Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 Hybrid Floating Cover — 25 lb/ft² Buoyancy, R-4 Insulation, 99% Coverage
Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 is a hybrid floating cover combining rhombus and hexagonal geometries to achieve up to 98% evaporation reduction with 130 MPH wind resistance (water-ballasted). Engineered for demanding industrial environments, it delivers 99% surface coverage, 25 lb/ft² buoyancy, and R-4 insulation in a single patent-pending modular system.
99%
Surface Coverage
130
MPH Wind Rated
25
lb/ft² Buoyancy
25+
Year Lifespan
The Challenge: Extreme Wind + High Load Requirements
Some industrial pond environments push beyond what standard floating covers can handle: sustained hurricane-force winds, large open pond geometries with significant wave action, accumulated snowfall loads, or the need for direct equipment and personnel access across the cover surface. Standard hexagonal tiles and ball covers are not designed for these conditions.
Operations at mining sites, chemical plants, coastal industrial facilities, and large treatment lagoons often require a cover that functions as a semi-rigid floating platform — one that maintains coverage integrity under extreme environmental loads while remaining modular and cost-effective.
The Solution: Hybrid Geometry Maximizes Structural Rigidity
The Rhombo Hexoshield® uses a patent-pending hybrid panel geometry that combines the interlocking strength of rhombus-shaped structural panels with the coverage efficiency of hexagonal design. This hybrid approach creates a cover surface that is significantly more structurally rigid than pure hexagonal systems — distributing wind and load forces across a wider panel footprint.
The result is 130 MPH wind resistance (water-ballasted), 25 lb/ft² buoyancy, R-4 insulation, and 99% surface coverage — with the same tool-free modular deployment and 25+ year HDPE lifespan as all AWTT products.
Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 Technical Specifications
Full engineering data for extreme-condition industrial floating cover specification.
| Surface Coverage | 99% |
| Panel Design | Patent-pending hybrid rhombus-hexagonal geometry |
| Buoyancy | 25 lb/ft² (122 kg/m²) |
| Wind Resistance | 130 MPH (209 km/h) — water-ballasted |
| Evaporation Reduction | Up to 98% |
| Insulation (R-Factor) | R-4 |
| Heating Cost Reduction | Up to 75% |
| Load-Bearing Capacity | 25 lb/ft² — supports equipment access and snow loads |
| Operating Temperature | −70°F to +160°F (−57°C to +71°C) |
| Material | UV-stabilized HDPE |
| Life Expectancy | 25+ years |
| Warranty | 10 years (manufacturer) |
| Maintenance | None required |
| Installation | Modular panels — tool-free deployment |
| Cost Indicator | $$ (value-optimized for high-performance) |
Why Engineers Specify Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 for High-Load Applications
Maximum structural performance with the same modular, no-maintenance HDPE foundation as all AWTT products.
Wind Resistance — 130 MPH
The hybrid interlocking panel geometry creates a structurally rigid surface layer that distributes wind load across the cover system, resisting sustained winds up to 130 MPH when water-ballasted.
Up to 98% Evaporation Reduction
99% surface coverage combined with the Rhombo Hexoshield® sealed panel geometry delivers up to 98% evaporation reduction — among the highest in the AWTT catalog.
25 lb/ft² Buoyancy for Heavy Loads
High buoyancy capacity supports personnel access, snow load accumulation, and deployment of monitoring equipment directly on the cover surface without compromising coverage.
Hybrid Interlocking Panel System
Patent-pending combination of rhombus and hexagonal geometry creates a panel system that is more structurally rigid than pure hexagonal designs while maintaining full modular deployment flexibility.
R-4 Thermal Insulation
R-4 insulation factor provides significant thermal insulation for heated process ponds, reducing heating costs by up to 75% — suitable for biogas and thermal process applications without requiring the full MAX R system.
Rapid Modular Deployment
Despite its high structural performance, Rhombo Hexoshield® panels are deployed without tools or heavy equipment. Modular design allows phased deployment across any pond geometry.
2017 U.S. Department of Energy Sustainability Award
The Rhombo ball cover technology was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for outstanding water conservation results at one of America's most critical nuclear facilities.
Savannah River Site — "Saving Our Water"
Savannah River Remediation, LLC deployed a Rhombo ball cover at the 281-8H retention basin to manage pH levels, control algae growth, and dramatically reduce water consumption. The project eliminated the need for an expensive water treatment system while maintaining safe regulatory water discharges.
The award was presented in the Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention category — recognizing the dual environmental benefit of conserving millions of gallons of well water while reducing the facility's operational footprint.
View award on Energy.gov55M
Gallons Saved Per Year
$24,000
Annual Cost Savings
DOE
U.S. Department of Energy Award
Project team: Owen Stevens, Stuart Stinson, Edith Lewis-Buncomb, Ronnie Salmon, Mildred Jackson, Arthur Wiggins, Edward Hutson, Terry Miller, Richard Doniphan, James Titcher, and Morgan Stringfield.
Survived Four Hurricanes — Zero Repairs
The Rhombo Hexoshield® and Hexprotect® AQUA covers have survived four named hurricanes between 2018 and 2024 — including Hurricane Helene (Category 4) — with zero damage and zero repairs. All covers remain in active service today.
Florence
2018 — Cat 1
0 repairs
Dorian
2019 — Cat 1
0 repairs
Nicole
2022 — Cat 1
0 repairs
Helene
2024 — Cat 4
0 repairs
AWTT's Hexprotect® AQUA, Hexprotect® MAX R, and Rhombo Hexoshield® are the only modular floating covers known to have survived hurricane-force conditions in real-world deployments.
Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 Applications
Specified for industrial environments where standard covers cannot meet wind, load, or coverage requirements.
Large Mining Tailings Ponds
Open-pit and surface mine liquid containment with extreme wind exposure and wave action.
Chemical Plant Storage Basins
High-load industrial liquid containment with equipment access requirements.
Large Industrial Wastewater Ponds
Multi-acre treatment lagoons in high-wind regions requiring maximum coverage integrity.
Biogas & Anaerobic Treatment
Large anaerobic digestion ponds combining high wind resistance with thermal retention.
Reservoir Dam Floating Cover
Large drinking water reservoirs requiring maximum wind resistance and load capacity.
Industrial Containment Ponds
Sites requiring personnel and light equipment access directly on the floating cover surface.
Verification & documentation
AWTT keeps lab reports and project certificates request-gated, while making technical documentation for Rhombo Hexoshield 66 available to qualified specifiers.
Public proof
2017 DOE Sustainability Award
The Energy.gov public record verifies federal recognition for the Rhombo project at Savannah River Site.
Request-gated
Certificates, SDS, and test reports
Request material certificates, SDS sheets, wind/UV/R-value reports, and third-party documentation for submittal packages.
Public data
Technical data and comparisons
Review HTML tables, JSON/CSV data, and public specifications for coverage, wind, buoyancy, R-value, and design life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers for engineering, procurement, and compliance teams evaluating AWTT floating covers.
What makes Rhombo Hexoshield 66 different from Hexprotect AQUA?
Was Rhombo Hexoshield recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy?
When should I specify Rhombo Hexoshield 66?
Do AWTT floating covers leach PFAS, BPA, BPS, or BPF into drinking water?
Can AWTT provide lab reports, SDS sheets, and material certifications for submittals?
Engineering Tools & Resources
Evaporation & ROI Calculators
Calculate evaporation losses, estimate surface area, and compare cost savings across cover systems.
Not Sure Which Cover?
Answer a few questions about your site conditions and get a personalized product recommendation.
Technical Specifications
View full engineering specs, wind resistance data, R-values, and material compliance details.
Specify Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 for Your High-Demand Application
AWTT's engineering team will evaluate your site wind conditions, pond geometry, and load requirements to confirm Rhombo Hexoshield® 66 is the right solution — and provide a detailed project quote.