To analyze the seismic response of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge pier, a plastic-damage model for concrete is established based on damage factors. The evolution of concrete damage under dynamic load is considered. In addition, the influence of model parameters such as dilation angle on the seismic response of RC bridge pier is analyzed. It's found that the damage evolution of RC bridge pier under earthquake action can be better simulated through plastic-damage model, which, therefore, could be adopted to describe mechanical properties of concrete in the dynamic analysis of RC bridge pier.