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Total Equity (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
May 20, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Nov. 23, 2013
Nov. 24, 2003
Dec. 10, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Common stock authorized, shares   200,000,000us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized          
Preferred stock authorized, shares   25,000,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized          
Purchase of common shares, value   $ 30.7us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodValue $ 19.5us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodValue $ 1.2us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodValue      
Dividends per share declared and paid $ 0.18us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid $ 0.72us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid $ 0.54us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid        
Payments of dividends in total   35.4us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends 26.7us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends        
Percent of matching and retirement contribution of compensation paid   6.00%bgc_PercentOfMatchingAndRetirementContributionOfCompensationPaid          
Investments in mutual funds, percent   69.00%bgc_DefferedCompensationInvestmentsInMutualFundsPercent          
Investments in deferred stock, percent   26.00%bgc_DeferredCompensationInvestmentsinDeferredStock          
Investments in General Cable stock fund, percent   5.00%bgc_DefferedCompensationInvestmentsInParentCompanyStockFund          
Market value of mutual fund investments, nonvested and subsequently vested stock and restricted stock in the rabbi trust   31.9bgc_MarketValueOfMutualFundInvestmentsNonvestedAndSubsequentlyVestedStockAndRestrictedStockInRabbiTrust 42.0bgc_MarketValueOfMutualFundInvestmentsNonvestedAndSubsequentlyVestedStockAndRestrictedStockInRabbiTrust        
Amounts payable to the plan participants classified as other liabilities   23.5us-gaap_OtherDeferredCompensationArrangementsLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent 24.2us-gaap_OtherDeferredCompensationArrangementsLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent        
Five Point Seven Five Percent Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Preferred stock, shares issued           2,070,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesIssued
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bgc_FivePointSevenFivePercentSeriesRedeemableConvertiblePreferredStockMember		  
Interest rate           5.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bgc_FivePointSevenFivePercentSeriesRedeemableConvertiblePreferredStockMember		  
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding   0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bgc_FivePointSevenFivePercentSeriesRedeemableConvertiblePreferredStockMember		 0us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= bgc_FivePointSevenFivePercentSeriesRedeemableConvertiblePreferredStockMember		        
Common Stock [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Shares conversion ratio         5.056bgc_ConversionofStockSharesConversionRatio
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember		    
Stock Repurchase Program [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Authorized amount             125us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_StockRepurchaseProgramMember
Purchase of common shares, value   30.7us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodValue
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_StockRepurchaseProgramMember		          
Repurchase of common shares, shares   1,000,000us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_StockRepurchaseProgramMember		          
Average cost per share   $ 30.73us-gaap_TreasuryStockAcquiredAverageCostPerShare
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_StockRepurchaseProgramMember		          
Prior Stock Repurchase Program [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Purchase of common shares, value     19.5us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodValue
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_PriorStockRepurchaseProgramMember		        
Repurchase of common shares, shares     597,531us-gaap_StockRedeemedOrCalledDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_PriorStockRepurchaseProgramMember		        
Average cost per share     $ 32.65us-gaap_TreasuryStockAcquiredAverageCostPerShare
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= bgc_PriorStockRepurchaseProgramMember		        
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Market value of the assets held by the rabbi trust classified as other non-current assets   22.1us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember		 22.2us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember		        
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]              
Class of Stock [Line Items]              
Market value of the assets held by the rabbi trust classified as other non-current assets   $ 22.1us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember		 $ 22.2us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember