Note 1 - General (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended									3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	21 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Aug. 31, 2011 Paid at Closing [Member] Hockway [Member]	Jan. 04, 2012 Paid at Closing [Member] Fyfe LA [Member]	Aug. 31, 2011 Paid at Closing [Member] Fyfe NA [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Earnout 1 [Member] Fyfe LA [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Earnout 2 [Member] Fyfe LA [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 USTS [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 UPS-Aptec Limited [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Hockway [Member]		Aug. 31, 2011 Hockway [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Corrpower [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 CRTS [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 CRTS [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 Bayou Wasco [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 WCU [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Fyfe Asia [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Fyfe Asia [Member]	Apr. 05, 2012 Fyfe Asia [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fyfe LA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Fyfe LA [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Fyfe NA [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Fyfe NA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Fyfe NA [Member]		Aug. 31, 2011 Fyfe NA [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent											51.00%	51.00%				70.00%			51.00%
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners											49.00%	49.00%				30.00%				49.00%
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid	$ 189,736,000			$ 189,736,000		$ 4,600,000	$ 2,300,000	$ 115,800,000					$ 3,552,000	[1]			$ 24,000,000	$ 24,000,000				$ 40,717,000	$ 40,700,000		$ 3,349,000	[2]	$ 118,118,000	[3]		$ 118,118,000	[3]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Potential Cash Payment															1,500,000			15,000,000						800,000
Number of Joint Ventures																							2
Line of Credit Facility, Increase, Additional Borrowings		26,000,000																			18,000,000
Payments for Previous Acquisition				532,000																				1,100,000			500,000		1,800,000	2,300,000
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, at Fair Value	17,034,000			17,034,000					100,000	700,000			1,454,000				14,760,000								820,000
Exclusive Negotiating Right, Period																																1
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs	607,000		5,438,000	2,594,000	5,764,000
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Potential Cash Payment, Period	3			3
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, Low	0			0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High	17,300,000			17,300,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability	$ 6,892,000		$ 1,700,000	$ 6,892,000	$ 1,700,000								$ 1,000,000				$ 5,900,000

[1] Includes the cash purchase price at closing of $4.6 million plus a final working capital adjustment of $1.0 million, which was paid by the former Hockway shareholders to the Company in the first quarter of 2012.

[2] Includes the cash purchase price at closing of $2.3 million and an additional $1.1 million payment to the sellers during the first quarter of 2012 based on a preliminary working capital adjustment.

[3] Includes the cash purchase price at closing of $115.8 million plus a final working capital adjustment to the sellers of $2.3 million, of which $1.8 million was paid in 2011 and $0.5 million was paid in 2012.