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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Textuals (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2009
Accounting policies additional disclosures |  |  |
Advertising costs | $ 400,000 | $ 300,000 | $ 400,000
Research and development costs | 6,100,000 | 4,900,000 | 4,400,000
Original maturity of highly liquid investments, days | 90 |  |
Period over which accounts receivable is due, days | 30 |  |
Excess of current cost over the stated LIFO value of inventory | 29,400,000 | 36,400,000 |
Impairment of the carrying value of goodwill | 0 | 0 |
Discount rate used in estimating liabilities for worker compensation claims | 1.00% | 4.75% |
Undiscounted workers' compensation liabilities | 24,300,000 | 20,600,000 |
Margin deposits with counterparties | 0 | 0 |
Margin deposits from counterparties | 0 | 0 |
More-likely-than-not threshold for goodwill impairment test | 50.00% |  |
5% threshold percentage of Company contribution to total multi-employer pension plan contributions | 5.00% | 5.00% | 5.00%
Performance shares |  |  |
Accounting policies additional disclosures |  |  |
Performance award vesting period, years | 3 |  |
Fabricated Products |  |  |
Accounting policies additional disclosures |  |  |
Non-cash LIFO inventory (benefits) charges | $ (7,100,000) | $ 16,500,000 | $ 8,700,000

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- Definition Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 93-7 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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 720 -SubTopic 35 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848 + Details
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- Definition Loss recognized during the period that results from the write-down of goodwill after comparing the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. Goodwill is assessed at least annually for impairment. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13777-109266 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 142 -Paragraph 20 -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 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 142 -Paragraph 45 -Subparagraph e -Clause 5 -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 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 141R -Paragraph 72 -Subparagraph d -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 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 142 -Paragraph 47 -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 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6905597&loc=d3e13816-109267 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 142 -Paragraph 43 -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 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6905597&loc=d3e13854-109267 + Details
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