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Property, Plant and Equipment - Additional information (Detail) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Apr. 04, 2015
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Accumulated depreciation $ 7,320,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment   $ 7,170,000,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Property, plant and equipment net of accumulated depreciation, under a capital lease agreement 22,200,000nue_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNetUnderCapitalLeases   22,800,000nue_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNetUnderCapitalLeases
Gross property, plant and equipment acquired under capital lease 25,400,000us-gaap_CapitalLeasedAssetsGross    
Total obligations associated with capital lease agreement 22,600,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations   23,200,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
Capital lease obligations classified in accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,200,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent   2,200,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Capital lease obligations classified in deferred credits and other liabilities 20,400,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrent   21,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrent
Property plant and equipment written down   21,000,000us-gaap_TangibleAssetImpairmentCharges  
Inventory written down   7,000,000nue_InventoryWrittenDown  
Insurance receivable   14,000,000us-gaap_LossContingencyReceivable  
Initial payments from insurance receivables 10,300,000nue_LossContingencyRelatedReceivableCarryingValueLifeToDateReceipts    
Property, plant and equipment, net 5,184,235,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet   5,287,639,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Two remaining storage domes [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, net 20,300,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= nue_TwoRemainingStorageDomesMember		    
Net fixed assets associated with anticipated further development activities at the St. James Parish Site [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, net $ 84,100,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= nue_NetFixedAssetsAssociatedWithAnticipatedFurtherDevelopmentActivitiesAtTheStJamesParishSiteMember		   $ 84,100,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= nue_NetFixedAssetsAssociatedWithAnticipatedFurtherDevelopmentActivitiesAtTheStJamesParishSiteMember