Use of Estimates - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Segment Project	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Project	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) Segment Project
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			$ 53
Net project losses					$ 315
Number of operating segments | Segment			3		3
AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			$ 10	$ 37	$ 79
Partial offset on estimated costs on project			17
Number of projects | Project				5	6
MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			$ 20	$ 4	$ 174
Number of projects | Project			2	4	4
ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			$ 23	$ 10	$ 62
Number of projects | Project				7	4
PB Litoral project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			12
Agile Charter [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					$ 9
Favorable changes due to productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives			11
Other Multiple Projects [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			4
Other Multiple Projects [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			7
Other Multiple Projects [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			14
Abu Ali cable lay project | MEA [Member] | Project One [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			24
KJO Hout Project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			9
ADMA Four GI Project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Partial offset on estimated costs on project			20
Ichthys Project [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit from project execution cost saving			5
Gorgon MRU Project [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results			$ 4
PB Litoral an EPCI Project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				$ 69
Jack & St. Malo [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				6	10
Morgan City Fabrication Project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				(8)
Papa Terra Project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				40
Marine Installation Project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				(5)
Safaniya phase two Saudi Aramco EPCI project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results	$ 20			23
Partial offset on estimated costs on project				43
Safaniya phase one Saudi Aramco project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				19
KJO Ratawi project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				12
Caspian Pipelay project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				54	54
Siakap [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				52
Siakap project [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				34	127
Brunei Project [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				12
Sepat FEED and Esso KIT Project [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				6
Ichthys Project in Australia [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results				$ 11
Morgan City Hereema Project [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results		$ 9
Marine Project in Mexico [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					10
EPCI two projects in Altamira [Member] | AEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					41
Safaniya phase one Saudi Aramco EPCI project [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					63
KJO Ratawi EPCI project Neutral Zone [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					17
KJO Hout EPCI project Neutral Zone [Member] | MEA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					16
EPCI Project in Australia [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					34
EPIC one project in Australia [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					(64)
Fabrication Project in Australia [Member] | ASA [Member]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure [Line Items]
Effect of changes in estimated project cost on operating results					$ 15