<p>If protective structures become destabilized and damaged while obstructing geohazards, they can lead to more severe catastrophic consequences. Consequently, there is a necessity to develop enhanced energy dissipating protective structures. This study proposes a novel protective structure: the movable rigid netting barrier. The discrete element method is used to study the granular flow blocking process under various configurations of the protective structure. The influences of the rigid netting barrier’s movement speed and mesh size on the blocking efficiency and the force response are discussed. Additionally, the particle size distribution of the deposition in front of the protective structures is also analysed. The results indicate that the movable barrier can enhance the energy dissipation of the granular flow and significantly reduce the impact force and moment exerted on the barrier. As the mesh size and the movement speed increases, the peak value of impact force and moment on the rigid netting barrier decreases.</p>