Commitments and Contingencies (Details 2) (Aerospace materials, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011 Y
Aerospace materials
Purchase Commitments
Total amount of purchase commitments	$ 165.9
Term of agreement (in years)	5
2012	97.1
2013	17.2
2014	17.2
2015	17.2
2016	$ 17.2

Represents the term of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation arrangement.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	rs_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than four and within five years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 47

-Paragraph 7

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 440

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25336-109308

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid within one year of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than three and within four years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than one and within two years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than two and within three years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceSheetAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration