Notes Payable, Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		May. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowings under credit facilities		$ 229	$ 1,685
Borrowings under loans	[1]	31,197	38,207
Capital lease obligations		28,232	30,879
Fair value adjustment related to terminated interest rate swaps on the 7.750% Senior Notes		2,670	4,450
Total notes payable, long-term debt and capital lease obligations		1,671,227	1,682,545
Less current installments of notes payable, long-term debt and capital lease obligations		11,365	12,960
Notes payable, long-term debt and capital lease obligations, less current installments		1,659,862	1,669,585
7.750% Senior Notes Due 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes		309,948	308,659
8.250% Senior Notes Due 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes		398,951	398,665
5.625% Senior Notes Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes		400,000	400,000
4.700% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes		$ 500,000	$ 500,000

[1] During the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, the Company entered into a master lease agreement with a variable interest entity (the “VIE”) whereby it sells to and subsequently leases back from the VIE up to $ 60.0 million in certain machinery and equipment for a period of up to five years. In connection with this transaction, the Company holds a variable interest in the VIE, which was designed to hold debt obligations payable to third-party creditors. The proceeds from such debt obligations are uti lized to finance the purchase of the machinery and equipment that is then leased by the Company. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE as it has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economi c performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Therefore, the Company consolidates the financial statements of the VIE and eliminates all intercompany transactions. At May 31, 2015 , the VIE had approximately $ 30.8 million of total assets, of which approximately $ 30.2 million was comprised of a note receivable due from the Company, and approximately $ 30.1 million of total liabilities, of which approximately $ 30.0 million were debt obligations to the third-party creditors (as the VIE has utilized approximately $ 30.0 million of the $60.0 million debt obligation capacity). The third-party creditors have recourse to the Company ’s general credit only in the event that the Company defaults on its obligations under the terms of the master lease agreement. In addition, the assets held by the VIE can be used o nly to settle the obligations of the VIE.