2.2.0.25falsefalse0201 - Disclosure - Organization And Nature Of Operationtruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Jan-01-2010_Dec-31-2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001027884duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2true0cbi_OrganizationAndNatureOfOperationAbstractcbifalsenadurationOrganization And Nature Of Operation.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringOrganization And Nature Of Operation.falsefalseOrganization And Nature Of Operation [Abstract]3false0us-gaap_NatureOfOperationsus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00  <div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%">  <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: transparent"> <b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> </font></b> </div> <div style="margin-top: 0pt; font-size: 1pt"></div> <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: transparent"> <b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> </font></b> </div> <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: transparent"> <b></b> </div> <div style="margin-top: 12pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: transparent; text-align: left"> <tr> <td width="3%"></td> <td width="97%"></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> <b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">1.  </font></b> </td> <td> <b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS</font></b> </td> </tr> </table> <div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> <div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: transparent"> <i>Organization and Nature of Operations</i> — Chicago Bridge & Iron N.V. (“CB&I” or “the Company”) is an integrated engineering, procurement and construction service provider and major process technology licensor. Founded in 1889, CB&I provides conceptual design, technology, engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning services. Natural gas, petroleum and petrochemical projects for the worldwide energy and natural resource industries accounted for a majority of our revenue in 2010, 2009 and 2008. </div> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged NotefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescribes the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings). Disclosures about the nature of operations need not be quantified; relative importance could be conveyed by use of terms such as "predominately", "about equally", or "major and other". This element is also referred to as "Business Description".Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 falsefalseORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS12Organization And Nature Of OperationUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue