93.9
Interest expense	0.0	0.0
Intercompany interest and fees	4.0	(13.5)
Other income/(expense), net	0.0	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	114.9	80.4
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.3	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	115.2	80.4
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	115.2	80.4
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	115.2	80.4
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	144.2	114.9
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	259.4	195.3
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	(0.1)	(0.9)
Operating income	(0.1)	(0.9)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	118.3	23.0
Interest expense	(50.3)	(31.7)
Intercompany interest and fees	(27.8)	(42.7)
Other income/(expense), net	0.7	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	40.8	(52.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(17.7)	(27.4)
Earnings from continuing operations	58.5	(24.9)
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	58.5	(24.9)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	58.5	(24.9)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	105.8	78.0
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	164.3	53.1
IR New Jersey [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	347.6	316.3
Cost of goods sold	(253.8)	(234.6)
Selling and administrative expenses	(136.3)	(121.3)
Operating income	(42.5)	(39.6)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	162.7	107.1
Interest expense	(11.8)	(11.9)
Intercompany interest and fees	6.3	(74.2)
Other income/(expense), net	(3.6)	(2.7)
Earnings before income taxes	111.1	(21.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(16.4)	(50.0)
Earnings from continuing operations	127.5	28.7
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(9.3)	(5.8)
Net earnings	118.2	22.9
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	118.2	22.9
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	105.2	77.9
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	223.4	100.8
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	0.0	(0.1)
Operating income	0.0	(0.1)
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	39.2	6.0
Interest expense	(10.6)	(10.3)
Intercompany interest and fees	(2.4)	(1.9)
Other income/(expense), net	0.1	0.0
Earnings before income taxes	26.3	(6.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	26.3	(6.3)
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	26.3	(6.3)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	26.3	(6.3)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	37.3	36.1
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	63.6	29.8
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	3,140.7	2,777.8
Cost of goods sold	(2,270.2)	(1,985.0)
Selling and administrative expenses	(582.8)	(534.9)
Operating income	287.7	257.9
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Interest expense	(0.2)	(0.1)
Intercompany interest and fees	20.9	138.1
Other income/(expense), net	(1.2)	(2.0)
Earnings before income taxes	307.2	393.9
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	66.3	106.4
Earnings from continuing operations	240.9	287.5
Discontinued operations, net of tax	(0.1)	(0.7)
Net earnings	240.8	286.8
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(3.7)	(4.0)
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	237.1	282.8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	145.8	118.1
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	382.9	400.9
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(103.8)	(93.5)
Cost of goods sold	103.8	93.5
Selling and administrative expenses	0.0	0.0
Operating income	0.0	0.0
Equity earnings (loss) in subsidiaries, net of tax	(678.8)	(472.3)
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	(678.8)	(472.3)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0.0	0.0
Earnings from continuing operations	(678.8)	(472.3)
Discontinued operations, net of tax	0.0	0.0
Net earnings	(678.8)	(472.3)
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0.0	0.0
Net earnings attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	(678.8)	(472.3)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Portion Attributable to Parent	(690.2)	(545.3)
Total comprehensive income attributable to Ingersoll-Rand plc	$ (1,369.0)	$ (1,017.6)