Financial Statements	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Financial Statements	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all estimates and adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. However, actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. The year-end Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016 was derived from audited financial statements. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer collectively to L.B. Foster Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Assets Held for Sale The Company classifies assets as held for sale when management approves and commits to a formal plan of sale with the expectation the sale will be completed within one year. The net assets of the business held for sale are then recorded at the lower of their current carrying value or the fair market value, less costs to sell. See Note 7 Investments of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional information. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”). ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue, cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company continues its project adoption plan by performing a detailed evaluation of contracts and sales orders with customers and assessing the impact that this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and backlog. We have also been assessing the impact to internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure requirements. We regularly brief our Audit Committee on our overall project plan as well as our progress towards adoption. The Company will adopt this standard as of January 1, 2018 and anticipates using the modified retrospective approach at adoption as it relates to ASU 2014-09. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). The new accounting requirements include the accounting for, presentation of, and classification of leases. The guidance will result in most leases being capitalized as a right of use asset with a related liability on our balance sheets. The requirements of the new standard are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impact of ASU 2016-02 on our financial position. The Company has a significant number of operating leases, and, as a result, expects this guidance to have a material impact on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company does not anticipate early adoption as it relates to ASU 2016-02. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Income Taxes – Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740),” (“ASU 2016-16”) which will require an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company continues to evaluate the impact this standard will have on the Company’s financial statements but believes there will not be a material change once adopted. The Company will not elect early adoption of ASU 2016-16. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715),” (“ASU 2017-07”) which improves the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The guidance requires that the entity report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period, and report the other components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. Of the components of net periodic benefit cost, only the service cost component will be eligible for asset capitalization. The new standard will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is evaluating its implementation approach and assessing the impact of ASU 2017-07 on the presentation of operations.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all estimates and adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. However, actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. The year-end Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016 was derived from audited financial statements. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer collectively to L.B. Foster Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Assets Held for Sale

The Company classifies assets as held for sale when management approves and commits to a formal plan of sale with the expectation the sale will be completed within one year. The net assets of the business held for sale are then recorded at the lower of their current carrying value or the fair market value, less costs to sell. See Note 7 Investments of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional information.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”). ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue, cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company continues its project adoption plan by performing a detailed evaluation of contracts and sales orders with customers and assessing the impact that this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and backlog. We have also been assessing the impact to internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure requirements. We regularly brief our Audit Committee on our overall project plan as well as our progress towards adoption. The Company will adopt this standard as of January 1, 2018 and anticipates using the modified retrospective approach at adoption as it relates to ASU 2014-09.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). The new accounting requirements include the accounting for, presentation of, and classification of leases. The guidance will result in most leases being capitalized as a right of use asset with a related liability on our balance sheets. The requirements of the new standard are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is in the process of analyzing the impact of ASU 2016-02 on our financial position. The Company has a significant number of operating leases, and, as a result, expects this guidance to have a material impact on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company does not anticipate early adoption as it relates to ASU 2016-02.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Income Taxes – Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740),” (“ASU 2016-16”) which will require an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. The ASU is effective on January 1, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company continues to evaluate the impact this standard will have on the Company’s financial statements but believes there will not be a material change once adopted. The Company will not elect early adoption of ASU 2016-16.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715),” (“ASU 2017-07”) which improves the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The guidance requires that the entity report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period, and report the other components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. Of the components of net periodic benefit cost, only the service cost component will be eligible for asset capitalization. The new standard will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is evaluating its implementation approach and assessing the impact of ASU 2017-07 on the presentation of operations.