High-pile　wharf　is　an　important　port　structure　and　may　suffer　from　accidental　explosions　or　terrorist　bombing　attack　during　the　service　life.　The　reinforced　concrete　(RC)　pile　is　one　of　the　popular　vertical　load-bearing　piles　of　high-pile　wharf　structure.　As　a　main　load-bearing　member　of　the　high-pile　wharf　structure,　the　damage　of　RC　pile　due　to　underwater　explosive　may　cause　subsequently　progressive　collapse　of　the　whole　structure.　In　this　paper,　the　dynamic　response　and　failure　mode　of　RC　pile　in　high-pile　wharf　structure　under　the　near-field　non-contact　underwater　explosion　are　investigated　using　a　combined　experimental　and　numerical　study.　First,　a　typical　RC　pile　was　designed　and　tested　for　the　near-field　non-contact　underwater　explosion.　The　failure　mode　and　damage　of　the　RC　pile　specimen　were　obtained　and　analyzed.　Second,　the　numerical　model　of　the　RC　pile　under　near-field　non-contact　underwater　explosion　was　established　by　adopting　the　commercial　software　AUTODYN,　and　then　validated　based　on　experimental　results.　It　was　shown　that　the　results　from　numerical　model　and　experimental　test　compared　very　well　in　terms　of　the　damage　pattern　and　lateral　displacement.　Furthermore,　the　full-scale　numerical　model　of　the　RC　pile　for　the　near-field　non-contact　underwater　explosion　was　developed　based　on　the　validated　numerical　model　to　investigate　the　damage　pattern　and　failure　mode　of　RC　pile　under　varied　underwater　explosives.　Lastly,　the　safety　distance　for　the　RC　pile　for　the　underwater　explosion　loading　with　consideration　of　different　explosive　mass,　the　explosive　depth　and　the　concrete　strength　was　suggested.　The　outcome　of　this　study　presented　reference　for　analysis,　assessment　and　design　of　the　type　of　RC　pile　for　high-pile　wharf　structure　subjected　to　near-field　non-contact　underwater　explosion.