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Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]      
Profit Sharing and Retirement Savings Plan, plan expense $ 110.1nue_ProfitSharingAndRetirementSavingsPlanExpense $ 71.7nue_ProfitSharingAndRetirementSavingsPlanExpense $ 77.7nue_ProfitSharingAndRetirementSavingsPlanExpense
Unfunded obligation 14.1us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation 9.9us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation  
Benefit (expense) associated with early retiree medical plan $ 0.6nue_EarlyRetireeMedicalPlanBenefitExpense $ 0.6nue_EarlyRetireeMedicalPlanBenefitExpense $ 1.9nue_EarlyRetireeMedicalPlanBenefitExpense
Discount rate used to calculate expenses 3.80%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate 4.60%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate 3.70%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate
Health care cost trend rate 6.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate 6.60%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate 6.60%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate
Year that trend rate is projected to reach ultimate rate 2027    
December 31, 2027 [Member]      
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]      
Health care cost trend rate 4.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= nue_DecemberThirtyOneTwoThousandTwentySevenMember