Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)			9 Months Ended
	May 17, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 08, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) Lawsuit Plaintiff	Apr. 28, 2016 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Potential environmental liabilities			$ 0
Liquidated damages exposure			255,000,000
Reduction in Transaction Price [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Liquidated damages exposure			82,000,000
Cost Reimbursable Projects [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency, damages amount		$ 4,500,000,000
Asserted claims against customer		$ 250,000,000
Consolidated Joint Venture Projects [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Asserted claims against customer	$ 90,000,000
Net of amonts owned to joint venture	$ 297,000,000
Loss contingency accrual liability amount			$ 0
Mercury Litigation [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs | Plaintiff			54
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. Securities Litigation [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual liability amount			$ 0
Daniel Cohen, et al. v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, N.V., et al. [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual liability amount			$ 0
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of shareholders filed seperate law suits under federal securities laws | Lawsuit			5
Number of actions allege violations | Lawsuit			5
Number of actions dismissed | Lawsuit			5
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. [Member] | Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. Sale of Nuclear Operations [Memeber]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual liability amount			$ 0
Closing working capital amount				$ 1,600,000,000
Amount of working capital greater than target working capital				427,800,000
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC [Member] | Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. Sale of Nuclear Operations [Memeber]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated negative closing working capital amount				976,500,000
Amount of working capital less than target working capital				$ 2,100,000,000