Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details) € in Millions, £ in Millions				1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended											12 Months Ended			24 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 EUR (€)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) segment shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2015 GBP (£)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings						$ 87,475,000				$ 43,022,000							$ 87,475,000	$ 43,022,000
Change in billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings																	45,700,000	19,100,000	$ (6,340,000)
Foreign currency transaction gain (loss) recognized in income																	(100,000)	(600,000)	(2,400,000)
Gains (losses) related to foreign exchange transactions						(47,700,000)				(23,400,000)							(47,700,000)	(23,400,000)
Gains (losses) related to derivative transactions						(200,000)				(700,000)							(200,000)	(700,000)
Income (loss) related to pension activity						400,000				(500,000)							400,000	(500,000)
Research and development costs																	$ 2,800,000	$ 2,600,000	2,600,000
Stock options and units excluded from diluted EPS calculation (in Shares) | shares																	324,804	318,059
Contract Receivable Retainage, Due after Next Twelve Months																	10.00%
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											$ 11,900,000
Definite-lived intangible asset impairment																	$ 0	$ 12,116,000	0
Goodwill impairment						43,500,000											43,484,000	51,512,000	0
Goodwill						249,120,000				293,023,000							249,120,000	293,023,000
Proceeds from sale of interests in German joint venture																	0	0	18,300,000
Gross equity in earnings of affiliate companies																	0	570,000	5,159,000
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Dividends or Distributions																	0	590,000	10,691,000
Loss on sale of interests in Bayou Coating, L.L.C.																		(500,000)
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests																	$ 472,000	617,000	287,000
Total consideration recorded														€ 14	$ 18,300,000
Gain (loss) on disposition of business															11,300,000
Business Acquisition, Transaction Costs															$ 500,000
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount																				£ 2.3	$ 3,600,000
Number of reportable segments | segment																	3
Revenues						(330,713,000)	$ (356,595,000)	$ (337,096,000)	$ (309,166,000)	(352,181,000)	(350,138,000)	$ (322,868,000)	$ (306,234,000)				$ (1,333,570,000)	(1,331,421,000)	(1,091,420,000)
Gain (loss) on sale of interests																	(3,414,000)	(988,000)	11,771,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets						66,999,000				42,046,000							66,999,000	42,046,000
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expense and Other Assets																	$ 28,895,000	$ (3,465,000)	$ 9,685,000
Equity Option
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of EPS (in Shares) | shares																	164,014	164,014	318,026
Minimum
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Retainage, Percent of Contract Value Withheld																	5.00%
Maximum
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Retainage, Percent of Contract Value Withheld																	15.00%
Insituform Germany
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					50.00%										50.00%	50.00%
Total consideration recorded				€ 14	$ 18,300,000
Gain (loss) on disposition of business					11,300,000
Business Acquisition, Transaction Costs					$ 500,000											$ 500,000
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount																				£ 2.3	$ 3,600,000
Bayou Coating
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Change in billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings																	$ 44,500,000
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expense and Other Assets																	25,000,000
Goodwill | Minimum
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, discount rate	12.50%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, annual revenue growth rate	1.00%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, long term growth rate	1.00%
Goodwill | Maximum
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, discount rate	15.00%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, annual revenue growth rate	15.00%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, long term growth rate	3.50%
Fyfe Asia
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill										21,106,000								$ 21,106,000	$ 20,008,000
Infrastructure Solutions
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment																	0
Goodwill						174,456,000				177,275,000							174,456,000	177,275,000
Infrastructure Solutions | Fyfe Asia
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment										29,700,000								16,100,000
Bayou
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											10,900,000
Definite-lived intangible asset impairment											10,900,000
Goodwill										0								0
Fyfe LA
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Definite-lived intangible asset impairment										1,200,000
Energy Services
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment																	33,500,000
Goodwill	$ 80,200,000					$ 46,700,000											46,700,000
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, discount rate	13.50%
Revenues																	$ 90,000,000
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount	(7.50%)					27.60%											27.60%
Reporting Unit, Change in Fair Value, Value	$ 7,700,000
Reporting Unit, Change in Fair Value, Percent	4.10%
Energy Services | Income Approach Valuation Technique
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount						29.00%											29.00%
Energy Services | Market Approach Valuation Technique
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount						27.60%											27.60%
Energy Services | Goodwill
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, discount rate	13.50%	14.00%															13.00%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, annual revenue growth rate	3.30%																2.60%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, long term growth rate	2.00%																2.00%
Delta Double Jointing
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners																						41.00%
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent																						59.00%
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests			$ 600,000
Bayou Delta
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											400,000
FRANCE
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											200,000
MALAYSIA
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											300,000
INDIA
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges											$ 100,000
CRTS
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment										5,700,000							$ 10,000,000
Goodwill	$ 14,400,000					$ 4,400,000				14,400,000							$ 4,400,000	14,400,000
Reporting Unit, Change in Fair Value, Value	$ 10,000,000
Reporting Unit, Change in Fair Value, Percent	21.80%
CRTS | Goodwill
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, discount rate	13.50%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, annual revenue growth rate	0.50%	3.80%
Significant assumptions used in goodwill review, long term growth rate	3.00%
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount						30.00%											30.00%
Bayou Coating
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Ownership interest			49.00%										49.00%
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners			51.00%										51.00%
Proceeds from sale of interests in German joint venture			$ 9,100,000
Non-cash charge related to goodwill, pre-tax																2,700,000
Non-cash charge related to goodwill, post-tax																$ 1,800,000
Gross equity in earnings of affiliate companies													$ 1,200,000
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Dividends or Distributions													$ 700,000
Fyfe
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Goodwill										$ 50,200,000								$ 50,200,000