In order to provide theoretical guidance for the sensor placement in the high-pile wharf health monitoring system,this paper presents an optimal sensor placement method based on structural dynamic characteristics.On the basis of structural dynamics analysis of the transverse bent of representative structural units of piled wharf,the modal strain energy method is used to select the initial measuring points for the piled wharf transverse arrangement;the initial modal matrix is established,then the modal matrix is iterated and optimized by means of modal confidence method and sequence method,thus the sensors locations are obtained.The numerical simulation model of a single transverse bent is established,and the placement results of sensor points of seven pile foundations are obtained by using the optimal placement method of sensors,and the placement of measurement points is evaluated.The angle between the modal vectors tends to be orthogonal,and the sensor placement scheme is effective,which proves that the optimal sensor placement method is suitable for the sensor optimal placement of high pile wharf.