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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details 5) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
May 13, 2014
Dec. 27, 2014
Dec. 28, 2013
Dec. 29, 2012
Mar. 02, 2013
Mar. 30, 2013
Feb. 28, 2015
Equity Method Investments              
Amount recognized in currency translation adjustments previously recorded as part of accumulated other comprehensive income     $ (5,194,000)us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationReclassificationAdjustmentFromAOCIRealizedUponSaleOrLiquidationNetOfTax        
Research and Development              
Research and development expenses   13,900,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense 10,200,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense 7,100,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense      
Stock Repurchase Program              
Authorized amount 500,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1           250,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
Length of authorization period 12 months            
Number of shares acquired   2,711,149us-gaap_TreasuryStockSharesAcquired          
Amount paid for share repurchase   395,045,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock          
Manganese Materials Company Pty. Ltd.              
Equity Method Investments              
Proceeds from sale of business         29,250,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments
/ us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsByTransactionAxis
= vmi_ManganeseMaterialsCompanyPtyLtdMember
   
Amount recognized in currency translation adjustments previously recorded as part of accumulated other comprehensive income         5,194,000us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossForeignCurrencyTransactionAndTranslationReclassificationAdjustmentFromAOCIRealizedUponSaleOrLiquidationNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsByTransactionAxis
= vmi_ManganeseMaterialsCompanyPtyLtdMember
   
Deferred tax benefits associated with sale of business           $ 3,200,000vmi_EquityMethodInvestmentDeferredTaxBenefitOnSale
/ us-gaap_SignificantAcquisitionsAndDisposalsByTransactionAxis
= vmi_ManganeseMaterialsCompanyPtyLtdMember