In this study, we introduce a canonical correlation analysis method to accurately assess the tunnel damage potential of ground motion. The proposed method can retain information relating to the initial variables. A total of 100 ground motion records are used as seismic inputs to analyze the dynamic response of three different profiles of tunnels under deep and shallow burial conditions. Nine commonly used ground motion parameters were selected to form the canonical variables of ground motion parameters (GMPCCA). Five structural dynamic response parameters were selected to form canonical variables of structural dynamic response parameters (DRPCCA). Canonical correlation analysis is used to maximize the correlation coefficients between GMPCCA and DRPCCA to obtain multivariate ground motion parameters that can be used to comprehensively assess the tunnel damage potential. The results indicate that the multivariate ground motion parameters used in this study exhibit good stability, making them suitable for evaluating the tunnel damage potential induced by ground motion. Among the nine selected ground motion parameters, peck ground acceleration (PGA), peck ground velocity (PGV), root-mean-square acceleration (RMSA), and spectral acceleration (Sa) have the highest contribution rates to GMPCCA and DRPCCA and the highest importance in assessing the tunnel damage potential. In contrast to univariate ground motion parameters, multivariate ground motion parameters exhibit a higher correlation with tunnel dynamic response parameters and enable accurate assessment of tunnel damage potential.
