From September 16 to 19, 2026, the 18th Slope Engineering Technology Conference was held in Urumqi.

　　The conference was hosted by the Road Engineering Branch of the China Highway and Transportation Society, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Survey and Design Association. The team led by Academician Wang Shuangjie of the Chinese Academy of Engineering attended the conference.

　　Sichuan OST Slope Protection Engineering Co., Ltd. was the only company among the organizers of this conference dedicated to the research and development of slope protection technology and product manufacturing. The company's General Manager, Lü Wenjing, was invited to give a report titled "Application Prospects of Flexible Protection Systems."

　　From 0 to 1: A Twenty-Year Journey Toward Technological Self-Reliance

　　After the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a large number of protective structures collapsed, failing to perform their intended function. After conducting on-site investigations abroad, the OST team found that geological conditions at home and abroad differ significantly, with a technological gap of about 60 years. Questioning the 2004 version of the standard, the OST company built China's first rockfall impact testing platform to carry out verification tests. The results showed that the compliance rate of protection performance was only 20%–30%, proving that the 2004 interim standard was inadequate.

　　Afterward, OST joined hands with Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu University of Technology, and other universities to carry out more than a decade of systematic research, spanning from rockfall mechanism studies to component material research, and from structural research to impact mechanics. Through countless full-scale experiments and multiple field in-situ tests, the team continuously collected data and, combined with finite element simulation, raised calculation accuracy to over 90%.

　　From trial-and-error experimental research and development to a scientific R&D approach combining theoretical analysis, finite element calculation, and experimental verification, Aosite achieved a technological breakthrough from 0 to 1.

　　防护能级从：

　　750kJ(1995年)

　　↓

　　5000kJ(2015年)

　　↓

　　12000kJ(2023年 超高能级)

　　Behind these figures lies not only an increase in energy levels but also a revolution in protection philosophy—shifting from the traditional concepts of "stabilization" and "interception" to an adaptive approach of "control, guidance, and energy dissipation." On this basis, OST developed a curtain-type guidance net system (1,000 kJ to 12,000 kJ) and a high-performance flexible rock shed (2,000 kJ), expanding its application scenarios from hazardous rock treatment to debris flows, avalanches, and other fields.

　　· Industry standards that OST participated in formulating:

　　• Slope Flexible Protection Net System (JT/T 1328-2020), Ministry of Transport

　　• Test Method and Evaluation for Rockfall Impact of Railway Slope Flexible Passive Protection Products (TB/T 3449-2016), National Railway Administration

　　• Technical Code for Slope Flexible Protection Net Engineering of Hydropower Projects (NB/T 11807-2025), National Energy Administration

　　· Technology accumulation data:

　　• One of only three companies worldwide with a comprehensive Ｍastery of flexible protection technology

　　• Cumulative research investment exceeding RMB 142 million

　　• More than 300 full-scale impact tests completed

　　• More than 80 patents

　　The first keyword: Full-process slope safety services

　　After achieving technological self-reliance, OST began to consider a deeper question: Does a qualified component equal a qualified system? Does a qualified system equal satisfactory application results?

　　Flexible protection is not a single product but a systematic engineering endeavor integrating structural mechanics, materials science, and impact mechanics. Its application requires the coordinated linkage of a series of supporting processes, including survey, design, production, construction, inspection, and operation and maintenance.

　　This means that doing a good job on the product alone is not enough. Whether the upstream geological assessment is accurate, whether the midstream solution design is well-matched, and whether the downstream construction and acceptance are properly carried out—every link affects the final safety outcome.

　　Based on this judgment, OST proposed a new positioning this year: "Full-process Slope Safety Service Provider."

　　Hazardous rock and rockfall analysis and assessment → Customized protection solution design → Product research, development, and manufacturing → Product testing and inspection → Engineering construction and installation → Intelligent monitoring → Suitability evaluation → Maintenance and operation

　　From preliminary geological hazard assessment, to the formulation of technically feasible, practical, and cost-effective solutions, and then to construction acceptance and later operation and maintenance—OST is transforming from a "factory selling protection nets" into a service provider covering the entire life cycle of slope safety.

　　The second keyword: New achievements in avalanche protection

　　The report presented OST's latest progress in the field of avalanche prevention and control.

　　One thing needs to be clarified first: avalanche protection and rockfall protection are two different things.

　　Rockfall is a disaster form characterized by small volume and high impact energy, whereas avalanche is a disaster form characterized by continuous impact and large volume. Once the energy dissipator of a traditional passive protection net is activated, it consumes most of its energy capacity, leaving only about 30% for the next interception. In the face of avalanches—a high-frequency, large-volume disaster—the traditional passive net format is inappropriate.

　　OST studied foreign technical manuals and relevant standards for avalanche prevention and control, and learned from the mature experience of other countries in this field.

　　The prevention and control approach is divided into three zones:

　　• Formation zone → Snow stabilization measures, which suppress avalanche occurrence by altering the shear weak surface of the avalanche body

　　• Flow zone → Snow diversion measures, which manage avalanche disasters by redirecting the flow

　　• Deposition zone → Snow interception measures, which manage avalanche disasters by interception

　　基于柔性防护网“吸能耗能”的共通机理，公司已完成稳雪网、拦雪网系列产品的计算分析与定型。稳雪网布设于形成区，抑制雪崩发生;拦雪网针对高频发、小规模、广分布的雪崩灾害，布设于堆积区前端，具备易清理和易维修的优势。

　　这意味着柔性防护技术的应用边界，正在从传统的落石、泥石流，拓展到雪崩这一高海拔山区常见灾害场景。

　　Based on the common mechanism of "energy absorption and dissipation" of flexible protection nets, the company has completed the calculation, analysis, and finalization of its snow stabilization net and snow interception net product series. Snow stabilization nets are deployed in formation zones to suppress avalanche occurrence; snow interception nets, targeting high-frequency, small-scale, and widely distributed avalanche disasters, are deployed at the front end of deposition zones and offer the advantages of easy cleaning and easy maintenance.

　　This means that the application boundaries of flexible protection technology are expanding from traditional rockfall and debris flow scenarios to avalanches, a common disaster scenario in high-altitude mountainous areas.

　　The digital sand table at the exhibition booth

　　During the conference, OST demonstrated its [Digital Sand Table System] at its exhibition booth.

　　Starting from real disaster scenarios, the sand table presents various slope protection application scenarios—from hydropower stations to highway slopes, from passive nets to guidance nets, and from rockfall to debris flow.

　　Unlike brochures or pictures, visitors can use a 3D perspective to view the positional relationships of products in real terrain from multiple angles, and can also watch the dynamic effects of simulated disaster scenarios. On-site staff provide explanations alongside the demonstration.

　　After the report concluded, many conference delegates came to the booth and engaged in discussions around the sand table demonstration and product details. Some visitors remarked that the sand table is more intuitive than brochures or pictures—they could see the application scenarios and product features, and also observe product conditions and disaster simulation effects from dynamic perspectives.

　　From 750 to 12,000—the distance from catching up to leading.

　　From rockfall to avalanche—a leap from a single scenario to multi-scenario adaptability.

　　From selling products to full-process services—a transformation from supplier to service provider.

　　What OST does remains unchanged: Care for Life, Safeguard Safety.

　　OST Slope Protection · Full-process Slope Safety Service Provider

　　Care for Life, Safeguard Safety