SUMMARYIn this paper, we employ the generalized-time integration scheme for treating elastodynamic contact problems. The criteria invoked for the selection of the four time integration parameters are motivated by our desire to ensure that the solution is unconditionally stable, second-order accurate, provides optimal high-frequency dissipation and preserves the energy and momentum transfer in dynamic rigid impact problems. New closed-form expressions for the time integration parameters are determined in terms of user-speciÿed high-frequency spectral radius. The selected parameters help in avoiding the spurious high-frequency modes, which are present in the traditional Newmark method.