Revenues and Gross Profit - Total Revenues and Gross Profit by Product Line (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 1,420,246	$ 1,219,640	$ 3,638,668	$ 3,224,047
Gross profit (loss)	420,645	312,984	920,418	739,293
Interproduct Revenues
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	(77,419)	(66,839)	(203,554)	(205,681)
Corporate
Product Information [Line Items]
Gross profit (loss)	1,725	(579)	1,446	4,474
Building Materials Business
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	1,355,369	1,146,117	3,423,478	3,008,300
Building Materials Business | Operating Segments
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	1,355,369	1,146,117	3,423,478	3,008,300
Gross profit (loss)	395,910	287,816	842,382	661,343
Building Materials Business | Operating Segments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	1,263,826	1,073,853	3,198,713	2,822,910
Gross profit (loss)	395,593	287,863	842,004	660,911
Magnesia Specialties | Operating Segments
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	64,877	73,523	215,190	215,747
Gross profit (loss)	23,010	25,747	76,590	73,476
Magnesia Specialties | Operating Segments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	59,334	68,365	198,886	201,390
Gross profit (loss)	23,997	26,823	79,816	76,756
Aggregates | Building Materials Business | Operating Segments | Reportable Subsegments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	818,693	691,822	2,121,443	1,785,961
Gross profit (loss)	287,024	209,666	636,505	461,912
Cement | Building Materials Business | Operating Segments | Reportable Subsegments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	119,609	98,223	330,976	300,554
Gross profit (loss)	48,519	32,543	104,526	97,582
Ready Mixed Concrete | Building Materials Business | Operating Segments | Reportable Subsegments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	271,844	254,686	724,179	750,424
Gross profit (loss)	28,948	20,632	62,454	66,226
Asphalt and Paving | Building Materials Business | Operating Segments | Reportable Subsegments | Products and Services
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	131,099	95,961	225,669	191,652
Gross profit (loss)	31,102	25,022	38,519	35,191
Freight
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	97,086	77,422	241,069	199,747
Freight | Building Materials Business
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	91,543	72,264	224,765	185,390
Freight | Building Materials Business | Operating Segments
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	91,543	72,264	224,765	185,390
Gross profit (loss)	317	(47)	378	432
Freight | Magnesia Specialties | Operating Segments
Product Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	5,543	5,158	16,304	14,357
Gross profit (loss)	$ (987)	$ (1,076)	$ (3,226)	$ (3,280)