The　arch　dam-foundation　rock　dynamic　interaction　and　the　nonlinear　effects　of　closing　and　opening　of　contracted　joints　of　arch　dams　are　important　to　the　analysis　of　seismic　response　of　arch　dams.　Up　to　date,　there　is　not　yet　a　reasonable　and　rigorous　procedure　including　the　two　factors　in　the　analysis　of　seismic　response　of　arch　dams.　It　is　the　reason　that　the　methods　used　for　analysis　of　the　arch　dam-foundation　rock　dynamic　interaction　in　the　frequency　domain　are　not　suitable　to　the　problem　with　nonlinear　behaviors.　For　the　purpose　an　analysis　method　in　the　time　domain　is　proposed　by　combining　the　explicit　finite　element　method　and　the　transmitting　boundary,　and　by　using　a　dynamic　analysis　method　the　static　responses　of　arch　dams　is　solved　and　a　combination　method　is　also　proposed　to　calculate　the　nonlinear　responses　of　arch　dams　under　the　actions　of　static　and　dynamic　load,　in　this　paper.　The　influences　of　the　arch　dam-foundation　dynamic　interaction　with　energy　dispersion,　local　material　nonlinear　and　non-homogeneous　behaviors　on　the　seismic　response　of　arch　dams　have　been　also　studied　for　the　designed　Xiaowan　arch　dam　with　maximum　height　of　292　m　in　China.　Moreover,　the　results　obtained　by　the　proposed　method　are　compared　with　the　ones　obtained　by　the　conventional　method　with　the　massless　foundation.　The　influences　of　the　closing-opening　effects　of　contracted　joints　of　arch　dams　on　the　seismic　response　of　arch　dams　will　be　considered　in　another　paper.　©　2004　Taylor　&　Francis　Group,　London.