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Debt and Other Financing Arrangements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Oct. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2016 $ 0    
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2017 600,000,000    
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2018 500,000,000    
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2019 0    
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2020 20,000,000    
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - thereafter 3,241,000,000    
Issuance of Commercial Papers $ 0 $ 151,400,000  
Ratio funded debt to total capital 36.00%    
Harris Steel [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facility availability $ 25,100,000    
Credit facilities, amount outstanding 0 1,500,000  
Nucor Trading S.A. [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facilities, amount outstanding 51,300,000 54,600,000  
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facility availability $ 1,500,000,000    
Unsecured revolving credit facility, Expiration date 2018-08    
Credit facility availability $ 500,000,000    
Ratio on the limit of funded debt to capital on credit facility 60.00%    
Credit facilities, amount outstanding $ 0 0  
Letter of Credit [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facility availability 500,000,000    
Letter of Credit [Member] | Nucor Trading S.A. [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facilities, amount outstanding 58,000,000 $ 42,200,000  
Foreign Currency Loans [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facility availability 850,000,000    
Revolving Loans For Nucor Subsidiaries [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Credit facility availability $ 500,000,000    
Maximum [Member] | Commercial Paper [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt instrument maturity   90 days  
Gallatin [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Issuance of Commercial Papers     $ 300,000,000