XML 24 R104.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.3.0.814

BUSINESS SEGMENTS (External Net Sales from Continuing Operations by Major Product) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Aug. 31, 2015 | [1] | May. 31, 2015 | [1] | Feb. 28, 2015 | [1] | Nov. 30, 2014 | [1] | Aug. 31, 2014 | [1] | May. 31, 2014 | [1] | Feb. 28, 2014 | [1] | Nov. 30, 2013 | [1] | Aug. 31, 2015 | Aug. 31, 2014 | Aug. 31, 2013
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales | $ 1,411,496 | $ 1,506,002 | $ 1,391,117 | $ 1,679,990 | $ 1,837,309 | $ 1,738,593 | $ 1,597,461 | $ 1,617,075 | $ 5,988,605 | $ 6,790,438 | $ 6,601,070
Steel products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,084,092 | 4,500,093 | 4,033,286
Industrial materials |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 566,323 | 659,251 | 928,472
Nonferrous scrap |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 536,856 | 639,961 | 682,611
Ferrous scrap |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 428,192 | 659,578 | 646,263
Construction materials |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 220,232 | 199,154 | 189,046
Nonferrous products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,443 | 8,761 | 5,674
Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Entity-Wide Information, Revenue from External Customer [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 142,467 | $ 123,640 | $ 115,718
[1] | Excludes divisions classified as discontinued operations. See Note 10, Businesses Held for Sale, Discontinued Operations and Dispositions.

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EntityWideInformationRevenueFromExternalCustomerLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Article 5 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_SteelProductsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_IndustrialMaterialsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_NonferrousScrapMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_FerrousScrapMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_ConstructionMaterialsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_NonferrousProductsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=cmc_OtherProductMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |