Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2016
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. It is suggested that these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Astec Industries, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. Dollar and share amounts shown are in thousands, except per share amounts, unless otherwise specified. Certain amounts previously reported for 2015 have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (‘FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," which supersedes existing revenue guidance under U.S. GAAP. The standard's core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The implementation of this new standard will require companies to use more judgment and to make more estimates than under current guidance. The standard is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company plans to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet determined what impact, if any, the adoption of this new standard will have on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, "Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory," which changes the measurement basis for inventory from the lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value and also eliminates the requirement for companies to consider replacement cost or net realizable value less an approximate normal profit margin when determining the recorded value of inventory. The standard is effective for public companies in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and the Company expects to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2017. The Company has not yet determined what impact, if any, the adoption of this new standard will have on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10)”, which requires, among other things, equity investments with readily determinable fair values, except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The standard is effective for public companies in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and the Company expects to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet determined what impact, if any, the adoption of this new standard will have on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”, which significantly changes the accounting for operating leases by lessees. The accounting applied by lessors is largely unchanged from that applied under previous guidance. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities in the balance sheet, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, for leases which were classified as operating leases under previous guidance. Lease cost included in the statement of income will be calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis. Lessees may make an accounting policy election to exclude leases with a term of 12 months or less from the requirement to record related assets and liabilities. The new standard is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company plans to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2019. The Company has not yet determined what impact the adoption of this new standard will have on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”, which does not change the core principles of ASU No. 2014-09 discussed above, but rather clarifies the implementation guidance in order to eliminate the potential for diversity in practice arising from inconsistent application of the principal versus agent guidance. Under the new guidance, when an entity determines it is a principal in a transaction, the entity recognizes revenue in the gross amount of consideration; however in transactions where an entity determines it in an agent, the entity recognizes revenue in the amount of any fee or commission to which it expects to be entitled. The standard is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company plans to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet determined what impact, if any, the adoption of this new standard will have on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718)”, as part of its Simplification Initiative. The standard’s provisions impact several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification in the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2016 and has recorded a cumulative effect adjustment in retained earnings as of January 1, 2016 of $95, net of tax, related to the adoption of the new provisions allowing for restricted stock unit forfeitures to be accounted for at the time they occur as opposed to being estimated during the vesting period. Additionally, income tax benefits of $209, which would have been recorded in additional paid-in-capital under prior guidance, have been recorded in the first quarter 2016 consolidated income statement related to excess tax benefits resulting from the vesting of restricted stock units in 2016. As allowed under the provision’s guidelines, amounts for 2015 have not been restated in the accompanying financial statements.